On the left-hand side beside the monument.

A white square panel with a red border that is supported by thick and short wood planks. The info sign is inscribed in English containing a timeline and the story of the 353^rd Fighter Group, the Metfield bomb dump explosion, and a top-secret project of the European Division of the Air Transport Command.

Timeline

Metfield Station 366

Bill's Buzz Boys

In March 1944, Major General 'Bill' Kepner,

(CO for the USAAF 8th Fighter Command)

approved the formation of a squadron of

16 volunteer pilots. 

The squadron was set up in order to

experiment with the dangerous

techniques of 'ground strafing' or low

level ground attack by aircraft. They

trained using Merfield as the target

airfield.

The squadron was called the 353rd

'C' Fighter Group, but was soon

nicknamed 'Bill's Buzz Boys'.

Rocking the

Countryside

In July 1944, a bomb detonated

whilst being unloaded into the

bomb dump. This caused chain reaction.

1,200 tons of explosives

exploded and rocked the

countryside for miles. Five men

were killed and five B24 bombers

were damaged beyond

repair.

Top Secret

In August 1944, the European Division of

Air Transport Command took over the

airfield. It was used for the top secret

'Sonnie Project'. 

The project used B-24 Liberator bombers

to ferry personnel and materials to neutral

Sweden, to rescue US aircraft which had

taken refuge there.