Monument Details

362nd Fighter Group Plaque

Details:

On the east side of the road.

Plaque

A black rectangular plaque affixed on the right side of the curved wall. The plaque is inscribed in English in white lettering. It lists the names of the men of the 362^nd Fighter Group who died while based at Headcorn airfield. On the front face of the fourth step that leads up to the wall, another plaque is also attached. It is also inscribed in English in white lettering and tells the role of the group in the airfield during the Normandy invasion. On the left and right ends of the steps are also plaques that are affixed with the names of the 377^th, 378^th, and 379^th Fighter Squadrons.

The 362nd Fighter Group with some 75 Republic P-47 Thunderbolts moved in from RAF Wormingford on 13 April as part of the movement of groups of the Ninth Air Force's 100th Fighter Wing from the Colchester area that month. The group consisted of the following squadrons:

377th Fighter Squadron (E4)
378th Fighter Squadron (G8)
379th Fighter Squadron (B8)

The 362nd Fighter Group began its move to Normandy on 2 July, relocating to Lignerolles, France (ALG A-12) with Headcorn continuing to be used for operations until the 7th. Two days later the last of the group's personnel had departed.

Source of information: https://military.wikia.org, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

Monument Text:

Wall plaque:

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED WHILST BASED AT

THIS AIRFIELD FROM APRIL 1944 TO JULY 1944, OF THE

362^ND FIGHTER GROUP, UNITED STATES NINTH AIRFORCE.

----- 377 SQUADRON -----