BlythWeb Notes on the Halesworth Airfield War Memorials
Close to the Halesworth Airfield
Museum stand three fine memorials to those American Servicemen who served at Halesworth Airfield during WWII.
These memorials
are thoughtfully sited in beautifully kept bays of grass and gravel, each enclosure
hedged and with flagpoles completing the setting. Seats are provided for visitors. Etched into the memorials are
depictions of aircraft, squadron badges and the layout of the airfield itself, all skilfully executed.
Operational from 1942 until just after end of the War in 1945, this base was home to brave young men who served the allied forces flying fighters and bombers from the three runways of the airfield.
The memorial to the 56th Fighter Group (Zemke's Wolfpack) [below] carries a plaque commemorating that this Group established a record of combat performance unequalled in US Airforce Fighter history, while the memorial to the 489th Bomb Group records these servicemen who played important parts in the historic events of D-Day in June 1944 [right]. The third memorial is dedicated to the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron who rescued downed allied aircrew from the North Sea [left].
Inscription
The Inscription on the stone reads as follows:
ZEMKE'S WOLFPACK
56th
FIGHTER GROUP
THIS 8th AIR FORCE GROUP WAS STATIONED
HERE AT HALESWORTH AIR STATION 365
JULY 8, 1943 UNTIL APRIL 18, 1944
THE 56th GROUP, KNOWN AS ZEMKE's WOLFPACK,
ESTABLISHED A RECORD OF COMBAT PERFORMANCE
UNEQUALED IN U.S. AIRFORCE FIGHTER HISTORY.
This momument is dedicated to the pilots, the ground
force officers and men of the 56th Group and the
supporting units of the 33rd Service Group
by the people of Halesworth
You can also read our extensive report about the Halesworth Town War Memorial.
Some Favourite Websites For May 2026:
Sandpiper Beach Hut – A Traditional beach hut on Southwold seafront available to rent by the week
Sandpiper Beach Hut is a traditional Southwold Beach Hut. It has an excellent position overlooking Southwold Beach and Promenade with superb sea views and a stunning sandy beach.
Walberswick Ferry – Offering river trips as well as special occassion bookings
Climb aboard the launch Daybreeze and follow the River Blyth towards Blythburgh through Walberswick Nature Reserve - an Area of Outstanding National Beauty.
Wissett Village Hall – A well furnished and practical Village Hall for use for events up to 70 standing or 50 seated
Wissett Village Hall prides itself on high quality affordability and is used regularly for a wide variety of events, including but not limited to carpet bowls, yoga, meetings, dinners and parties, jumbles sales, quizzes, horticultural events and art classes.
Kate Mawdsley Printmaker – Buy unique and varied Lino Cut and Etching prints of the Blyth Valley countryside
It’s a wonderfully refreshing change to produce individual hand printed images. Each one is unique with its subtle variations in colour and texture. Kate only produces a very limited number of each print and particularly enjoys creating prints of the local Suffolk countryside.
Hetty’s Little Copy Shop – A wide range of printing services - including 3D - plus passport photos and more
The Little Copy Shop is in Thoroughfare, Halesworth, and offers all sorts of useful services involving printing, laminating, scanning, binding and copying plus various photographic services including passport photos.