8th Air Force 801st/492nd Bombardment Group Memorial - Harrington-Lamport, Northamptonshire, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 52° 23.500 W 000° 51.487
30U E 645746 N 5806760
A grand memorial on the Harrington to Lamport road in Northamptonshire.
Waymark Code: WM55WA
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/16/2008
Views: 15
This memorial commemorates the Carpetbaggers based at RAF Harrington during WWII. The inscription reads as follows:
'THE UNITED STATES 8th AIR FORCE
801st/492nd BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
CARPETBAGGERS
FLEW CLANDESTINE NIGHT MISSIONS FROM THIS SECRET AIRFIELD
DURING WORLD WAR TWO IN BLACK B-24 LIBERATOR BOMBERS
DROPPING MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES TO UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE FIGHTERS
IN NAZI OCCUPIED EUROPE.
THEY PARACHUTED AND LANDED OSS AGENTS INTO BELGIUM, DENMARK
FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, NORWAY AND GERMANY
TO CARRY OUT ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES AGAINST ENEMY FORCES
THEY ALSO FLEW NIGHT BOMBING MISSIONS.
208 AMERICAN AIRCREWMEN GAVE THEIR LIVES FLYING FROM THIS AIRFIELD'
There are lists of the Squadrons involved on the sides of the memorial:
406th/858th SQUADRON
788th/859th SQUADRON
36th/856th SQUADRON
850th/857th SQUADRON
On the rear of the memorial it reads:
'UNITED STATES 8th AIR FORCE
STATION 179
AIRBASE SUPPORT NG UNITS
HDQS & HDQS SQUADRON ?9th SERVICE GROUP
1094th QUARTERMASTER COMPANY
2932nd ENGINEER F.E. PLATOON
1077th SIGNAL COMPANY
GROUP RADAR SECTION
1561st ORDNANCE'S S & M COMPANY
18th WEATHER DETACHMENT
1020th CHEMICAL COMPANY
BASE MEDICAL DETACHMENT
1139th MP COMPANY
35th STATION COMPLEMENT SQUADRON'
The memorial stands on part of the old concrete runway next to the road between Harrington and Lamport. There is ample room to park on the verge and access is via a small gate. Buildings can be seen all around which are now ruins on the opposite side of the road. The Harrington Museum operates from here.
Property Permission: Public
Website for Waymark: [Web Link]
Commemoration: THE UNITED STATES 8th AIR FORCE 801st/492nd BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H) CARPETBAGGERS
Date of Dedication: Not listed
Access instructions: Not listed
Access times: Not listed
Location of waymark: Not listed
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