R. E. King Plaque
Details:
On the north side of Marine Parade East road. The plaque is set on the ground on the east side as entering the park.
A grey marble tablet mounted on a stone base. The tablet is inscribed with English text in white lettering. Another plaque is affixed on the front of the stone base to the person who unveiled the plaque. Flight Officer King was killed at the age of 22 on 13th Jan 1945 when his aircraft crashed into the sea nearby. He was returning to his base in Wattisham, Suffolk, accompanying a stricken comrade after a combat mission, when his aircraft developed engine trouble. He was brought ashore unconscious but died shortly afterward. His airplane was recovered in 1987 and is displayed at the museum of the East Essex Aviation Society. Also at the front of the museum, another plaque for F/O King could be seen. The memorial plaque in Albany Gardens was unveiled by his cousin, Mr. Alvin J. Stuart of Wildwood, Florida, on the fiftieth anniversary of Flight Officer King's death.
Another plaque for him could also be seen at
the front of East Essex Aviation Museum in Point Clear. Link: https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=1912&MemID=2508&keyword=east%20essex
Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, www.geograph.org.uk
Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register
Monument Text:
Top Plaque:
IN MEMORY OF
FLIGHT OFFICER RAYMOND E. KING
OF THE 436th FIGHTER SQUADRON,
479th GROUP U.S. 8th AIR FORCE
WHOSE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE SEA
NEAR THIS SPOT ON 13th JANUARY 1945
AFTER DEVELOPING ENGINE TROUBLE.
F/O KING WAS RETURNING TO BASE
AFTER A COMBAT MISSION AND NEVER
SURVIVED HIS ORDEAL IN THE
BITTERLY COLD SEA.
Front Plaque:
THIS PLAQUE WAS UNVIELED[sic] BY THE
PILOTS COUSIN MR ALVIN J STUART
OF WILDWOOD, FLORIDA U.S.A.
13th JANUARY 1995.
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
436th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group
479th Fighter Group
8th Air Force
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII
Other images :