Monument Details

Carpetbagger Memorial

Details:

This memorial is located on the site of one of the former aircraft dispersal points along Lamport Road approximately 1.5 km SE of the museum.

The grey marble memorial was placed in 1987 at a reunion of the Carpetbaggers in honor of those who did not survive the war. It features images of a Carpetbagger B-24 Liberator taking off in front of cottages which can be seen alongside the airfield at Harrington, as well as unit insignia on front and back, as well as black leaf text in English.

Monument Text:

Front: The United States 8th Air Force 801^st/ 492^nd Bombardment Group (H) Carpetbaggers flew clandestine nightly missions from this secret airfield during World War II in black B-24 Liberator bombers dropping munitions and supplies to underground resistance fighters in Nazi occupied Europe.

They parachuted and landed OSS agents into Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany to carry out espionage activities against enemy forces.

They also flew night bombing missions.

208 American aircrewmen gave their lives flying from this airfield.

1944 - 1945

Back: United States 8^thAir Force Station 179 Airbase Supporting Units

HDQS & HDQS Squadron 9th Service Group

1094^thQuartermaster Company, 2132^ndEngineer F.F. Platoon, 352^nd Service Squadron, 1077^th Signal Company, Group RADAR Section, 35^thStation Complement Squadron

1561^st Ordinance S&M Company, 18^th Weather Detachment, 1020^thChemical Company, Base Medical Detachment, 1139^thMP Company

Sides: 36^th/856^th Squadron, 850^th/857^th Squadron

406^th/858^th Squadron, 788^th/859^th Squadron

Commemorates:

Units:

492nd Bomber Group

801st Bomber Group

852nd Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group, Heavy

853rd Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group, Heavy

854th Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group

858th Bomber Squadron, 492nd Bomb Group, Heavy

8th Air Force

Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

OSS

United States Air Force

United States Army

Wars:

WWII

Battles:

Operation Carpetbagger

Operation Jedburgh (OSS Operations)

Other images :

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