A Tribute to Bomber Command

It's taken almost 70 yearss for this day to come. Its very absence

has caused controversy, but on a warm and muggy morning in the

capital we witnessed the most poignant dedication ceremony.

Joined by Her Majesty the Queen and other memberss of the Royal Family,

the aircrew of Bomber Command now have their own dedicated memorial.

A corner of central London that the Bomber Boys, as they were known,

can now call their own. And dedicated especially to the 55,573

men who gave their lives flying Central London and despite the

usual city business all around us, there is already a certain calm

descending on this corner of Green Park. Some 7,000 people have made

the journey here from all points of the United Kingdom. And from as far

afield as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. A pilgrimage to

remember comrades, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, the 125,000

young men who volunteered to serve in Bomber Command, almost half of

whom were to die in the war. Today is the day that the countless acts

of bravery during almost 390,000 Second World War bombing sorties

will be forever recognised and honoured. It is a day that more

than 55,000 aircrew were never destined to see. It's an event that

many believe should have happened decades ago. A delay due in part to

controversy over the role of the bomb Erith, and the civilian

casualties inevitably inflected on both sides. But now is the day when

autumn thoughts turn to the bravery and the sacrifice of the Bomber

Boys themselves. Those still living, those who perished in the war, and

those that have since passed on. This is their day. At last. At the

height of the Battle of Britain, in September 1940, Winston Churchill

wrote, the fighters are our salvation. But the boerms alone

provide the means of victory -- bombers alone provide the means of

victory. It was simply an extraordinary responsibility that

I was a rear gunner on No 9 Squadron- The Lancaster bomber in my view

You can see from all those And I was lucky enough

You had a nice warm seatand we was in the back frozen stiff.

But the pilot never sympathised with us.

He never asked us if we were cold.

You had electrically heated equipment!

And again, we had to find a plug to plug it in.

How we ever came back even from one trip, I don't know.

It was absolutely horrendous.

Bomber Command was the aggressive arm of the British Armed Forces.

There was no other way of reaching out and hitting Germany.

And from the beginning of the war to the very end,

virtually every day of the war,

Bomber Command was in action, striking at Germany.

I joined up in 1940.

I told them I was 17 1/4, but I lied - I was only 16.

I was only a kid.

Don't know how they took me on, because I had a face like a baby.

The reason I joined up was

I had a sort of horror of being in trenches in the Army,

and I was far too seasick to go into the Navy,

therefore I reckoned that fighting

from a nice comfortable seat on an aeroplane was for me.

When you was waiting for the trucks to take you out to the bombers,

nobody spoke.

All the crews were looking at each other,

and wondering who was going to be next.

My first bombing trip was to Dusseldorf.

As we crossed Holland, the bombaimer said, "Target ahead, skipper."

And I swung the tail right round, and I had the fright of my life.

Facing me was one huge, massive explosion of shells.

And I thought to myself, surelywe're not going to go through there.

And we did, and we got buckled and jumped and bounded about...

..and it frightened the life out of me.

On our last operation, we were approaching the target,

and a fighter got underneath us, and with upward firing guns

set fire to all our petrol tanks.

Three of my crew were killed, the rest of us got out safely

and landed after parachuting out,

and were taken prisoner within a few days.

At the end of the war it became clear that Germany

had been laid waste from end to end.

All the cities were in ruins,

hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed.

And this was something that sat uneasily

with the Allies' narrative of how the war was won.

So politicians, led by Churchill,

and to a certain extent the British public,

wanted to forget about the bombing campaign,

and by extension the men who'd actually carried it out.

It was definitely a kick in the teeth, yeah.

We was completely forgotten.

They were not mentioned, they were not recognised.

Our commanding officer, Bomber Harris,

he went off without any form of awards.

No-one can take away from Bomber Command

the fact that they made a huge contribution to the Allied victory.

Their losses were absolutely colossal.

There was no activity that you could do

as a military man in the Second World War on the Allied side

that compared with

the dangers you were going to face in Bomber Command.

Obviously, I shall think of those who did not return -

not only of my own crew, but many of my friends as well.

That is exactly what the memorial is all about -

for those brave lads that never made it.

And believe me, they suffered, suffered terrible.

Well,

Well, the

Well, the suffering

Well, the suffering and the loose of their comrades is in the minds

of many here on this day of memories. With many of the veterans

agreeing that the difference between surviving and not surviving

the war was simply a matter of luck. Some members of the Royal Family

are already taking their positions. Many of course with very strong

connections to the RAF. Air Commodore mall woman White, the

chairman of the Bomber Command Association, greeting the Prince of

Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. He was saying to me yesterday how

thankful he and all those involved been for the support for this event.

It is an extremely important day for the veterans, the youngest of

which, he said, is 88 years old. The Prince of Wales himself of

course is a pilot. He began his career in the armed services, in

1971, with an attachment to the RAF This comes after a hugely busy few

weeks for Her Majesty the Queen, who has been visiting all parts of

the United Kingdom as park of the Jubilee celebrations.

-- as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince Philip is

himself a trained pilot. Her Majesty meeting Malcolm White there.

The Queen has strong links with the RAF in the UK and with the

Commonwealth Air Forces represented today - Canadians, the Australians,

New Zealanders, and also here today Poles, Czechs, jam ache cans, South

Africans, who all took part in our common struggle. Prince Philip of

course clocked up some 6,000 hours flying from 1952, when he got his

wings, to 1997. And the Queen's own father, King George VI, joined the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 64 seconds

# Send her victorious Chairman of the Bomber Command

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Association, Air Commodore Malcolm

White, will offer the welcome veterans, family and friends

the President of the Bomber Command Association,

Sir Robert Wright, the Controller ofthe Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund,

and Air Chief Marshal Sir Steven Dalton,

it is my privilege to welcome you here this afternoon.

By any measure this is a profound moment,

a moment which has been a long time coming.

But one when we at last deliver a Memorial

to the men and women who served and died in Bomber Command.

They came from countries from around the world

in the same way that many have made the same journey to be here today.

Ma'am, here stands what I believe to be a magnificent Memorial.

It was designed by Liam O'Connor, delivered by Gilbert Ash

and constructed by a team ofremarkable craftsmen from McConnells.

The stone is from Portland, much of the roof is from Canada

and the bronze wreath below you from Australia.

Around us and as part of this project,

the Green Park has been transformed with great care and attention,

and when taken together, this place and the Memorial

will be an enduring feature on London's cultural landscape.

But I suggest it will be much more than that -

it will be a place to remind and to reflect,

and a haven to remember the airmen of Bomber Command

who did their duty with great courage and dignity.

In the statue soon to be unveiled,

Philip Jackson has captured a moment in history.

In addition to the superb detail,

you will see the posture of the airmen, their faces,

and when taken together we can perhaps begin to draw a perspective

of what it might have been like for the men involved.

Picture in our minds an airfield in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire or Norfolk.

The early dawn - barely light and perhaps even misty -

and the return of aircraft from an operation,

and the realisation that some of your chums had been lost,

and that many would never return.

These were young men - their average age was just 22 -

and what they did for us was quite extraordinary.

Through this Memorial, we and future generations "will remember them".

Ma'am, this Memorial would not have been possible

without the determination and commitment of a team of volunteers

and veterans working together with benefactors and professionals.

They know who they are.

The Memorial Project was ignited by the Heritage Foundation,

fuelled by the heart of the public and finally made possible through

the generosity and commitment of three principal benefactors -

John Caudwell, Lord Ashcroft and Richard Desmond.

Without their support and the tenacity of our lead fundraiser,

Jim Dooley, this Memorial could not have been built.

On behalf of the Bomber Command Association,

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved.

But this moment is not the end of the story.

We now have the duty to care for and maintain this Memorial

for the rest of its life.

Following this ceremony, the ownership of the Memorial

will pass to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund -

this is a massive step for the Fund,

but one which is at the heart of the RAF's heritage.

The Fund will ensure that the Memorial is maintained

for generations to come.

And through the Fund's unique support

we will together preserve this place

in memory of the 55,573 airmen who lost their lives

in order to secure the peace which we enjoy today.

Your Majesty, we are honoured that you should be with us today,

especially so given the mighty demands of your Jubilee Year.

Your presence means so much to us

and on behalf of The Many, may I say thank you.

Could I now invite you to unveil the Statue?

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE As

As the

As the royal

As the royal party

As the royal party move forward, Jamie Jackson, the son of the

sculptor, Phillip Jackson, will assist with the unveiling. It is an

8-tonne bronze sculpture. Phillip Jackson said yesterday he had a

moment of nervousness about whether it would fit. It was dropped

carefully through a hole in the roof. He said he was delighted that

the veteran who is have seen the statue have told him how much they

The seven figures, a moment in history cast in bronze. A monument

to the teamwork necessary in flying a bomber and guiding it to its

destination. Seven figures to say thank you from a grateful nation to

the 125,000 men of Bomber Command. Now we are waiting for the formal

service of dedication, as the veterans acknowledge the Queen and

We are gathered who is our strength and refuge,

who served and died in BomberCommand during the Second World War.

We give thanks to Him for those who from our nation,

the Commonwealth, her friends and allies

came together to serve a common purpose.

We remember with thanksgiving

the men and women who served in Bomber Command,

leaving homes and families to whichso many of them were never to return.

We remember also for those who served in the Royal Navy,

the Merchant Navy, and the Army.

We give thanks too for the civilian services

and for the population who patiently served and endured.

By the costly and sacrificial endeavour of their service,

the powers of evil and darkness were defeated and overcome.

We remember especially those who laid down their lives

in the cause of justice, freedom and peace.

We remember all thosewho still bear the scars of conflict

in body, mind and spirit,

and we pray for bereaved families and friends.

We pray for peace between the nations of the world,

for the continuation of that peace which has existed

between the nations of Europe since the ending of the Second World War,

and for the extension of unity, concord and understanding

across this continent, for the realisation of peace

in all those places where there is currently war and conflict.

We pray for all those who work for peace

in the troubled places of the world

and we do so rejoicing that in the power and grace of Christ,

who is the Prince of Peace, swords can be beaten into ploughshares

and old and bitter enemies can yield up their hatred

and find enduring fellowship.

In praise, thanksgiving, remembrance and hope,

we pray for the coming of God's Kingdom on earth

in the words which our Saviour has taught us.

Our Father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

# Praise, my soul The King of heaven

# To his feet thy tribute bring

# Ransomed, healed Restored, forgiven

# Who like me his praise should sing?

# Alleluia! Alleluia!

# Praise the everlasting King

# Angels, help us to adore him

# Ye behold him face to face

# Sun and moon, bow down before him

# Dwellers all in time and space

# Alleluia! Alleluia!

# Praise with us the God of grace. #

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no-one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall,

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles,

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

The

The address

The address now

The address now will be given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen

Dalton, cheer of the Air Staff, whose father was a veteran in the

war. Royal Air Force Bomber Command was formed on 14th July 1936. Just

four years later, in 1940, the Commander-in-Chief put Churchill's

endorsed strategic plan in action to ciple the Nazi war machine. It

is just 70 yearss ago that the first of the 1,000 bomber raids

using every thairk could be mustered took the fight to the

enemy. As Winston Churchill famously recounted, the gratitude

of every home in our island, in our empire and indeed throughout the

world, goes out to the British airmen who un un daunted by odds,

unweary in their constant challenge and mortal danger are turning the

tide of the war by their prowess and devotion. He went on to say, we

must never forget that all the time night after night, month after

month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their

targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim

their attacks, often under the heavyiest fire, off within serious

loss, but with deliberate discrimination inflict shattering

blows upon the whole technical and war-making structure of Nazi power.

So what of the young men then who flew those vital heroic missions?

They were all volunteers, many straight from school. Men who

signed up to do their duty. Having been prodded and poked and

inoculated, they were passed fit to fly just a stone's through from

here at Lord's Cricket Ground. Having learnt some basic military

discipline they were billeted in flats around St John's Wood and

marched to be fed at London Zoo. Nearly half of all the men who

joined did not survive. Of the 55,000 -- of the 55,573 airmen who

died, many were displaced from their homelands in Europe. 10,000

from Canada. 4,000 from Australia. And nearly 2,000 from New Zealand.

It is a great honour therefore to see so many veterans from the

Commonwealth and elsewhere here today representing their brave

comrades. It is almost exactly 20 years since Her Majesty Queen

Elizabeth the Queen Mother unveiled the statue of Sir Arthur Harris,

but it is the squadron aircraft that also need to be remembered.

Airmen such as Canadian air gunner, pilot gunner Andrew VC. In 1944 his

Lancaster caught fire after being attacked bay night fire. Despite

his valiant attempts to free the tail gunner, with his clothes and

parachute pack on fire, he was persuaded the tail gunner to leave

him. Sadly he did not make it through. Ironically the tail gunner

was thrown clear of the burned wreckage and reported the story. As

a result of which he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Equally,

a veteran who is here today, Wing Commander James Flint, a Sergeant

pilot in 1941 was forced to ditch his bomber half a mile off the

British coast. While two of the crew made a safe escape there was

no sign of the navigator. The aircraft sinking fast, Flint re-

entered the fuselage and managed to drag his seriously wounded comrade

to safety. For his bravery Flint was awarded the jerge Medal. That

is not to forget for a moment those hundreds of airmen who faced other

great challenges and overcame enormous odds and dangers. Evading,

escaping or enduring life as a prisoner of war. They were no

ordinary airmen then, these Bomber Command airmen. We should all

remember that the same young bomber crews flew 3,000 sorties on

Operation Man na, dropping in excess of 7,000 tonnes of vital

food supplies to the Dutch as they were being liberated in 1945. It is

also good to see a large contingent from the Netherlands here today.

Many of those who gave us our freedom and to whom this memorial

is dedicated cannot join us physically, but their spirit is

certainly here. With the building and unveiling of this magnificent

memorial they will now know that this country and the Commonwealth

have shown them and the remaining veterans that their service and raw

courage has been recognised. It is true that their dedication to doing

their duty has been acknowledged. For their bravery, sacrifice, which

helped to give us our freedom we will never forget them. Indeed, we

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton reminding us of the

extraordinary courage of the Almighty Father, your love

for those who gave their lives or health and for those who survived,

for their families and all who have supported them.

We thank you for their sacrifice, their loyalty, their commitment,

their courage and their devotion to duty.

Keep us, through their example, always loyal in our service -

in danger calm, in conflict bold, in resolve undaunted

and in success free of pride. Lord, hear us.

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Almighty Father, we thank you for those whose lives were defended

by the service of Bomber Command and offer our debt of gratitude

for our own lives and liberty.

We pray for all those who suffer as a result of war or conflict -

for the injured, the wounded, the hurt and the bereaved,

for the homeless and the refugee, for the fearful and the oppressed,

for the prisoner and the vulnerable,

for those who seek to bring relief and protection. Lord, hear us.

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Almighty God, who has promised that they who wait upon thee

shall renew their strength and mount with wings, as eagles,

we commend to thy fatherly protection

all who serve in the Royal Air Force.

Uplift and support them in their endeavour,

that they may be a safeguard

unto our most gracious Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth,

and a sure defence to our homeland.

Help them to fulfill their several duties

with honour, goodwill and integrity,

and grant that they may prove to be worthy successors

of those who by their valour and sacrifice

did nobly serve their day and generation.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ALL: Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.

Would

Would you

Would you please

To the glory of God May this memorial

as we acknowledge their sacrifice and service to others.

May it remind us, and all who pass by, of the freedom and liberty

that was bought for us through the bravery and skill of the aircrew,

and of the commitment of all those who supported them on the ground.

May it remain an inspiration to us and all who follow,

to do our duty with courage and integrity in the service of God

and all humankind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ALL: Amen.

Now

Now a

Now a Lancaster,

Now a Lancaster, the iconic bomber of World War II. Releasing 800

20,000 poppies over the assembled Let us remember before God,

those whom we knew, and whose memory we treasure,

and all who have lived and died in the service of humanity.

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

ALL: We will remember them.

MUSIC: "Last Post"

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 64 seconds

MUSIC: "Reveille"

Most merciful and ever-living God,

we remember those whom you have gathered

from the storm of this life into the peace of your presence.

Grant that we, being faithful until death, may receive with them

the crown of life that never fades, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ALL: Amen.

# O God, our help in ages past

# Our hope for years to come

# Our shelter from the stormy blast

# And our eternal home

# O God, our help in ages past

# Our hope for years to come

# Be thou our guide while life shall last

# And our eternal home. #

May God grant to the living, grace,

to the departed, rest,

to the Queen, Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord,

and to us and all his servants, life everlasting.

And the blessing of God Almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be upon you and remain with you always.

ALL: Amen.

The

The RAF

The RAF chaplain

The RAF chaplain this chief, The The Central Band of the Royal

Family striking up again, led by Senior Drum Major Warrant Officer

Terry Gardner. As Air Commodore White leads the royal party to meet

Her Majesty the Queen now preparing to leave. She came of age as a

young woman during the war. She saw much of the suffering caused by the

bombing of London in the blitz. Her mother and father refused to leave

Talking with Doug Radcliffe, the secretary of the Bomber Command

Association, who joined up after he too saw some of the damage caused

The Queen and Prince Philip now leaving to head to the RAF Club,

where she will meet and talk with His Royal Highness the Prince of

Wales, himself a pilot, and joined by the Duchess of Cornwall in this

informal setting, enjoying time with some of the members of Bomber

Command. It is an extraordinary sight on a quite extraordinary day

to see so many of the surviving members of Bomber Command lining up

under the shadow of this magnificent memorial to them. And

their fallen comrades. Etched in stone, in bronze, and of course in

I wanted to get in their faces the thought of having to go again

Five of them And this is the link

to give the group a feeling of sadness and pathos.

I always looked at it as a band of brothers,

welded together in the heat of war.

And of course if you look at the sculpture,

there are no badges of rank.

Every man was as important as his fellow man on board.

All had a function to perform,

and if they didn't perform then they put the whole crew at risk.

One of the key characteristics of the design

is that the central opening in the roof

is immediately above the heads of the seven aircrew sculpture.

And that little piece of sky framed immediately above them

has a very strong relationship with history,

and of course the destiny of many of these lost airmen.

Our design for the roof is in many ways a homage to Barnes Wallis

and his diagrid airframe design for the Wellington bomber.

And above that, the ceiling of the Memorial

is formed from melted down ingots of aluminium from a Halifax bomber

that was shot down in 1944

on its way home from a mission over Germany.

We were very fortunate to have somebody from Bomber Command

to be able to make a contribution to the memorial,

and CJ Dudley,

who got a DFC towards the end of the war in Bomber Command,

carved the wreath

which will be at the centre of the south front of the Memorial.

It's a space where people can become aware of that sacrifice

that 55,000 young men made, serving in Bomber Command.

I, of course, needed the veterans to- see and approve it.

How are you? How are you?

To begin with, they were very... I think suspicious, very worried

that I would not do justice to their memories.

So they were invited to come and see- each figure as it was completed,

and after the first figure they became great friends.

I think that all the veterans that came down

were extraordinary examples of mankind.

I mean, their spirit was indomitable.

A lot of them didn't understand why they had survived,

and would freely admit that it was just luck.

Their camaraderie has lasted for 65, 70 years,

and they still sort of joke, as old men,

as they did at the age of 22 when they climbed onto that bomber.

For

For those

For those who

For those who really have waited so long for this day, the memorial and

this grate act of public recognition has had a profound

effect, especially for those who've come today to pay their respects.

It is a wonderful day, an incredible situation, an incredible

all-round show. The Queen was wonderful as well. I liked the way

the Queen claps every time she see as flyover. I think I am very lucky.

as flyover. I think I am very lucky. That's the greatest thing. I'm just

sorry that there are not more of us here, particularly the POWs. I go

to more funerals than weddings, many more. They are pacing away so

quickly and I can't go to all of them. I try to go. There are some

great men among them. To be here on a day like this is memorable beyond

belief. It was a chance not just for dad to remember people who died.

It was a chance for the country to honour people like dad and all

those others that did survive. lost my brother. I lost close

relatives, schoolmates, friends that I had made in the service, and

see them all going down, disappearing. Never having known

the joy of a life... I used to get choked. But they have done such a

lovely job here. I feel different. That's all I can say on that. I do

feel different. I think it's maerv loss. I met quite a -- marvellous.

I met quite a number of people today whose fathers were killed

before they were born, as was mine. I'm sure all of these men will look

down on this wonderful memorial and be proud of what they did for this

country. I'm sure that there is no sadness, but today they can see

there is quite a lot of happiness and quite a lot of joy on this

occasion. Despite the controversy over the role of the bomber at the

end of the war, these were the Bomber Boys. They knew the grave

dangers of serving in Bomber Command and volunteered anyway.

They bravely fought authority freedom of these islands. This is