351st Bomber Group Monument
Details:
On the west end of the concrete area of the park.
A polished triangular block surmounted on a rectangular base plinth, set in the center of a gravelled square ground that is bordered by low concrete pillars. The front of the triangular block is inscribed in English text, incised in white lettering and contains the dedicatory message. The US Army Air Forces insignia is printed on the top while below the message are the insignias of the 508th, 509th, 510th and 511th Squadrons that served at Polebrook. On the back side is an etched letter J. The front of the base plinth is printed with an image of a B-17 Flying Fortress that has the "Triangle J" tail-mark. It is flanked by the dates 1943 and 1945. On the back side beneath the plinth is the inscription relating to the memorial's unveiling.
In front of the monument is a smaller tablet set on the ground, bearing the map of the former airfield with an inscription. In each corner of the gravelled square are four black plaques commemorating the successive Commanding Officers of 351st Bombardment Group.
Behind the memorials are two granite benches bearing the inscriptions commemorating LT. Gen. James T. Stewart and Maj. Gen. Robert W. Burns.
Source of info and images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register
Monument Text:
On the front of the triangle:
(-USAAF insignia-)
IN MEMORY OF
THE
351ST BOMBARDMENT
GROUP (HEAVY).
EIGHTH UNITED STATES ARMY
AIR FORCE.
311 GROUP COMBAT BOMBING MISSIONS
WERE FLOWN FROM THIS AIRFIELD OVER
OCCUPIED EUROPE BETWEEN 1943-1945.
175 B-17 FLYING FORTRESSES AND THEIR
CREWS WERE LOST. 303 ENEMY AIRCRAFT
WERE DESTROYED IN AERIAL COMBAT
(-508th Squadron insginia-) | (-509th Squadron insginia-) | (-351st Bomber Group insignia-) | (-510th Squadron insginia-) | (-511th Squadron insginia-) |
On the front of the plinth:
1943 | (-B-17 image-) | 1945 |
On the back of the triangle:
J
On the back of the plinth:
THE 351ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H) REUNION ASSOCIATION GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENEROUS DONATION OF THE LAND FOR THIS MEMORIAL BY THE LANE FAMILY OF ASHTON WOLD HOUSE, ASHTON | DEDICATED JUNE 18TH 1981 |