On the north side opposite The Woodman Inn.

A polished, rectangular, black, marble stone tablet mounted on a wider, white, marble plinth on a single step base. The front face of the tablet is etched with an outline of a bomber on the center with the 398^th group name below it. The bomber etching is surrounded by four associated units’ insignias. On the back of the tablet is the RAF Nuthampstead airfield plan. The plinth is inscribed with a dedication message on one side and a list of units and campaigns on the other, both in English in black, uppercase, and incised lettering. Engraved on the center of the plinth is the 8^th Air Force insignia flanked by war dates inscription in gold lettering.

From April 1944 until June 1945 the 398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) used the Nuthampstead airfield, arriving from Rapid City AAF South Dakota. The group was under the command of the 1st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Air Division. Equipped with Boeing B-17G Flying Fortresses, its tail code was a "Triangle-W".

The group consisted of the following squadrons:

• 600th Bombardment Squadron (N8)
• 601st Bombardment Squadron (3O)
• 602d Bombardment Squadron (K8)
• 603d Bombardment Squadron (N7)

The 398th BG entered combat in May 1944, and until V-E Day operated primarily against strategic objectives in Germany, attacking targets such as factories in Berlin, warehouses in Munich, marshaling yards in Saarbrücken, shipping facilities in Kiel, oil refineries in Merseburg, and aircraft plants in Münster.

The group temporarily suspended strategic missions to attack coastal defenses and enemy troops on the Cherbourg peninsula during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The group struck gun positions near Eindhoven in support of the air attack on the Netherlands in September 1944 and raided power stations, railroads, and bridges during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945. A formation of 38 aircraft from this group was responsible for the mistaken Bombing of Prague on 14 February 1945. The group flew missions attacking airfields to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

The 398th flew its last combat mission, attacking an airfield in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, on 25 April 1945. After V-E Day the group transported liberated prisoners from Germany to France.

From Nuthampstead, the 398th Bomb Group flew 195 combat missions losing 58 B17C Flying Fortresses. The unit returned to Drew AAF Florida and was inactivated on 1 September 1945.

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

Source of photos: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register 

Front face of the tablet:

Left side of the plinth:

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN BUILT BY THE

398TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION

UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NUTHAMPSTEAD AIRFIELD

RESEARCH SOCIETY. IT IS DEDICATED TO THE EVERLASTING

MEMORY OF THOSE AIR CREWS AND SUPPORT UNITS WHO

SERVED SO GALLANTLY AT ARMY AIR FORCE STATION 131

NUTHAMPSTEAD - HERTFORDSHIRE - ENGLAND.

THE 398TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) FLEW 195 DAYLIGHT

COMBAT MISSIONS FROM THIS AIRFIELD LOSING 58 OF THEIR

B17G FLYING FORTRESSES 'MISSING IN ACTION' BETWEEN

MAY 6 1944 - APRIL 25 1945.

_________________________________

'THEIR WINGS OF SILVER TOUCHED THE PASSING CLOUDS

MADE SOFT WHITE TRAILS ACROSS THE AZURE BLUE,

BUT NOT FOR THEM THIS LIFE WE SHARE ON EARTH

THEY SACRIFICED THAT GIFT FOR ME AND YOU'.

Right side of the plinth:

398TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) HEADQUARTERS

600TH - 601ST - 602ND - 603RD BOMBARDMENT SQUADRONS (H)

ASSIGNED 1ST COMBAT WING - 1ST AIR DIVISION - 8TH AIR FORCE

SUPPORT UNITS 206TH FINANCE - 244TH MEDICAL - 325TH STATION

COMPLEMENT - 478TH SUB DEPOT - 860TH CHEMICAL WARFARE

1142ND MILITARY POLICE - 1226TH Q.MASTER - 1449TH ORDNANCE

426TH AIR SERVICE GROUP - 18TH WEATHER SQUADRON.

CAMPAIGNS (BATTLE STARS)

AIR OFFENSIVE EUROPE NORTHERN FRANCE NORMANDY

RHINELAND ARDENNES ALSACE CENTRAL EUROPE

-DISTINGUISHED UNIT PRESIDENTIAL CITATION (1ST AIR DIVISION)

MISSIONS TO GERMANY - FRANCE - HOLLAND - BELGIUM

LUXEMBOURG - CZECHOSLOVAKIA - POLAND - AUSTRIA

"HELL FROM HEAVEN"