In the roadside yard in between the NWI parking lot and the Airport terminal.

A standing triangular granite prism with an angled top. The top surface is printed with the airfield’s map while the front face is printed with the insignia of the RAF and USAAF and five images of aircrafts which includes the Spitfire, Blenheim, Mosquito, Thunderbolt and Liberator, together with the inscription. The texts on all sides are inscribed in English and white lettering. On the sides of the memorial are lists of the squadrons based at RAF Horsham St. Faith during World War II and a poem. The monument is also flanked by two flagpoles. At the front near the monument, stone carved roundels of the RAF and USAAF were placed on the ground on either side. The monument was unveiled on July 29, 2004.

In September 1942 Horsham St Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Forces for use by the Eighth Air Force. The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF).

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Horsham St Faith were:

• 469th Sub-Depot
• 18th Weather Squadron
• 60th Station Complement Squadron
• Headquarters (96th Combat Bomb Wing)

Regular Army Station Units included:

• 1080th Signal Company
• 1105th Quartermaster Company
• 1119th Military Police Company
• 13th Special Services Company
• 1686th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
• 858th Chemical Company

319th Bombardment Group (Medium)

The first USAAF tenants at the airfield was the 319th Bombardment Group (Medium), arriving from RAF Shipdham on 4 October 1942. Flying the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber, the group stayed until 11 November when the group reassigned to Twelfth Air Force as part of the North African Campaign at Saint-Leu Airfield, Algeria.

The airfield then lay unused over the winter.

56th Fighter Group

With the departure of the Marauders to North Africa, the next USAAF group to use Horsham St Faith was the 56th Fighter Group, transferring from RAF Kings Cliffe on 6 April 1943. The group consisted of the following squadrons:

• 61st Fighter Squadron (HV)
• 62d Fighter Squadron (LM)
• 63d Fighter Squadron (UN)

The group entered combat with a fighter sweep in the area of St Omer on 13 April 1943, and flew numerous missions over France, the Low Countries, and Germany to escort bombers that attacked industrial establishments, V-weapon sites, submarine pens, and other targets on the Continent.

On 8 July, the group had to move to RAF Halesworth when work started on enlarging Horsham St Faith for use as a heavy bomber station with hard surface runways and concrete hardstands and a perimeter track. The move was not particularly popular with the men of the 56th who had to give up the comparative comfort of Horsham's barracks for the temporary hut (and muddy) accommodations at Halesworth.

458th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

With runway construction finished, The 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrived at Horsham St Faith late in January 1944 from Tonopah Army Airfield Nevada. The group flew its first mission on 24 February with Consolidated B-24 Liberators.

On 2 March a heavily loaded bomber taking off crashed on nearby Hellesdon which was under the flightpath. In September 1944, like other bomber groups in the area it participated in shipping fuel for American forces to France.

The group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, flying 240 missions losing 47 aircraft in combat along with another 18 before returning to Sioux Falls AAF South Dakota in July 1945.

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

Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

Front side:

R.A.F.

HORSHAM ST. FAITH

THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE AIRCREW BOTH

ROYAL AIR FORCE AND UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE WHO

SERVED AND THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF

FREEDOM WHILST OPERATING FROM THIS AIRFIELD DURING

WORLD WAR II 1939 - 1945

Back right side:

ROYAL AIR FORCE

UNITED STATES

ARMY AIR FORCE

Back left side:

Their wings of silver

Touched the passing clouds,

Made soft white trails

Across the azure blue

But not for them

This life we share on Earth...

They sacrificed that gift

For me and you.

At the going down of the sun

And in the morning,

We will remember them