The Bomber Command Memorial

The Bomber Command Memorial. . , The Bomber Command Memorial was built to commemorate the sacrifice of the 55,573 airmen who lost their lives serving in Bomber Command during World War Two. , , The Memorial, which was unveiled on 28 June 2012 in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, was designed by architect Liam O'Connor and is made from Portland stone. The sculpture, featuring seven Bomber Command aircrew, was created by Philip Jackson. , , Erected following a five-year campaign by the Bomber Command Association, it was the culmination of a 70-year battle to win recognition for the contribution and sacrifice made by the 125,000 men who served in Bomber Command. , , Its purpose is to remind us of the sacrifice of those who lost their lives and to ensure that the scale of that sacrifice is understood and remembered by future generations. Bomber Command was formed in 1936 and played a critical role from the very beginning of World War Two. , , More than 125,000 men flew in Bomber Command and all were volunteers. Of this number, nearly half lost their lives. Most who flew were very young, the great majority still in their late teens. , , Crews came from across the globe - the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all corners of the Commonwealth, as well as from occupied nations including Poland, France and Czechoslovakia. , , These aircrew achieved a notable victory which made a decisive contribution to the outcome of World War Two. , , 1 Design The memorial is made of Portland stone in a modern classical style. , 2 Thank you inscription A message of thanks to all those who made the Memorial possible. , 3 RAF badge Used by the RAF since 1918, featuring an eagle and the RAF motto ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’ , ‘Through Adversity To The Stars’. , 4 Roof The roof replicates the geodetic construction used in the Wellington and incorporates sections of aluminum recovered from a Halifax bomber shot down over Belgium in 1944 with all eight crew killed. , 5 Winston Churchill quote “The fighters are our salvation but the bombers alone provide the means of victory.” , 6 Sculpture Featuring statues of seven Bomber Command aircrew. , 7 Message of reconciliation “This Memorial also commemorates those of all nations who lost their lives in the bombing of 1939-1945.” , 8 Bronze wreath Designed by Dr C J Dudley, DFC, a veteran of No. 578 Squadron. , 9 Bomber Command badge Featuring the Bomber Command motto: ‘Strike hard, strike sure’. , , The Statues. 1 Navigator , 2 Flight Engineer , 3 Mid-Upper Gunner , 4 Pilot , 5 Bomb Aimer , 6 Rear Gunner , 7 Wireless Operator , , The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, the RAFs leading welfare charity, is the proud guardian of the Bomber Command Memorial. , , It is our aim to preserve the Memorial for future generations so that the story of Bomber Command and the noble sacrifice of 55,573 young Bomber Command crew who lost their lives will always be remembered. , , We need your support to maintain the Memorial for future generations. To find out more about our work and to make a donation to the Memorial visit www.rafbf.org/bc , , Download the Bomber Command Memorial app at www.rafbf.org/bcm app