:00:13. > :00:18.It's taken almost 70 yearss for this day to come. Its very absence
:00:18. > :00:22.has caused controversy, but on a warm and muggy morning in the
:00:22. > :00:25.capital we witnessed the most poignant dedication ceremony.
:00:25. > :00:29.Joined by Her Majesty the Queen and other memberss of the Royal Family,
:00:29. > :00:33.the aircrew of Bomber Command now have their own dedicated memorial.
:00:33. > :00:40.A corner of central London that the Bomber Boys, as they were known,
:00:40. > :00:50.can now call their own. And dedicated especially to the 55,573
:00:50. > :01:08.
:01:08. > :01:14.men who gave their lives flying Central London and despite the
:01:14. > :01:19.usual city business all around us, there is already a certain calm
:01:19. > :01:25.descending on this corner of Green Park. Some 7,000 people have made
:01:25. > :01:33.the journey here from all points of the United Kingdom. And from as far
:01:33. > :01:42.afield as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. A pilgrimage to
:01:42. > :01:46.remember comrades, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, the 125,000
:01:46. > :01:52.young men who volunteered to serve in Bomber Command, almost half of
:01:52. > :01:59.whom were to die in the war. Today is the day that the countless acts
:01:59. > :02:07.of bravery during almost 390,000 Second World War bombing sorties
:02:07. > :02:11.will be forever recognised and honoured. It is a day that more
:02:11. > :02:18.than 55,000 aircrew were never destined to see. It's an event that
:02:18. > :02:23.many believe should have happened decades ago. A delay due in part to
:02:23. > :02:30.controversy over the role of the bomb Erith, and the civilian
:02:30. > :02:36.casualties inevitably inflected on both sides. But now is the day when
:02:36. > :02:41.autumn thoughts turn to the bravery and the sacrifice of the Bomber
:02:41. > :02:51.Boys themselves. Those still living, those who perished in the war, and
:02:51. > :02:56.those that have since passed on. This is their day. At last. At the
:02:56. > :03:02.height of the Battle of Britain, in September 1940, Winston Churchill
:03:02. > :03:07.wrote, the fighters are our salvation. But the boerms alone
:03:07. > :03:10.provide the means of victory -- bombers alone provide the means of
:03:10. > :03:20.victory. It was simply an extraordinary responsibility that
:03:20. > :03:30.
:03:30. > :03:40.I was a rear gunner on No 9 Squadron- The Lancaster bomber in my view
:03:40. > :03:45.You can see from all those And I was lucky enough
:03:45. > :03:49.You had a nice warm seatand we was in the back frozen stiff.
:03:49. > :03:51.But the pilot never sympathised with us.
:03:51. > :03:53.He never asked us if we were cold.
:03:53. > :03:55.You had electrically heated equipment!
:03:55. > :04:00.And again, we had to find a plug to plug it in.
:04:00. > :04:04.How we ever came back even from one trip, I don't know.
:04:04. > :04:14.It was absolutely horrendous.
:04:14. > :04:15.
:04:15. > :04:20.Bomber Command was the aggressive arm of the British Armed Forces.
:04:20. > :04:23.There was no other way of reaching out and hitting Germany.
:04:23. > :04:25.And from the beginning of the war to the very end,
:04:25. > :04:27.virtually every day of the war,
:04:27. > :04:32.Bomber Command was in action, striking at Germany.
:04:32. > :04:35.I joined up in 1940.
:04:35. > :04:41.I told them I was 17 1/4, but I lied - I was only 16.
:04:41. > :04:43.I was only a kid.
:04:43. > :04:48.Don't know how they took me on, because I had a face like a baby.
:04:48. > :04:51.The reason I joined up was
:04:51. > :04:54.I had a sort of horror of being in trenches in the Army,
:04:54. > :04:57.and I was far too seasick to go into the Navy,
:04:57. > :04:59.therefore I reckoned that fighting
:04:59. > :05:06.from a nice comfortable seat on an aeroplane was for me.
:05:06. > :05:11.When you was waiting for the trucks to take you out to the bombers,
:05:11. > :05:13.nobody spoke.
:05:13. > :05:16.All the crews were looking at each other,
:05:16. > :05:20.and wondering who was going to be next.
:05:20. > :05:26.My first bombing trip was to Dusseldorf.
:05:26. > :05:33.As we crossed Holland, the bombaimer said, "Target ahead, skipper."
:05:33. > :05:38.And I swung the tail right round, and I had the fright of my life.
:05:38. > :05:45.Facing me was one huge, massive explosion of shells.
:05:45. > :05:48.And I thought to myself, surelywe're not going to go through there.
:05:48. > :05:54.And we did, and we got buckled and jumped and bounded about...
:05:54. > :05:58...and it frightened the life out of me.
:05:58. > :06:02.On our last operation, we were approaching the target,
:06:02. > :06:05.and a fighter got underneath us, and with upward firing guns
:06:05. > :06:08.set fire to all our petrol tanks.
:06:08. > :06:13.Three of my crew were killed, the rest of us got out safely
:06:13. > :06:15.and landed after parachuting out,
:06:15. > :06:19.and were taken prisoner within a few days.
:06:19. > :06:22.At the end of the war it became clear that Germany
:06:22. > :06:25.had been laid waste from end to end.
:06:25. > :06:27.All the cities were in ruins,
:06:27. > :06:30.hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed.
:06:30. > :06:33.And this was something that sat uneasily
:06:33. > :06:38.with the Allies' narrative of how the war was won.
:06:38. > :06:40.So politicians, led by Churchill,
:06:40. > :06:43.and to a certain extent the British public,
:06:43. > :06:46.wanted to forget about the bombing campaign,
:06:46. > :06:51.and by extension the men who'd actually carried it out.
:06:51. > :06:54.It was definitely a kick in the teeth, yeah.
:06:54. > :06:58.We was completely forgotten.
:06:58. > :07:01.They were not mentioned, they were not recognised.
:07:01. > :07:05.Our commanding officer, Bomber Harris,
:07:05. > :07:09.he went off without any form of awards.
:07:09. > :07:12.No-one can take away from Bomber Command
:07:12. > :07:19.the fact that they made a huge contribution to the Allied victory.
:07:19. > :07:22.Their losses were absolutely colossal.
:07:22. > :07:26.There was no activity that you could do
:07:26. > :07:30.as a military man in the Second World War on the Allied side
:07:30. > :07:31.that compared with
:07:31. > :07:35.the dangers you were going to face in Bomber Command.
:07:35. > :07:41.Obviously, I shall think of those who did not return -
:07:41. > :07:45.not only of my own crew, but many of my friends as well.
:07:45. > :07:49.That is exactly what the memorial is all about -
:07:49. > :07:52.for those brave lads that never made it.
:07:52. > :08:02.And believe me, they suffered, suffered terrible.
:08:02. > :08:09.
:08:09. > :08:10.Well,
:08:10. > :08:11.Well, the
:08:11. > :08:14.Well, the suffering
:08:14. > :08:19.Well, the suffering and the loose of their comrades is in the minds
:08:19. > :08:22.of many here on this day of memories. With many of the veterans
:08:22. > :08:28.agreeing that the difference between surviving and not surviving
:08:28. > :08:33.the war was simply a matter of luck. Some members of the Royal Family
:08:33. > :08:40.are already taking their positions. Many of course with very strong
:08:40. > :08:43.connections to the RAF. Air Commodore mall woman White, the
:08:43. > :08:48.chairman of the Bomber Command Association, greeting the Prince of
:08:48. > :08:53.Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. He was saying to me yesterday how
:08:53. > :08:57.thankful he and all those involved been for the support for this event.
:08:57. > :09:01.It is an extremely important day for the veterans, the youngest of
:09:01. > :09:06.which, he said, is 88 years old. The Prince of Wales himself of
:09:06. > :09:16.course is a pilot. He began his career in the armed services, in
:09:16. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:25.1971, with an attachment to the RAF This comes after a hugely busy few
:09:25. > :09:35.weeks for Her Majesty the Queen, who has been visiting all parts of
:09:35. > :09:35.
:09:35. > :09:41.the United Kingdom as park of the Jubilee celebrations.
:09:41. > :09:51.-- as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince Philip is
:09:51. > :09:52.
:09:52. > :09:56.himself a trained pilot. Her Majesty meeting Malcolm White there.
:09:56. > :10:01.The Queen has strong links with the RAF in the UK and with the
:10:01. > :10:07.Commonwealth Air Forces represented today - Canadians, the Australians,
:10:07. > :10:15.New Zealanders, and also here today Poles, Czechs, jam ache cans, South
:10:15. > :10:20.Africans, who all took part in our common struggle. Prince Philip of
:10:20. > :10:28.course clocked up some 6,000 hours flying from 1952, when he got his
:10:28. > :10:38.wings, to 1997. And the Queen's own father, King George VI, joined the
:10:38. > :10:38.
:10:38. > :11:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 64 seconds
:11:43. > :11:44.# Send her victorious Chairman of the Bomber Command
:11:44. > :11:54.Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Association, Air Commodore Malcolm
:11:54. > :11:55.
:11:55. > :11:59.White, will offer the welcome veterans, family and friends
:11:59. > :12:02.the President of the Bomber Command Association,
:12:02. > :12:06.Sir Robert Wright, the Controller ofthe Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund,
:12:06. > :12:09.and Air Chief Marshal Sir Steven Dalton,
:12:09. > :12:14.it is my privilege to welcome you here this afternoon.
:12:14. > :12:17.By any measure this is a profound moment,
:12:17. > :12:20.a moment which has been a long time coming.
:12:20. > :12:22.But one when we at last deliver a Memorial
:12:22. > :12:28.to the men and women who served and died in Bomber Command.
:12:28. > :12:30.They came from countries from around the world
:12:30. > :12:34.in the same way that many have made the same journey to be here today.
:12:34. > :12:39.Ma'am, here stands what I believe to be a magnificent Memorial.
:12:39. > :12:43.It was designed by Liam O'Connor, delivered by Gilbert Ash
:12:43. > :12:48.and constructed by a team ofremarkable craftsmen from McConnells.
:12:48. > :12:54.The stone is from Portland, much of the roof is from Canada
:12:54. > :12:58.and the bronze wreath below you from Australia.
:12:58. > :13:00.Around us and as part of this project,
:13:00. > :13:05.the Green Park has been transformed with great care and attention,
:13:05. > :13:08.and when taken together, this place and the Memorial
:13:08. > :13:12.will be an enduring feature on London's cultural landscape.
:13:12. > :13:14.But I suggest it will be much more than that -
:13:14. > :13:18.it will be a place to remind and to reflect,
:13:18. > :13:20.and a haven to remember the airmen of Bomber Command
:13:20. > :13:25.who did their duty with great courage and dignity.
:13:25. > :13:27.In the statue soon to be unveiled,
:13:27. > :13:30.Philip Jackson has captured a moment in history.
:13:30. > :13:32.In addition to the superb detail,
:13:32. > :13:36.you will see the posture of the airmen, their faces,
:13:36. > :13:40.and when taken together we can perhaps begin to draw a perspective
:13:40. > :13:43.of what it might have been like for the men involved.
:13:43. > :13:47.Picture in our minds an airfield in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire or Norfolk.
:13:47. > :13:52.The early dawn - barely light and perhaps even misty -
:13:52. > :13:54.and the return of aircraft from an operation,
:13:55. > :13:59.and the realisation that some of your chums had been lost,
:13:59. > :13:59.and that many would never return.
:13:59. > :14:03.These were young men - their average age was just 22 -
:14:03. > :14:07.and what they did for us was quite extraordinary.
:14:07. > :14:14.Through this Memorial, we and future generations "will remember them".
:14:14. > :14:16.Ma'am, this Memorial would not have been possible
:14:16. > :14:20.without the determination and commitment of a team of volunteers
:14:20. > :14:26.and veterans working together with benefactors and professionals.
:14:26. > :14:29.They know who they are.
:14:29. > :14:33.The Memorial Project was ignited by the Heritage Foundation,
:14:33. > :14:42.fuelled by the heart of the public and finally made possible through
:14:42. > :14:44.the generosity and commitment of three principal benefactors -
:14:44. > :14:54.John Caudwell, Lord Ashcroft and Richard Desmond.
:14:54. > :14:54.
:14:54. > :15:01.Without their support and the tenacity of our lead fundraiser,
:15:01. > :15:03.Jim Dooley, this Memorial could not have been built.
:15:03. > :15:04.On behalf of the Bomber Command Association,
:15:05. > :15:06.I would like to thank everyone who has been involved.
:15:06. > :15:08.But this moment is not the end of the story.
:15:08. > :15:09.We now have the duty to care for and maintain this Memorial
:15:09. > :15:11.for the rest of its life.
:15:11. > :15:13.Following this ceremony, the ownership of the Memorial
:15:13. > :15:14.will pass to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund -
:15:14. > :15:16.this is a massive step for the Fund,
:15:16. > :15:18.but one which is at the heart of the RAF's heritage.
:15:18. > :15:19.The Fund will ensure that the Memorial is maintained
:15:19. > :15:20.for generations to come.
:15:20. > :15:22.And through the Fund's unique support
:15:22. > :15:23.we will together preserve this place
:15:23. > :15:26.in memory of the 55,573 airmen who lost their lives
:15:26. > :15:36.in order to secure the peace which we enjoy today.
:15:36. > :15:37.
:15:38. > :15:39.Your Majesty, we are honoured that you should be with us today,
:15:39. > :15:41.especially so given the mighty demands of your Jubilee Year.
:15:41. > :15:45.Your presence means so much to us
:15:45. > :15:48.and on behalf of The Many, may I say thank you.
:15:48. > :15:58.Could I now invite you to unveil the Statue?
:15:58. > :16:03.
:16:03. > :16:06.APPLAUSE
:16:06. > :16:07.APPLAUSE As
:16:07. > :16:08.As the
:16:08. > :16:08.As the royal
:16:08. > :16:12.As the royal party
:16:12. > :16:19.As the royal party move forward, Jamie Jackson, the son of the
:16:19. > :16:23.sculptor, Phillip Jackson, will assist with the unveiling. It is an
:16:23. > :16:27.8-tonne bronze sculpture. Phillip Jackson said yesterday he had a
:16:27. > :16:31.moment of nervousness about whether it would fit. It was dropped
:16:31. > :16:35.carefully through a hole in the roof. He said he was delighted that
:16:35. > :16:45.the veteran who is have seen the statue have told him how much they
:16:45. > :17:06.
:17:06. > :17:12.The seven figures, a moment in history cast in bronze. A monument
:17:12. > :17:17.to the teamwork necessary in flying a bomber and guiding it to its
:17:17. > :17:25.destination. Seven figures to say thank you from a grateful nation to
:17:25. > :17:31.the 125,000 men of Bomber Command. Now we are waiting for the formal
:17:31. > :17:41.service of dedication, as the veterans acknowledge the Queen and
:17:41. > :17:52.
:17:52. > :17:54.We are gathered who is our strength and refuge,
:17:54. > :17:58.who served and died in BomberCommand during the Second World War.
:17:58. > :18:02.We give thanks to Him for those who from our nation,
:18:02. > :18:04.the Commonwealth, her friends and allies
:18:04. > :18:08.came together to serve a common purpose.
:18:08. > :18:10.We remember with thanksgiving
:18:10. > :18:12.the men and women who served in Bomber Command,
:18:12. > :18:18.leaving homes and families to whichso many of them were never to return.
:18:18. > :18:21.We remember also for those who served in the Royal Navy,
:18:21. > :18:24.the Merchant Navy, and the Army.
:18:24. > :18:27.We give thanks too for the civilian services
:18:27. > :18:32.and for the population who patiently served and endured.
:18:32. > :18:35.By the costly and sacrificial endeavour of their service,
:18:35. > :18:40.the powers of evil and darkness were defeated and overcome.
:18:40. > :18:44.We remember especially those who laid down their lives
:18:44. > :18:48.in the cause of justice, freedom and peace.
:18:48. > :18:51.We remember all thosewho still bear the scars of conflict
:18:51. > :18:55.in body, mind and spirit,
:18:55. > :18:59.and we pray for bereaved families and friends.
:18:59. > :19:01.We pray for peace between the nations of the world,
:19:02. > :19:04.for the continuation of that peace which has existed
:19:04. > :19:09.between the nations of Europe since the ending of the Second World War,
:19:09. > :19:13.and for the extension of unity, concord and understanding
:19:13. > :19:17.across this continent, for the realisation of peace
:19:17. > :19:23.in all those places where there is currently war and conflict.
:19:23. > :19:24.We pray for all those who work for peace
:19:24. > :19:27.in the troubled places of the world
:19:27. > :19:30.and we do so rejoicing that in the power and grace of Christ,
:19:30. > :19:33.who is the Prince of Peace, swords can be beaten into ploughshares
:19:33. > :19:39.and old and bitter enemies can yield up their hatred
:19:39. > :19:43.and find enduring fellowship.
:19:43. > :19:48.In praise, thanksgiving, remembrance and hope,
:19:48. > :19:51.we pray for the coming of God's Kingdom on earth
:19:51. > :19:54.in the words which our Saviour has taught us.
:19:54. > :19:56.Our Father, who art in heaven
:19:56. > :19:59.Hallowed be thy name
:19:59. > :20:02.Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
:20:02. > :20:05.On earth as it is in heaven.
:20:05. > :20:07.Give us this day our daily bread
:20:07. > :20:10.And forgive us our trespasses
:20:10. > :20:14.as we forgive those who trespass against us.
:20:14. > :20:20.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
:20:20. > :20:25.For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.
:20:25. > :20:35.Amen.
:20:35. > :20:43.
:20:43. > :20:49.# Praise, my soul The King of heaven
:20:49. > :20:54.# To his feet thy tribute bring
:20:54. > :21:01.# Ransomed, healed Restored, forgiven
:21:01. > :21:05.# Who like me his praise should sing?
:21:05. > :21:09.# Alleluia! Alleluia!
:21:09. > :21:19.# Praise the everlasting King
:21:19. > :21:23.
:21:23. > :21:25.# Angels, help us to adore him
:21:25. > :21:30.# Ye behold him face to face
:21:30. > :21:34.# Sun and moon, bow down before him
:21:34. > :21:41.# Dwellers all in time and space
:21:41. > :21:46.# Alleluia! Alleluia!
:21:46. > :21:56.# Praise with us the God of grace. #
:21:56. > :22:15.
:22:15. > :22:18.Do you not know? Have you not heard?
:22:18. > :22:21.The Lord is the everlasting God,
:22:21. > :22:24.the Creator of the ends of the earth.
:22:24. > :22:26.He will not grow tired or weary,
:22:26. > :22:30.and his understanding no-one can fathom.
:22:30. > :22:35.He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
:22:36. > :22:40.Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
:22:40. > :22:46.but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
:22:46. > :22:49.They will soar on wings like eagles,
:22:49. > :22:52.they will run and not grow weary,
:22:52. > :22:57.they will walk and not be faint.
:22:57. > :22:59.This is the word of the Lord.
:22:59. > :23:09.ALL: Thanks be to God.
:23:09. > :23:10.
:23:10. > :23:10.The
:23:10. > :23:10.The address
:23:11. > :23:13.The address now
:23:14. > :23:19.The address now will be given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen
:23:19. > :23:25.Dalton, cheer of the Air Staff, whose father was a veteran in the
:23:25. > :23:32.war. Royal Air Force Bomber Command was formed on 14th July 1936. Just
:23:32. > :23:36.four years later, in 1940, the Commander-in-Chief put Churchill's
:23:36. > :23:41.endorsed strategic plan in action to ciple the Nazi war machine. It
:23:41. > :23:46.is just 70 yearss ago that the first of the 1,000 bomber raids
:23:46. > :23:50.using every thairk could be mustered took the fight to the
:23:50. > :23:55.enemy. As Winston Churchill famously recounted, the gratitude
:23:55. > :24:03.of every home in our island, in our empire and indeed throughout the
:24:03. > :24:07.world, goes out to the British airmen who un un daunted by odds,
:24:07. > :24:13.unweary in their constant challenge and mortal danger are turning the
:24:14. > :24:18.tide of the war by their prowess and devotion. He went on to say, we
:24:18. > :24:23.must never forget that all the time night after night, month after
:24:23. > :24:28.month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their
:24:28. > :24:32.targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim
:24:32. > :24:36.their attacks, often under the heavyiest fire, off within serious
:24:36. > :24:41.loss, but with deliberate discrimination inflict shattering
:24:41. > :24:46.blows upon the whole technical and war-making structure of Nazi power.
:24:46. > :24:51.So what of the young men then who flew those vital heroic missions?
:24:51. > :24:56.They were all volunteers, many straight from school. Men who
:24:56. > :25:00.signed up to do their duty. Having been prodded and poked and
:25:00. > :25:05.inoculated, they were passed fit to fly just a stone's through from
:25:05. > :25:08.here at Lord's Cricket Ground. Having learnt some basic military
:25:09. > :25:14.discipline they were billeted in flats around St John's Wood and
:25:15. > :25:21.marched to be fed at London Zoo. Nearly half of all the men who
:25:21. > :25:26.joined did not survive. Of the 55,000 -- of the 55,573 airmen who
:25:26. > :25:31.died, many were displaced from their homelands in Europe. 10,000
:25:31. > :25:35.from Canada. 4,000 from Australia. And nearly 2,000 from New Zealand.
:25:35. > :25:39.It is a great honour therefore to see so many veterans from the
:25:39. > :25:47.Commonwealth and elsewhere here today representing their brave
:25:47. > :25:51.comrades. It is almost exactly 20 years since Her Majesty Queen
:25:51. > :25:55.Elizabeth the Queen Mother unveiled the statue of Sir Arthur Harris,
:25:55. > :26:05.but it is the squadron aircraft that also need to be remembered.
:26:05. > :26:09.Airmen such as Canadian air gunner, pilot gunner Andrew VC. In 1944 his
:26:09. > :26:13.Lancaster caught fire after being attacked bay night fire. Despite
:26:13. > :26:19.his valiant attempts to free the tail gunner, with his clothes and
:26:19. > :26:24.parachute pack on fire, he was persuaded the tail gunner to leave
:26:24. > :26:28.him. Sadly he did not make it through. Ironically the tail gunner
:26:28. > :26:34.was thrown clear of the burned wreckage and reported the story. As
:26:34. > :26:40.a result of which he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Equally,
:26:40. > :26:45.a veteran who is here today, Wing Commander James Flint, a Sergeant
:26:45. > :26:49.pilot in 1941 was forced to ditch his bomber half a mile off the
:26:49. > :26:54.British coast. While two of the crew made a safe escape there was
:26:54. > :26:58.no sign of the navigator. The aircraft sinking fast, Flint re-
:26:58. > :27:04.entered the fuselage and managed to drag his seriously wounded comrade
:27:04. > :27:09.to safety. For his bravery Flint was awarded the jerge Medal. That
:27:09. > :27:14.is not to forget for a moment those hundreds of airmen who faced other
:27:14. > :27:21.great challenges and overcame enormous odds and dangers. Evading,
:27:21. > :27:25.escaping or enduring life as a prisoner of war. They were no
:27:25. > :27:31.ordinary airmen then, these Bomber Command airmen. We should all
:27:31. > :27:34.remember that the same young bomber crews flew 3,000 sorties on
:27:34. > :27:38.Operation Man na, dropping in excess of 7,000 tonnes of vital
:27:38. > :27:43.food supplies to the Dutch as they were being liberated in 1945. It is
:27:44. > :27:48.also good to see a large contingent from the Netherlands here today.
:27:48. > :27:53.Many of those who gave us our freedom and to whom this memorial
:27:53. > :27:56.is dedicated cannot join us physically, but their spirit is
:27:57. > :28:00.certainly here. With the building and unveiling of this magnificent
:28:00. > :28:05.memorial they will now know that this country and the Commonwealth
:28:05. > :28:13.have shown them and the remaining veterans that their service and raw
:28:13. > :28:17.courage has been recognised. It is true that their dedication to doing
:28:17. > :28:21.their duty has been acknowledged. For their bravery, sacrifice, which
:28:21. > :28:31.helped to give us our freedom we will never forget them. Indeed, we
:28:31. > :28:40.Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton reminding us of the
:28:40. > :28:44.extraordinary courage of the Almighty Father, your love
:28:44. > :28:47.for those who gave their lives or health and for those who survived,
:28:47. > :28:49.for their families and all who have supported them.
:28:49. > :28:54.We thank you for their sacrifice, their loyalty, their commitment,
:28:54. > :29:00.their courage and their devotion to duty.
:29:00. > :29:04.Keep us, through their example, always loyal in our service -
:29:04. > :29:10.in danger calm, in conflict bold, in resolve undaunted
:29:10. > :29:15.and in success free of pride. Lord, hear us.
:29:15. > :29:23.ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.
:29:23. > :29:24.Almighty Father, we thank you for those whose lives were defended
:29:25. > :29:28.by the service of Bomber Command and offer our debt of gratitude
:29:28. > :29:34.for our own lives and liberty.
:29:34. > :29:38.We pray for all those who suffer as a result of war or conflict -
:29:38. > :29:44.for the injured, the wounded, the hurt and the bereaved,
:29:44. > :29:50.for the homeless and the refugee, for the fearful and the oppressed,
:29:50. > :29:54.for the prisoner and the vulnerable,
:29:54. > :30:02.for those who seek to bring relief and protection. Lord, hear us.
:30:02. > :30:09.ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.
:30:09. > :30:11.Almighty God, who has promised that they who wait upon thee
:30:11. > :30:15.shall renew their strength and mount with wings, as eagles,
:30:15. > :30:17.we commend to thy fatherly protection
:30:17. > :30:21.all who serve in the Royal Air Force.
:30:21. > :30:24.Uplift and support them in their endeavour,
:30:24. > :30:27.that they may be a safeguard
:30:27. > :30:30.unto our most gracious Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth,
:30:30. > :30:34.and a sure defence to our homeland.
:30:34. > :30:37.Help them to fulfill their several duties
:30:37. > :30:41.with honour, goodwill and integrity,
:30:41. > :30:46.and grant that they may prove to be worthy successors
:30:46. > :30:51.of those who by their valour and sacrifice
:30:51. > :30:56.did nobly serve their day and generation.
:30:56. > :30:57.Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
:30:57. > :31:00.ALL: Amen.
:31:00. > :31:02.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
:31:02. > :31:12.and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
:31:12. > :31:20.
:31:20. > :31:21.Would
:31:21. > :31:21.Would you
:31:21. > :31:31.Would you please
:31:31. > :31:52.
:31:52. > :31:55.To the glory of God May this memorial
:31:55. > :31:57.as we acknowledge their sacrifice and service to others.
:31:57. > :32:00.May it remind us, and all who pass by, of the freedom and liberty
:32:00. > :32:03.that was bought for us through the bravery and skill of the aircrew,
:32:03. > :32:08.and of the commitment of all those who supported them on the ground.
:32:08. > :32:11.May it remain an inspiration to us and all who follow,
:32:11. > :32:15.to do our duty with courage and integrity in the service of God
:32:15. > :32:19.and all humankind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
:32:19. > :32:27.ALL: Amen.
:32:27. > :32:27.Now
:32:27. > :32:28.Now a
:32:28. > :32:34.Now a Lancaster,
:32:34. > :32:42.Now a Lancaster, the iconic bomber of World War II. Releasing 800
:32:42. > :32:47.20,000 poppies over the assembled Let us remember before God,
:32:47. > :32:50.those whom we knew, and whose memory we treasure,
:32:50. > :32:58.and all who have lived and died in the service of humanity.
:32:58. > :33:06.They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
:33:06. > :33:15.Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
:33:15. > :33:21.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
:33:21. > :33:25.We will remember them.
:33:25. > :33:29.ALL: We will remember them.
:33:29. > :33:39.MUSIC: "Last Post"
:33:39. > :33:39.
:33:39. > :36:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 64 seconds
:36:21. > :36:31.MUSIC: "Reveille"
:36:31. > :36:45.
:36:45. > :36:50.Most merciful and ever-living God,
:36:50. > :36:52.we remember those whom you have gathered
:36:52. > :36:53.from the storm of this life into the peace of your presence.
:36:53. > :36:56.Grant that we, being faithful until death, may receive with them
:36:56. > :37:00.the crown of life that never fades, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
:37:00. > :37:10.ALL: Amen.
:37:10. > :37:18.
:37:18. > :37:22.# O God, our help in ages past
:37:22. > :37:27.# Our hope for years to come
:37:27. > :37:33.# Our shelter from the stormy blast
:37:33. > :37:43.# And our eternal home
:37:43. > :37:46.# O God, our help in ages past
:37:46. > :37:51.# Our hope for years to come
:37:51. > :37:56.# Be thou our guide while life shall last
:37:57. > :38:06.# And our eternal home. #
:38:07. > :38:07.
:38:07. > :38:09.May God grant to the living, grace,
:38:09. > :38:12.to the departed, rest,
:38:12. > :38:18.to the Queen, Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord,
:38:18. > :38:22.and to us and all his servants, life everlasting.
:38:22. > :38:24.And the blessing of God Almighty,
:38:24. > :38:26.the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
:38:26. > :38:31.be upon you and remain with you always.
:38:31. > :38:41.ALL: Amen.
:38:41. > :38:45.
:38:45. > :38:45.The
:38:45. > :38:45.The RAF
:38:45. > :38:55.The RAF chaplain
:38:55. > :39:13.
:39:13. > :39:20.The RAF chaplain this chief, The The Central Band of the Royal
:39:20. > :39:26.Family striking up again, led by Senior Drum Major Warrant Officer
:39:26. > :39:36.Terry Gardner. As Air Commodore White leads the royal party to meet
:39:36. > :39:50.
:39:50. > :39:55.Her Majesty the Queen now preparing to leave. She came of age as a
:39:55. > :40:01.young woman during the war. She saw much of the suffering caused by the
:40:01. > :40:11.bombing of London in the blitz. Her mother and father refused to leave
:40:11. > :40:21.
:40:21. > :40:25.Talking with Doug Radcliffe, the secretary of the Bomber Command
:40:25. > :40:35.Association, who joined up after he too saw some of the damage caused
:40:35. > :40:52.
:40:52. > :41:02.The Queen and Prince Philip now leaving to head to the RAF Club,
:41:02. > :41:09.
:41:09. > :41:15.where she will meet and talk with His Royal Highness the Prince of
:41:15. > :41:18.Wales, himself a pilot, and joined by the Duchess of Cornwall in this
:41:18. > :41:25.informal setting, enjoying time with some of the members of Bomber
:41:25. > :41:30.Command. It is an extraordinary sight on a quite extraordinary day
:41:30. > :41:35.to see so many of the surviving members of Bomber Command lining up
:41:35. > :41:43.under the shadow of this magnificent memorial to them. And
:41:43. > :41:53.their fallen comrades. Etched in stone, in bronze, and of course in
:41:53. > :41:57.
:41:57. > :42:01.I wanted to get in their faces the thought of having to go again
:42:01. > :42:05.Five of them And this is the link
:42:05. > :42:08.to give the group a feeling of sadness and pathos.
:42:08. > :42:11.I always looked at it as a band of brothers,
:42:11. > :42:14.welded together in the heat of war.
:42:14. > :42:17.And of course if you look at the sculpture,
:42:17. > :42:20.there are no badges of rank.
:42:20. > :42:25.Every man was as important as his fellow man on board.
:42:25. > :42:27.All had a function to perform,
:42:27. > :42:36.and if they didn't perform then they put the whole crew at risk.
:42:36. > :42:40.One of the key characteristics of the design
:42:40. > :42:42.is that the central opening in the roof
:42:42. > :42:47.is immediately above the heads of the seven aircrew sculpture.
:42:47. > :42:50.And that little piece of sky framed immediately above them
:42:50. > :42:52.has a very strong relationship with history,
:42:52. > :42:56.and of course the destiny of many of these lost airmen.
:42:56. > :43:00.Our design for the roof is in many ways a homage to Barnes Wallis
:43:00. > :43:05.and his diagrid airframe design for the Wellington bomber.
:43:05. > :43:07.And above that, the ceiling of the Memorial
:43:07. > :43:12.is formed from melted down ingots of aluminium from a Halifax bomber
:43:12. > :43:13.that was shot down in 1944
:43:13. > :43:17.on its way home from a mission over Germany.
:43:17. > :43:21.We were very fortunate to have somebody from Bomber Command
:43:21. > :43:23.to be able to make a contribution to the memorial,
:43:23. > :43:25.and CJ Dudley,
:43:25. > :43:30.who got a DFC towards the end of the war in Bomber Command,
:43:30. > :43:31.carved the wreath
:43:31. > :43:36.which will be at the centre of the south front of the Memorial.
:43:36. > :43:39.It's a space where people can become aware of that sacrifice
:43:39. > :43:45.that 55,000 young men made, serving in Bomber Command.
:43:45. > :43:50.I, of course, needed the veterans to- see and approve it.
:43:50. > :43:52.How are you? How are you?
:43:52. > :43:57.To begin with, they were very... I think suspicious, very worried
:43:57. > :44:00.that I would not do justice to their memories.
:44:00. > :44:05.So they were invited to come and see- each figure as it was completed,
:44:05. > :44:11.and after the first figure they became great friends.
:44:11. > :44:14.I think that all the veterans that came down
:44:14. > :44:18.were extraordinary examples of mankind.
:44:18. > :44:20.I mean, their spirit was indomitable.
:44:20. > :44:23.A lot of them didn't understand why they had survived,
:44:23. > :44:26.and would freely admit that it was just luck.
:44:26. > :44:32.Their camaraderie has lasted for 65, 70 years,
:44:32. > :44:34.and they still sort of joke, as old men,
:44:34. > :44:44.as they did at the age of 22 when they climbed onto that bomber.
:44:44. > :44:55.
:44:56. > :44:56.For
:44:56. > :44:56.For those
:44:56. > :45:01.For those who
:45:01. > :45:04.For those who really have waited so long for this day, the memorial and
:45:04. > :45:10.this grate act of public recognition has had a profound
:45:10. > :45:17.effect, especially for those who've come today to pay their respects.
:45:17. > :45:24.It is a wonderful day, an incredible situation, an incredible
:45:24. > :45:32.all-round show. The Queen was wonderful as well. I liked the way
:45:32. > :45:36.the Queen claps every time she see as flyover. I think I am very lucky.
:45:36. > :45:41.as flyover. I think I am very lucky. That's the greatest thing. I'm just
:45:41. > :45:45.sorry that there are not more of us here, particularly the POWs. I go
:45:45. > :45:50.to more funerals than weddings, many more. They are pacing away so
:45:50. > :45:58.quickly and I can't go to all of them. I try to go. There are some
:45:58. > :46:04.great men among them. To be here on a day like this is memorable beyond
:46:04. > :46:09.belief. It was a chance not just for dad to remember people who died.
:46:09. > :46:15.It was a chance for the country to honour people like dad and all
:46:15. > :46:20.those others that did survive. lost my brother. I lost close
:46:20. > :46:27.relatives, schoolmates, friends that I had made in the service, and
:46:27. > :46:36.see them all going down, disappearing. Never having known
:46:36. > :46:43.the joy of a life... I used to get choked. But they have done such a
:46:43. > :46:49.lovely job here. I feel different. That's all I can say on that. I do
:46:49. > :46:54.feel different. I think it's maerv loss. I met quite a -- marvellous.
:46:54. > :46:59.I met quite a number of people today whose fathers were killed
:46:59. > :47:03.before they were born, as was mine. I'm sure all of these men will look
:47:03. > :47:08.down on this wonderful memorial and be proud of what they did for this
:47:08. > :47:13.country. I'm sure that there is no sadness, but today they can see
:47:13. > :47:16.there is quite a lot of happiness and quite a lot of joy on this
:47:16. > :47:23.occasion. Despite the controversy over the role of the bomber at the
:47:23. > :47:29.end of the war, these were the Bomber Boys. They knew the grave
:47:29. > :47:33.dangers of serving in Bomber Command and volunteered anyway.
:47:33. > :47:38.They bravely fought authority freedom of these islands. This is