USAAF B17 Flying Fortress Bomber Bench
Details:
To the left of the 94th Bombardment Group monument.
A bench made from the wing of a USAAF B17 Flying Fortress bomber aircraft. At the center of the backrest is a small plaque bearing a small message written in English in incised lettering with the USAAF roundel. This plaque is presented to the people of the city by the USAAF.
RAF Bury St Edmunds which is just 5 minutes from the town center was home for the 322nd Bomb Group and the 94th Bomb Group of the USAAF 8th Airforce whose contribution to the Allies’ strategic bombing offensive helped turn the tide of war against the Nazis and free occupied Europe.
The 94th Bomb Group flew the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign and served chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war.
Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, en.wikipedia.org
Source of photos: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register
Monument Text:
19 (-USAAF roundel-) 45
PRESENTED TO
THE CITY OF BURY ST. EDMUNDS
BY THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES
