New Memorial For a B-17 Crew. Bedfordshire.

I attended this memorial dedication at the Church of St Mary, Bletsoe, Bedfordshire. August 14th 2022.
The unveiling was done by the nephew and niece of the Co - Pilot 2nd Lt Floyd Henry.

 

After the dedication we were all invited to walk the few hundred yards to the crash-site field. A lot of American WW2 period vehicles had been parked in a field adjacent to the Church. I had been to the crash-site before, June 2014 to do a mini surface-dig with the ARS (Aircrew Remembrance Society) A few items from a previous dig had been found, plus some small items that day. It was also the day of the Village fete where the ARS had a small display.
A few photographs from the crash-site..

 

Part Two.

 

Part Three. Point of impact. Strawberry plants for sale just down from the crash site...Every little helps.

 

Times remembered, well covered...first class account of the dedication.

Looking up the Operation. The No 306 Bomb Group was part of No 1 Bomb Division which put up 168 B17s of which 165 aircraft were bombing effective on the Brunswick industrial area,65 aircraft returned with damage sustained.

Aircraft 469 K was the only loss of the No 1 Bomb Division and its crew dead were the only fatal casualties sustained by the Division.

On that day the 8th AF put up a total bomber force of 589 aircraft,344 bombing effective,139 returned damaged with aircraft 469 K being the only aircraft lost. Fighter escort amounted to 554 aircraft comprising of P 38s,P 47s and P 51s from the 8th AF and 9th AF which provided 3 Fighter Groups operating under 8th AF control.