Nottinghamshire Environmental Association’s June visit was to the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincoln. The monument has commanding views northwards over the city and the Cathedral. Officially opened on 12th April 2018 at a ceremony which saw over 300 veterans cut a long red ribbon all at the same time, the ribbon sections are now in a commemoration book in the Centre.
Being Bomber Command aircrew was the most dangerous job of World War II and 44.4% of aircrew died in the War – mostly young men aged between 17 and 24. The life expectancy of a new crew member was just two weeks and the famous Guy Gibson, who led the Dam Busters raid, was just 24 years of age! Over 58,000 aircrew, made up of pilots, navigators, bomb aimers and gunners are commemorated by name on the panels of the ‘rusted’ steel memorial walls. No rank nor medals awarded are shown on the panels. There is a small hole alongside each name to allow a poppy to be inserted by family members or friends should they wish to do so. Whilst the vast majority of names are for men, there are about 120 women named.
These were mostly women members of the Air Transport Auxillary – almost entirely women – who ferried over 300,000 aircraft between airbases and factories during WWII. These covered all the different types of aircraft from trainers to the four engine Lancaster heavy bombers and allowed the RAF pilots to be relived of this duty in order not to take them away from operational missions. These unarmed ‘ferry’ missions were occasionally attacked by Nazi fighters. In the grounds there are 27 lime trees which represent the locations of bases which operated in Lincolnshire and from which many Lancaster Bomber squadrons operated.
The main memorial, again constructed in ‘rusted’ steel, represents the upper and lower surfaces of a Lancaster bomber wing and is as tall as the wing span of a Lancaster bomber: 31 metres, or 102 feet. Inside the Centre is an excellent immersive display of life on an air base and in the air.
Lunch was taken in the excellent café at the Centre before the group moved on to Metheringham Airfield, an airbase to the south east of Lincoln which operated with Lancaster bombers from 1942. The contrast between the modernity of the IBCC and the 1942 wartime buildings could not have been more stark! When Metheringham airfield opened it had no facilities and aircrew slept on the floor.
Whilst there are only a few of the original buildings standing, they are very atmospheric! The airfield also has a WWII Dakota aircraft, used in the war to carry supplies both within Britain and to troops on the ground. It no longer flies but has been carefully restored and visitors are encouraged to sit in the pilot seats of the aircraft – a very difficult exercise for many of the Association’s members!
July will see another coach trip by the Association, to The Piece Hall in Halifax in the morning and National Trust property of Nostell Priory in the afternoon. The Annual Picnic, planned for 4th August at Church Farm, West Drayton, will celebrate 85 years since the formation of the Nottinghamshire Environmental Association. The final outdoor visit of 2024 will take place on 10th September and will be to the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester, followed by the National Space Centre.
More information available from: Adrian Blackburn – adrian.blackburn@sky.com or call / text on 07718 766873 or Paul Willcock – paul@paulwillcock.com or call / text on 07581 531595. New members are always very welcome to join the group.