Save RAF Bicester

Kyt · Jan 25, 2009

NEEDS PIC Fight to save WW2 bomber base for the nation - Telegraph

Bomber crews based at the Oxfordshire airfield won the RAF's first two Victoria Crosses of the war, and the Halifax heavy bomber made its maiden flight from the base, which was also home to Mosquitos and Bristol Blenheims.

More than 60 years on, RAF Bicester - the most complete surviving wartime bomber base - is at the centre of a fresh battle, as a group of enthusiasts tries to save the historic site for the nation instead of it being sold off to developers.

Bomber Command Heritage, a group which is forming a charity in the hope of turning the site into one of the country's foremost aviation museums, wants to buy the base from the Ministry of Defence, which is expected to put it on the market within a year.

The volunteers are trying to raise the £10-£15 million which they believe it will take to buy and restore the station, most of which has been mothballed for more than 30 years.

The site, which has been virtually untouched since the end of the war, is considered so important that 31 of its buildings were given Grade II listed status in 2006, and 16 buildings, including unique air raid shelters and pillboxes, have been scheduled as ancient monuments, giving them the highest level of protection.

Martin Jones, one of the founders of Bomber Command Heritage, said: "This is a one-off opportunity to preserve a Second World War bomber base for future generations. RAF Bicester is the only Bomber Command station which has survived intact, and we are determined it should not be allowed to fall into disrepair or be bulldozed by developers.

"Our plan is to restore the buildings and open them to the public so people can come here and experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of a wartime RAF base. We also intend to acquire as many bomber aircraft as we can to tell the story of Bomber Command not just during the war, but in its formative pre-war years.

"Everything is here, just waiting to be brought back to life - the station headquarters, the control tower, the hangars, bomb stores, air raid shelters and the grass airfield itself. The potential to turn this into a truly inspirational heritage centre and preserve the memory of all those who served in Bomber Command is something we simply must not lose."

RAF Bicester first became operational when the Royal Flying Corps took it over in 1917, and at the outbreak of the Second World War it was home to No.12 Squadron, which was relocated to France for the first nine months of the war. Two of its airmen, Donald Garland and Thomas Gray, were posthumously awarded the RAF's first VCs of the war after leading an attack on a Belgian canal in their Fairey Battle in May 1940.

Bicester then became an operational training unit, with thousands of crewmen passing through its gates. Part of the site is now used by a glider club, but most of the buildings have been fenced off by Defence Estates, part of the MoD, which has been accused of failing in its duty to keep the listed buildings weathertight and in good repair.

A spokesman for the MoD said the site was not yet earmarked for sale, but if and when it is sold, Defence Estates "are obliged to get the best value for money for the taxpayer".

The local district and town councils and local MP, Tony Baldry, believe the airfield should be sold to Bomber Command Heritage rather than being put on the open market.

Mr Baldry said: "This is a unique airfield and I hope Defence Estates will realise sooner rather than later that it would be sensible to allow Bomber Command Heritage to take over the site."

* The Telegraph's Forgotten Heroes appeal to raise money for a national monument to the 55,000 airmen who died serving with Bomber Command during the Second World War has passed the £1 million mark.

Following an overwhelming response from Telegraph readers since the £2m appeal was launched last October, the total now stands at £1,100,000.

The Bomber Command Association, the veterans' group which aims to build a memorial in central London, expects to appoint architects within the next month to design the memorial, and is currently in negotiations over a possible site.

Squadron Leader Tony Iveson, chairman of the Bomber Command Association, said: "It's incredible that only three months after the Telegraph's appeal was launched we're already more than half way towards our total.

"We feel that we have touched the heart of the nation with this campaign and we're deeply grateful to Telegraph readers for their hugely generous support."

To donate to the appeal send a cheque, payable to Bomber Command Memorial Fund, to the Bomber Command Association, RAF Museum, Hendon, London NW9 5LL or donate online at www.telegraph.co.uk/bombercommand
Click to expand...

Kyt · Jan 25, 2009

BCH: Save RAF Bicester Tech Site Campaign
Bicester

Antipodean Andy · Jan 26, 2009

An ambitious but very worthy effort.

Log in or Sign up

Save RAF Bicester

Kyt Άρης

Kyt Άρης

Antipodean Andy New Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Save RAF Bicester

Thread Tools

Kyt Άρης

Kyt Άρης

Antipodean Andy New Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches