Stars back Bomber Command Memorial

Kyt · Jul 1, 2008

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: UK News :: Stars join battle for justice

A star-spangled cast made up of some of Britain’s best-loved entertainers has joined the fight for justice for the men who flew with Bomber Command in the Second World War.

The actors and entertainers have pledged that their charity, The Heritage Foundation, will do all it can to ensure that the forgotten RAF heroes are properly honoured.

During the war a total of 55,573 men who served with Bomber Command were killed in action. Yet despite their sacrifice and courage, aircrews were denied a campaign medal when peace came in 1945 and no official memorial to the men who died has ever been erected.

The celebrities have pledged to add their voices to the thousands backing our Honour the Bomber Boys crusade and are calling on the Government to issue the long-overdue campaign medal and erect an official memorial.

Rock musician and composer Rick Wakeman is among those who has very strong feelings about the way survivors of the campaign have been treated. He told the Sunday Express: “It makes me angry because people forget – or just don’t know – what went on.

“I thought I knew the part played by our bombers during the war, but it’s only when you delve into it you realise just what these guys went through.

“They didn’t set out to be heroes or search for glory, they never complained and if they hadn’t gone through what they had to face, people like me and thousands of others wouldn’t be here today.

“Recently I was at a function in London and was lucky enough to have one of the men who flew with the Dambusters join us. As he entered the room everyone stood up and applauded him. It was quite spontaneous and very moving and shows how much people feel they owe.”
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spidge · Jul 1, 2008

The ball is moving and will gather enough momentum for the governments to wake up.

Pathfinder · Jul 1, 2008

It's good to see that celebs are behind this idea too

morse1001 · Jul 2, 2008

What is worrying, is that protesters will try and stop or hold up the building of the statue and if it is finally built, they try and disrupt the opening. And may deface it with slogans or even damage it.

Sorry if i am sounding cynical!

Antipodean Andy · Jul 13, 2008

“Recently I was at a function in London and was lucky enough to have one of the men who flew with the Dambusters join us. As he entered the room everyone stood up and applauded him. It was quite spontaneous and very moving and shows how much people feel they owe.”
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Very moving.

You may be right, Morse. But then, they're relatively free to do so and if they had a brain cell between them they'd realise the reason why they were free to do so would be because of the men the memorial honours!

Kyt · Oct 29, 2008

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...er-agrees-to-provide-central-London-site.html

Following meetings with the Bomber Command Association and the Heritage Foundation, Westminster Council has agreed to find a site for the memorial to the 55,000 men who sacrificed their lives flying bombing missions during the Second World War.

The news came as a memorial to the 16,000 British service personnel who have died in conflict since the Second World War was unveiled by the Princess Royal at Westminster Abbey.

Widows of servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were among those attending the service to dedicate the plaque, which incorporates earth gathered from battlefields across the world.

The Telegraph's appeal to raise funds for a Bomber Command memorial has prompted a magnificent response from readers, with £25,000 donated in the first 24 hours.

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham, president of the Bomber Command Association, said: "It's a terrific start. We're delighted with the response and hugely grateful to the Telegraph readers who have contributed so far."

Pledging a central London location for the memorial once the funds are raised, the leader of Westminster City Council, Colin Barrow, said: "Britain owes a great debt to the men of Bomber Command, and all those who lost and risked their lives defending our country from tyranny. We are honoured to host a memorial in Westminster and we are confident of securing a suitable site, guided by our memorial policies, where a fitting tribute can take pride of place.

"The Telegraph's fund-raising campaign will help ensure the heroism of all those who took part in the Second World War is never forgotten."

Veterans of Bomber Command believe their fallen comrades became victims of political correctness after the war, when politicians tried to distance themselves from the policy of area bombing which led to huge numbers of civilian deaths.

Nicholas Soames MP, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, said the appeal had his "unquestioning support".

He said: "The whole history of how this memorial never came about is a shameful one. There does need to be a memorial and I am delighted that this appeal is under way."
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Antipodean Andy · Oct 29, 2008

The Telegraph's appeal to raise funds for a Bomber Command memorial has prompted a magnificent response from readers, with £25,000 donated in the first 24 hours.
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Brilliant. Well done all round.

Kyt · Oct 29, 2008

Gordon Brown backs RAF Bomber Command Memorial campaign - Telegraph

The Telegraph is calling on its readers to help the veterans of the Bomber Command Association raise £2 million to build a memorial in London to the 55,573 men who died serving in Bomber Command during the Second World War.

The Prime Minister said: "I have always believed that the 55,000 brave men of Bomber Command who lost their lives in the service of their country deserved the fullest recognition of their courage and sacrifice"

The airmen of Bomber Command, who were drawn from all over Britain, the Commonwealth and Allied countries, faced more deadly odds than any other branch of the armed forces during the war, with just a 27 per cent chance of completing a tour of 30 operations.

Almost half of all those who volunteered were killed, with thousands more invalided or taken prisoner.

In the post-war years their courage and sacrifice was largely ignored as historians questioned the policy of area bombing which led to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths.

The Conservative leader, David Cameron, said it was time the nation finally showed its gratitude by building a permanent memorial. He said: "I fully support this important campaign to do more to remember those brave men from Bomber Command who died doing their duty. Their deeds have not been recognised in the way the heroes from the Battle of Britain have been, but their sacrifices were just as great."

Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "The Bomber Command veterans fought valiantly for their country, following orders by risking their lives in treacherous conditions as part of a strategic offensive.

"The huge number of young men who died in service to their country as part of this tactic deserve to have their bravery and commitment recognised with a fitting memorial."

The campaign has already won the support of the Heritage Foundation, a charity which funds memorials to British achievers, whose president, the Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, has had a lifelong interest in the Second World War.

He said: "These men helped free the whole of Europe, including Germany, from a tyrannical regime and that is something we should be proud of. The freedom we all enjoy today is their legacy.

"For me it's a really clear-cut thing that these men should be honoured. This is not to glorify war, it is setting an example to younger generations about sacrifice, accountability and pride in free people everywhere."

* For details of how to donate, visit RAF Bomber Command memorial appeal - Telegraph
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Stars back Bomber Command Memorial

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