A Yank at King Arthurs court

 'A YANK 5/5/44'. Apparently a Yank was here in the spring of '44, no surprise as the forest was full of billeted allied troops preparing for invasion or, as this graffiti was found deep in Ocknell enclosure (1775), close to wartime Stoney Cross airfield, there's a good chance it was American aircrew. The 367th group of the US 9th Air force flew out of Stoney Cross from May to July of '44 in P38 Lightings, attacking strategic targets in advance of invasion and supporting the push from the beach heads.  In that time they flew 55 missions and 21 P38's were listed missing in action. There's something about this piece, about it's impersonal nature, that makes it a poignant reminder of those thousands of Americans who went into battle from staging post Britain. Every one, 'A Yank'.  Is it a statement on how they felt, just another cog in the military machine? Dehumanized, individuality removed as not required by the collective. The language is strange too, the term 'Yank' was a British term for Americans, not one they'd normally use themselves. Is this then a disgruntled statement from someone having been made to feel unwelcome by the local populous?  Or was it done for humour? A laugh and a joke. So many questions. Of course one being, did they survive the war? This was carved at the beginning of the 367th's tour of duty from Stoney Cross, previously the group had had very few loses.  Who were they?  Where were they from?  This is the best piece of graffiti I've found in a while.