Affixed on the outside wall at the front on the eastern side of the superstore, very close to the ATMs.

A white rectangular metal board, supported by a white backboard, printed in English text with black lettering. On the top are the printed 835^th Bombardment Squadron badge and a B-17 depiction with ‘square W’ as its tail mark. The plaque commemorates the downed crew of the B-17 #43-38137 “Miss B Haven” and one civilian.

B-17 No 43-38137 commanded by Second Lt. Clarence B. Hermann, took off at 0538 hours in the darkness of early morning to take part in a bombing mission on Cologne, Germany. It was the sixth aircraft to take off but the pilot seemed to have problems with the No 4 engine and although the heavily laden aircraft lifted off its wing lights showed that it was struggling to gain height. It bore to the right then a loud explosion was heard and the glow of a fire lit up the morning darkness. The plane had torn into the top part of the Woodhall farmhouse and then continued on a short distance before exploding in a field beyond the house. Pieces of the aircraft were scattered over a wide area and the field was blackened by fire. Eight of the nine man crew were killed but the pilot was blown clear when the aircraft exploded. He was taken to the Station hospital at Acton where he spent two months recovering.

The crew:

Pilot; 2lt., Clarence B. HERRMANN. Injured, Survived.

Co-pilot; 2lt., Robert ETTER

Navigator; 2Lt., William ANNAN

Left Waist Gunner; Sgt., John JACKSON

Flight Engineer; S/Sgt., John SARTAIN

Bombardier; 2lt., Vernon MEIERHENRY

Ball Turret Gunner; Sgt., Ralph SPAULDING

Radio Operator; S/Sgt., Robert STONE

Rear Gunner; Sgt., Joseph COOK

Source of info: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://americans.sudburysuffolk.co.uk

Source of image: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

'A FATAL TRAGEDY'

Donated in February 1999 by kind support of Tesco Stores Ltd.