Stories from the BC memorial
Posted: 02 Jul 2012, 13:45
We mentioned the dedication of the Bomber Command memorial in another thread and you already know about Teddy Davis and the website I created. Since then, I've received an email from Teddy's niece who took her mother (Teddy's sister) to the service. I thought her description of the event might be appreciated by those who couldn't be there so I've posted some excerpts here. Coincidentally, a close friend (whose father and uncle were both on Lancasters) was travelling via Paddington that day and met a veteran at Paddington station and had more to add about the day. So I've included his comments as well.
Jane wrote:It was an excellent day, the RAF personnel there to greet you were REALLY respectful, we've never felt so special, we had to sit without shade for rather a long time & the heat was extraordinary, they were handing out bottles of water but it did get a bit too much for Ma. She didn't pass out but she did miss most of the ceremony, fortunately she came-to enough to be able to look up at the Lancaster as it went over & just enough to see the poppy drop. I have to admit that the Lancaster & poppies were for me the most moving part of the ceremony, however I guess I was a bit distracted!
It was great to meet so many people with so much in common, everyone you struck up conversation with had lost a father or brother or uncle..... so many stories of pride & heartbreak & disappointment that the memorial had taken so long. It is however a BEAUTIFUL memorial, having waited so long they do now have a truly wonderful one. So much more than a block of stone & a statue of a serviceman! The pictures on the memorial website give an excellent idea of it but being there is truly special. We were not allowed to lay wreaths officially on the day but there were plenty of poppies & crosses when Aled & I went for another look on Friday before leaving. Some very moving tributes, I shall definitely go again & leave something of my own.
I think Ma felt satisfied that they have now given them a splendid memorial, we agreed that it was a suitable rounding off of the past year & more of all your research, visits to Bottesford, Barlo & Riechswald Forest. Ma & I failed to meet anyone from 467 Squadron but Paul, Anne & Aled who were in the "salute area" made a beeline for some Aussie sounding voices & happened across a veteran & his daughter, they were very pleased to have made some contact & the daughter was very enthusiastic on learning about your website, I think email addresses were exchanged, so maybe we will hear something from them.
There is a time capsule to be buried within the monument in November so that relatives of the 55,573 who lost their lives can submit information, pictures etc of their loved ones to be included, Ma & I thought we would do that.
IanAndy wrote:Went to FC lounge at Padd and got talking to a FEng ex Lancs who had been at the dedication and was waiting with his son for the Penzance train, turns out he was at Binbrook with an Aussie sqdn, he was quite impressed that I knew it was an Aussie sqdn and where they were based. He told me that his first op was to Hamburg and that being new they went in last but because of the firestorm and the updraught the plane flipped over and was flying upside down and that the pilot [aged 22] recovered it because he was strapped in, the nav lost all his charts and he lost all his paperwork re fuel etc. After that, three of his crew failed to turn up for a subsequent flight and were never seen or heard of again.
He told me that all Australian Bomber Command veterans were offered a FREE, two week, all-expenses-paid trip to the UK for the dedication ceremony, courtesy of the Australian Government! And apparently, London taxi drivers were carrying veterans free-of-charge all day.