The memorial is set on the boundary bank of the churchyard on side of the track.

A headstone-style slab marker, engraved with a cross and green painted wreath, bearing the commemoration message in English in incised lettering. This memorial commemorates the crash of a B17 Flying Fortress from the 100th Bomb Group stationed at Thorpe Abbotts, on 7 May 1944. Five crew members were killed. It also commemorates the crewmembers of two P47 Thunderbolts from the American 5th Emergency Squadron based at Halesworth.

The first five listed on the memorial were of the 100th Bomb Group stationed at Thorpe Abbotts, nicknamed the "Bloody Hundreds". A number of Flying Fortresses set off on the early morning of May 7th, 1944, for a raid on Berlin. One caught fire before it reached the east coast. Several dozen signal flares in cartridges stored in the top turret compartment, for some unknown reason, started to explode and set on fire the entire front of the plane. Though the top turret gunner tried to put out the flames, the cabin was filled with smoke. Moving to the forward hatch to make his escape he found it blocked by the body of a man whose parachute was outside the plane. Five of the crew escaped through the gun turret while the pilot kept the plane steady, but the remaining five, including the pilot and co-pilot, died in the crash and explosion nearby. 

The last two names on the memorial commemorate two men from the American 5th Emergency Squadron based at Halesworth. The second crash occurred on the 8th April 1945 when they collided in two USAAF P47 Thunderbolts over Fritton Lake, whilst either returning from an air-sea rescue mission or just practicing aerial maneuvers. One went into the Lake and parts were recovered later from the Lake in 1971 and were exhibited at Fritton Hall; the other crashed in the field opposite White Lodge, fragments being scattered over a wide area. 

From the recovery from Fritton Lake, the port wing was presented to the USAAF Museum at Wright Patterson Airforce Base, Ohio, where it is on exhibit. 

In 1969 while on a midnight hike soon after their troop was formed, some Yarmouth Scouts came upon the USAAF Memorial and the next day the troop band went to Ashby and played the Last Post - a custom which these 5th St. Mary's Sea Scouts have kept up every Remembrance Sunday since, complete with Union Flag, the Scout Flag, and now the Stars and Stripes, after the recognition of their loyal gesture. The presentation of the Stars and Stripes was made possible in 1978 by Col. Mark R. Richards of the USA Air Force and chief of the community relations division of the Office of Information in Washington D.C.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, www.tracesofwar.com, Claire Parfrey of flickr.com

Source of image: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

NEAR THIS PLACE ON MAY 7TH 1944

1ST LT RALPH W. WRIGHT

LT JACK W. RAPER

LT RICHARD CURRAN

LT CARL A. HERRMANN

S/SGT RANDOLPH C. MOORE

ALSO ON APRIL 8TH 1945

LT RUSSEL P. JUDD

F/O LOUIS S. DAVIS

ALL OF THE U.S.A. 8TH ARMY AIR FORCE

GAVE THEIR LIVES IN DEFENCE

OF THIS COUNTRY

GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS

THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE

FOR HIS FRIENDS.