Bomber Command tribute is unveiled at Beachy Head

[CoffmanStarter]

http://www.theargus.co.uk/resources/images/2429261.jpg?type=articleLandscape

Hundreds of people lined Beachy Head on the 28th April 2013 to witness the long-awaited unveiling of a monument to commemorate wartime heroes.

The crowds gathered for a poignant service in the presence of former members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) who served during the Second World War.

The memorial marks the sacrifices made by the 55,573 men of Bomber Command and commemorates their final mission on April 26, 1945 to destroy Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

Beachy Head was many of the airmen’s last sight of England before entering enemy territory.

Eastbourne Argus

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/07/66/3076695_bc9751f2.jpg

The previous year 26th June 2012 a Chinook from RAF Odiham was used to move the memorial into place, at Beachy Head near Eastbourne.

18(B) Sqn Chinook crew, Flt Lt Jay Berry, Sqn Ldr Glenn Cole and Flt Sgts Sam Norris and Dale Folkard. The task also provided training for the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron (JHSS), who provide specialist underslung load support and landing site management.

http://www.lzdzonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/ODI-unclass-201206-247-054.png

A fitting tribute to the Bomber Command Aircrew who gave their all to defend the freedoms we now enjoy and a belated "well done" to 18 Squadron and the JHSS Team.

LDZ On-Line (http://www.lzdzonline.co.uk/raf-chinook-moves-bomber-command-memorial-at-beachy-head/)

Coff.

[Al R]

Flamborough Head less appropriate maybe in terms of numbers, but it'd have been nice to remember the push from the north as well.

[glad rag]

I quite agree, Al R.

[Chugalug2]

Very true, Al, but I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't the next one we'll see. It's been far too long but at last proper recognition and tribute to the Bomber Boys now exists. Pity though that BCH weren't successful in their bid to tell the Bomber Command story at RAF Bicester, that was an inspired vision with so many possibilities...

[Wensleydale]

The next BC memorial is likely to be in Lincoln. Three designs are doing the rounds before the final one is picked.

Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial (http://www.lincsbombercommandmemorial.com/)

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

With all respect and thanks to the Memorial, I find it hard to believe that Beachy Head was either an inbound or outbound waypoint on many of Bert Harris's target lists. The D Day tactical diversions, U-Boot pens and the odd hits on French industry (Le Rhone works, say) would about some up any relevance.

[Pontius Navigator]

GBZ, indeed, Mablethorpe and Gt Yarmouth were the main places.

The next memorial will not be Lincoln but Woodhall Spa when another memorial to 617 will be unveiled in the next two weeks.

POST WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL APPEAL (http://www.617aircrew.co.uk/memorialappeal.htm)

The memorial will be on the opposite side from that shown on the website.

[Chugalug2]

The Memorial you mention would appear to be to 617 Squadron, PN, and to their post WW2 service at that. Most commendable I'm sure, but the thread memorial, the proposed Lincoln Memorial, and the main one in Green Park, are all dedicated to the memory of the wartime Bomber Command's "Bomber Boys", ie predominantly Main Force, ie Harris's Old Lags. They are the ones that were so cruelly air brushed out for over half a century, despite their prodigious sacrifice. It is more than high time that amends be made to that PC conspiracy of silence. The re-education of a population spoon fed on Dresden would have been Bicester's role. Now it is simply to make money it would seem...

[mmitch]

According to an article in the Lincolnshire Lancaster Association's magazine, the RAF bombers were routed via Beachy Head to avoid the USAAF bombers returning to East Anglia from their day light raids. One tail gunner mentioned could see his family house near there...
mmitch.

[ICM]

GBZ: Out of interest I've just had a quick look at the 10 Squadron F541 Op Record Book entries for November and December 1943, picked at random - and Beachy Head was used both outbound and (more often) inbound for Main Force attacks well into Germany on some nights in each month. The unit was based at Melbourne, near York, at that time, routing Beachy Head - Reading- Base on most occasions. (Of course, Flamborough Head was certainly used too for outbounds.)

[Vortex_Generator]

There was another memorial unveiled this weekend in The Netherlands:

Memorial Lancaster MK III PB667 MG-Q Pathfinder - Nieuwdorp - TracesOfWar.com (http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/40450/Memorial-Lancaster-MK-III-PB667-MG-Q-Pathfinder.htm)

Families of the Australian and New Zealand crew members were there and virtually the whole village turned out in tribute. Quite a day :D