819th Engineer Aviation Battalion Plaque
Details:
On the west side of Grove Villas close to the intersection.
A small white plaque affixed on a brick plinth. The plinth is edged by a pentagon-shaped brick blocks and is set in a small garden. The plaque is inscribed in English text with white lettering which contains a dedication message from the 819th Aviation Engineer Battalion who built the Andrewsfield airfield.
Royal Air Force Andrews Field or more simply RAF Andrews Field (also known as RAF Andrewsfield and RAF Great Saling) is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) east-northeast of Great Dunmow Essex, England. Originally designated as Great Saling when designed and under construction, the base was renamed "Andrews Field" in honor of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) General Frank M. Andrews, who was killed in an airplane crash in Iceland in May 1943. Andrews Field was primarily the home of the USAAF Ninth Air Force 322d Bombardment Group during the Second World War, which flew the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber. After being transferred to the Air Ministry in late 1944, it was used briefly by RAF Fighter Command for Gloster Meteor jet fighter testing before being finally closed in late 1945.
Today the remains of the airfield are located on private property, being used as agricultural fields, with a small portion used by the Andrewsfield Flying Club.
Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://en.wikipedia.org
Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register
Monument Text:
THE 819TH ENGINEER AVIATION BATTALION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY ARRIVED IN GREAT SALING, ESSEX, IN JULY 1942. WE CAME AS ALLIES OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE TO CONSTRUCT HEAVY BOMBARDMENT STATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES EIGHTH AIR FORCE. THE AIRDROME NEAR THIS SITE WAS COMMISSIONED THE SUMMER OF 1943 AND NAMED ANDREWS FIELD IN MEMORY OF GENERAL FRANK M. ANDREWS OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE. IT WAS THE FIRST AIRDROME CONSTRUCTED BY AMERICAN TROOPS.
THE WARMTH AND GENEROSITY OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN FORGOTTON. THIS MARKER IS DEDICATED TO THESE FRIENDS AND TO OUR COMRADES WHO LATER MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN WESTERN EUROPE.
AUGUST 23, 1975
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Commemorates:
People:
Units:
819th Engineer Aviation Battalion
United States Army
Wars:
WWII
Other images :
