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446th Bomb Group Monument

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Details:

On the corner of the first junction to the east.


Monument

A black, oval, marble stone mounted on a chamfered plinth that is supported by a rectangular block base. It is inscribed in English text with white lettering and has six images of USAAF insignias on the top. On the center is an image of a B-24 Liberator plane. On the base, another commemoration message is inscribed. The monument commemorates the 446th Bomb Group and supported units that were based at the airfield during World War II. On the left hand side of the monument a nearby info sign was installed and another dedication plaque is set on the ground.

 

Royal Air Force Bungay or more simply RAF Bungay (known locally as Flixton) is a former Royal Air Force station. Bungay airfield was originally planned as a satellite for nearby RAF Hardwick and was constructed by Kirk & Kirk Ltd., during 1942 with a main runway of 6,000 feet in length and two intersecting secondary runways, one of 4,220 feet and the other of 4,200 feet. In common with other airfields of the period, the technical, administrative and domestic buildings were dispersed to lessen the impact of any enemy air attack. The buildings were all of a temporary nature and the various sites were chiefly to the west of the airfield.

 

Additional construction was performed at Bungay until November 1943 when the airfield received the Eighth Air Force 446th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Lowry AAF, Colorado. The 446th was assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing and the group tail code was a "Circle-H". Its operational squadrons were:

 

  • 704th Bombardment Squadron (FL)
  • 705th Bombardment Squadron (HN)
  • 706th Bombardment Squadron (RT)
  • 707th Bombardment Squadron (JU)

 

The 446th operated chiefly against strategic objectives on the Continent from December 1943 until April 1945. Targets included U-boat installations at Kiel, the port at Bremen, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, ball-bearing works at Berlin, aero-engine plants at Rostock, aircraft factories at Munich, marshalling yards at Coblenz, motor works at Ulm, and oil refineries at Hamburg.

 

Besides strategic missions, the group often carried out support and interdictory operations. It supported the Normandy landings in June 1944 by attacking strong points, bridges, airfields, transportation, and other targets in France. It aided ground forces at Caen and Saint-Lô during July by hitting bridges, gun batteries, and enemy troops. Dropped supplies to Allied troops near Nijmegen during the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September. Bombed marshalling yards, bridges, and road junctions during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945. Dropped supplies to airborne and ground troops near Wesel during the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

 

The 446th Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April, attacking a bridge near Salzburg. It returned to Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, during June and July 1945, being inactivated there on 18 August 1945.

 

The airfield was sold in 1962.

Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://en.wikipedia.org

Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, http://eastangliamemorials.blogspot.com

Monument Text:

 

US ARMY AIR FORCES

446th Bomb Group (H) Station 125

 

(-8th Air Force insignia-)

(-704th Squadron insignia-)

(-705th Squadron insignia-)

(-446th Bomb Group emblem-)

(-706th Squadron insignia-)

(-707th Squadron insignia-)

 

NOVEMBER 1943 TO JUNE 1945

273 COMBAT MISSIONS, OVER 6000 PERSONNEL SERVED

456 KILLED IN ACTION. 66 AIRCRAFT LOST.

THIS GROUP LED THE 8TH AIR FORCE ON THE FIRST MISSION OF 'D-DAY' 6TH JUNE 1944.

 

(-B24 LIBERATOR-)

 

SUPPORT UNITS

DETACHMENT 'A' 1248th M.P. CO (AVN) • 460th SUB-DEPOT CLASS I • 212TH FINANCE SECTION

558TH ARMY POSTAL UNIT • 559TH ARMY POSTAL UNIT • 2967TH FINANCE DETACHMENT

2035TH ENGINEER AVIATION FIRE FIGHTING PLATOON • GROUP HQ AND HQ SQUADRON

260th MEDICAL DISPENSARY AVN (RS) • DETACHMENT 'A' 885TH CHEMICAL COMPANY

25TH STATION COMPLEMENT SQUADRON (SP) • 639TH MATERIAL SQUADRON

214th QM COMPANY SERVICE GROYUP AVN (RS) • 378th AIR SERVICE GROUP

1821st ORDNANCE SUPPLY & MAINTENANCE COMPANY (AVN)

815th AIR ENGINEERING SQUADRON.

 

'REMEMBER THEM'

 

 

Ground plaque:

 

THE 446th BOMB GROUP (H) MEMORIAL

WAS DEDICATED ON 24th SEPTEMBER 2003

ON THE RETURN VISIT OF VETERANS FROM THE GROUP

Commemorates:

Units:

1248th Military Police Company (Aviation)

1821st Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company (AVN)

2035th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon

212th Finance Section

214th Quartermaster Company Service Group AVN (RS)

25th Station Complement Squadron (SP)

260th Medical Dispensary AVN (RS)

2967th Finance Detachment

378th Air Service Group

446th Bomb Group

460th Sub-Depot Class I

558th Army Postal Unit

559th Army Postal Unit

639th Material Squadron

704th Bomber Squadron, 446th Bomb Group, Heavy

705th Bomber Squadron, 446th Bomber Group, Heavy

706th Bomber Squadron, 446th Bomb Group

707th Bomber Squadron, 446th Bomb Group

815th Air Engineering Squadron

885th Chemical Company

8th Air Force

US Army Air Corps

Wars:

WWII

Other images :