Zoom:
A trip to Germany sounds like a rather dodgy idea to me. There is a fair chance that any route would pass through areas where Bomber Command was not too popular in WW2 or even now, especially near any dams that were breached or cities that got pasted. It would be rather like rubbing their inhabitants' noses in it - again - and we should be beyond all that. Perhaps the fund-raising effort should be confined to the UK and could involve a route that took in all of the airfields that hosted bombers during the War. After all, this should be about what Bomber Command did for us rather than against someone else.
Thinking about it, that's an extremely good point, very well made
and an excellent idea
A UK-only exercise, taking in all of the airfields that hosted bombers in WWII would also make the logistics of the exercise a darn sight easier, as well as being a very, very powerful message for the press to present to its various audiences.
On the logistical front:
- Getting people/walkers in position would be an awful lot easier.
- It would significantly boost the numbers who turned out to walk, even if it was a symbolic distance (perhaps involve local RAFA/RBL branches? - nothing like veterans with medals on their blazers to get the press interested!)
- You'd have much more support and help on the ground E.g. from those surviving stations I'd hope at least for soup and rolls for the walkers, as well as a 'base' to operate from.
- Plus we'd get tons of local press coverage which we wouldn't otherwise get, as well as the likely national publicity, to get over the message of why the walk is taking place and why people need to stick their hand in their pocket.
Good thinking Zoom!
CS