To the south next to the entrance gate. The memorial is set in a small area surrounded by semi-circular hedges.

A black B-17 propeller supported by a metal pole and is mounted to a stone base. On the top surface of the stone base are carved and painted emblems of the 321^st, 322^nd, 323^rd, and 401^st Bomb Squadrons while on the front side is the 91^st Bomb Group insignia. It took nearly 10 years to find a suitable B-17 propeller. In 1976, a propeller was found on a wrecked B-17 in Sudan and was refurbished and made the propeller the centerpiece of the memorial. The angle of the propeller on the memorial is the same height and angle as it would be on a B-17. The pole holding the propeller is a stainless steel tube inserted into a massive concrete block and into the ground. Inside the stainless steel sleeve, is a solid piece of steel to enable the weight and angle to be supported for the propeller. In front of the monument is an upright triangular prism stone which is inscribed with the Group’s supported units and the commemoration message. The memorials commemorate the 91^st Bomber Group which served at RAF Bassingbourn during World War II. To the left of the monument, a marker is set on the ground honoring the 1^st Scouting Force while to the right is an info sign.

The 91st Bomb Group was the seventh of an eventual 42 heavy groups to deploy to England. A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress unit, it moved into RAF Kimbolton on 10 October 1942, but that station, in Huntingdonshire, had not yet been reconstructed to Class A standards and was immediately found to be unsuitable for operations. Bassingbourn had recently been vacated by the RAF and made available to the Eighth Air Force. The commanding officer of the 91st BG inspected Bassingbourn on 13 October 1942 and, not wanting to lose the opportunity, moved his entire unit there the next day before seeking permission.

The 91st BG was assigned to the 1st Combat Bombardment Wing, also at Bassingbourn. The group tail code (after June 1943) was a "Triangle A". Its operational squadrons and fuselage codes were:

• 322d Bombardment Squadron (LG)
• 323d Bombardment Squadron (OR)
• 324th Bombardment Squadron (DF)
• 401st Bombardment Squadron (LL)

The Eighth Air Force in general and the 91st Bomb Group, in particular, were critically short of support personnel, and the airfield remained under RAF administration until 21 April 1943. The final commanding officer of RAF Bassingbourn before its transfer was Squadron Leader J. S. Ellard.

The 91st began combat operations from Bassingbourn on 7 November 1942, as one of the four "pioneer" B-17 groups. The group operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war.

Source of information: 91stbombgroup.com, en.wikipedia.org, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

Source of images: Aviation History Around Anglia FB Page

Stone in front of the prop, front face:

91ST BOMB. GROUP (H)

HEADQUARTERS

322 BOMB SQ   323 BOMB SQ

324 BOMB SQ   401 BOMB SQ

441 SUB DEPOT              1ST STA COMP

1696 ORDN        1204 QM

982 MP                                863 CWS

556 APU              206 FINANCE

2024 ENGR FF                                18 WEATHER

243 MED DISP (AVN)                 RED CROSS

Stone in front of the prop, right face:

TO HONOR ALL MEN

OF THE

91ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY)

AAF STATION 121

BASSINGBOURN DEPOT

AMERICAN OCCUPIED

14 OCTOBER 1942 - 23 JUNE 1945

NEVER FORGOTTEN

FOREVER HONORED

ERECTED 1978