WWII Bomber Command Memorial

[stuartcox]

At last a WWII Bomber Command memorial was assembled today at Beachy Head.
This was long overdue to commemorate the 55,000 bomber crew lost in WWII!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-18599129

I made my way up there on foot (and back), unlike the memorial, that was delivered in three parts by a Chinook...
Here are some pics of the memorial, officially being unveiled in July:

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Joe Williams, one of the last survivors of Bomber Command, had his wish come true as a permanent memorial was erected on the cliffs of Beachy Head.
I had a good chat with the man (91), and he just wouldn't stop :-)


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All three pieces of the memorial were delivered with this monster!
The Chinook carried three loads from a field below.


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Touch down...
— at Top of Beachy Head.



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One side of the plaque.


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Final delivery - almost invisible Chinook, as the sea mist came in.

[Tako_Kichi]

Nice to see their efforts recognized after all these years. :salute::applause:

[Bone]

Long, long overdue! Thanks for sharing, Stuart.

[IanHenry]

About time, it's disgusting that it's taken so long, and that so few of the guys from Bomber Command are around to see it.<o:p></o:p>
Politicians and the politically correct brigade have tried to erase those brave men from history. Now how about campaign medals?<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Ian.<o:p></o:p>

[Rich]

How about the Aircrew Europe Star ?



http://www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/defencefor/veterans/medals/aircreweuropestar.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Crew_Europe_Star

[stuartcox]

How about the Aircrew Europe Star

Cheers Rich!
No medals on this proud man! I will send an email to Joe's local MP.
I bet I'm not the first...

[TARPSBird]

Hand salute to the men of Bomber Command from this old Navy Chief. :salute:
Per Ian's comment, it's a shame that these men and their accomplishments have received so little recognition, and also that a single determined vet had to ramrod the memorial project with little or no help from the UK government (Chinook airlift support aside).

[stuartcox]

An official large memorial is today being unveiled in London by the Queen.
I personally prefer the smaller one at Beachy Head, as this was the final landmark for the outgoing bomber crews.
But anyway, it is nice to see Bomber Command getting the recognition they deserve after 70 years.

The Germans are not very happy...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/controversial-memorial-to-british-wwii-bombers-to-open-a-840858.html

[srgalahad]

Fortunately, in Canada we were a bit less tardy (but it still took too long)

The Nanton Lancaster museum was renamed and expanded as the Bomber Command Museum of Canada and a memorial was dedicated in 2005, displaying 10,659 names...
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http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/memorialgranite.html

If you come this way it is well-worth the visit. While the Lancaster is not flyable, the engines are run at various public events and each year there are fly-pasts commemorating various events.
http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/#index_home1

[aeronca1]

The Germans are not very happy...

Now isn't that too damn bad.... Having said that, I had ancestors who flew in the Luftwaffe. (Gerhard Homuth, I./Jagdgeshwader 27 in 1939 to Gruppenkommandeur I./Jagdgeshwader 54 until 2 August 1943 when he failed to return from this mission and was posted missing in action. His exact fate remains unknown).

[Willy]

The Germans are not very happy...

I imagine the British weren't very happy when the Germans were bombing the hell out of them either.

There's usually at least two sides to a story.