From the small parking area on the opposite side of the road, walk between the concrete blocks and follow the grassed footpath for about 100 yards/meters across the full width of the 'South Avenue' which stretches away to your left. The memorial marker will be found on the right.

A rectangular silver-painted board with black lettering set on a metal post. The board is inscribed in English in raised lettering and also features a diagram that shows the 323rd Dispersal Area D parking 'pads' and the 'nose' names of the original nine B-17s.

The memorial marker was dedicated to the airmen and aircraft of the 323rd Bomb Squadron in a ceremony on 2 August 1997. It was donated by the 91st Bomb Group Memorial Association. Between 1942 and 1945, American B-17 'Flying Fortress' bombers from the Bassingbourn airbase were parked and concealed within the 'South Avenue', a wide double row of mature elm trees that stretched for two miles across the Wimpole Estate, starting a little south of the front elevation of Wimpole Hall.

The B-17 aircraft named on the memorial marker were the nine original aircraft that formed the 323rd Bomb Squadron at Bassingbourn in November 1942. Their 'nose names' were (far left then clockwise): 'Delta Rebel No 2', 'Pennsylvania Polka', 'Stupen-Taket', 'The Careful Virgin', 'The Eagle's Wrath', 'Vertigo', 'Panhandle Dogie', 'Texas Bronco', and 'Lil Audrey'. Some 105 B-17 bombers were parked and serviced on the pads between 1942 and 1945 including 'Nine-O-Nine' [completed a record 140 casualty-free missions]. The marker records that fifty-two of those bombers were lost on missions with 227 of their airman killed in action.

Source of information and images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://www.wimpolepast.org

IN MEMORY OF AND DEDICATED TO

THE 323RD BOMB SQUADRON AIRMAN OF THE

91ST BOMB GROUP (HEAVY), 8TH AIR FORCE,

USAAF STATION 121, BASSINGBOURN, ENGLAND

     During World War II, from November 7, 1942 to June 23 1945, there were 105 B-17 bombers of the 323^rd Bomb Squadron parked and serviced on nine “pads” that were concealed among an avenue of stately elm trees that stretched from Wimpole Hall to the Huntingdon/Royston Road. Fifty two of the bombers were lost to enemy action while flying 330 daylight missions against Hitler’s Europe, killing 227 airman. 215 became prisoners of war and 12 evaded capture. The squadron’s B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” flew an amazing 8^th Air Force record of 140 casualty free missions, from December 30, 1943 to June 9 1945 (VE-Day).

     The diagram below shows the 323^rd Dispersal Area D parking ‘pads’ and the ‘nose’ names of the original nine B-17s. To reach the Bassingbourn Airbase runways/hangers, the B-17s taxied across the road near this memorial marker.

(-diagram-)

ERECTED 1997 BY THE 91ST BOMB GROUP MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION INC.