On the northeast side of the cemetery.

A square stone plinth with the insignia of the 9^th Air Force and an incised inscription in English. The insignia is engraved on top of the commemoration message.

The Royal Air Force left Grove in September 1943 to allow the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ninth Air Force to use the base as a staging ground for the planned Normandy landings. Grove was known as USAAF Station AAF-519 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of the location.

Beginning in August 1943, Grove was used by the 3rd Tactical Air Depot of IX Air Service Command, repairing A-20 Havocs and P-61 Black Widows. Starting on 31 October, the 31st Transport Group, IX Air Service Command used the airfield with C-47 Skytrains with the mission of transporting cargo and personnel between IX Air Force airfields in the UK. The 31st TG consisted of the 87th, 313th, and 314th Transport Squadrons. Air Transport Command had the 310th and 325th Ferrying Squadrons also attached. After D-Day, the Group was impressed with air ambulance and general theatre transport duties until moving to France in September 1944.

In October and November 1945, the 13th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (7th Reconnaissance Group) used the airfield before returning to the United States. In addition, the 36th Bombardment Squadron from RAF Alconbury in Huntingdonshire used the airfield after the closure of Alconbury in October 1945. The squadron flew occasional transport missions until they returned to the United States in December 1945, ending American use of the station.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, en.wikipedia.org

Source of photos: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO THE

MEMORY OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE

9TH USAAF AND OTHER ALLIED

SERVICEMEN WHO WHILE SERVING AT

GROVE DURING WW II

SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR THE

CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY

             GROVE PARISH COUNCIL

                     1995