Disagree Dean – as a national memorial it should be in the nation’s capitol where due homage can be paid rather where just the locals will see it and veterans might struggle to get to.

Roger Smith.

An interesting thought Roger, but I was working on the premise that a lot of the veterans ‘are’ locals and would maybe struggle getting to the capital! That maybe an incorrect assumption on my part, as I don’t have the stats – it would be interesting to know what percentage of bomber crews actually came from the Lincolnshire & Yorkshire areas. My Uncle lived in Lincolnshire but was stationed at Breighton in Yorkshire; albeit very briefly, before sadly becoming one of the 55,573.

There’s quite a lengthy thread on the debate over on PPRuNe http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=296590

Some veterans have suggested either Lincolnshire or the ‘National’ Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas. One veteran was quoted as saying “When I think of Bomber Command, I think of Lincolnshire!” A sentiment, I’m sure, that is echoed by many.

I can see this being a lengthy one.

Dean.

RAF Scampton

There’s also this one at RAF Scampton, inside No.1 hangar, where the museum is. Don’t know about its engine though.

Dean.

The airfield at Cleethorpes would seem to be between the town and the sea in this picture!:D

http://www.content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields/Cleethorpes.html

That was the site I was thinking of – no idea where the original info came from though – all I could find was the following:-

“An air station, RNAS Cleethorpes, was announced in Aug 1913 but never built”

taken from the website http://raf-lincolnshire.info/locations.htm

Dean.

It’s a DH.6 (Clutching Hand) probably G-EAQC which was at Cleethorpes in 1920.

Thanks for that John, I’m not up on the older ones. I did a spot of Googling, found some DH.6 pics, and I concur.

Where did you find the information on G-EAQC being at Cleethorpes though? – I’m intrigued.

Dean.

Is the Flying Start Project on the Isle of Sheppey also affected by this decision on a final short-list of four projects?

… Finally – what are the other schemes competing for this £50m Lottery Award? I think the very impressive looking Isle of Sheppey aviation heritage scheme is in a Lottery Award scheme – is it the same one?

The Flying Start project on Sheppey is a project bidding in the Big Lottery Fund ‘Living Landmarks programme’ and from their website they are still in the running – http://www.theflyingstart.co.uk/news/show/18/Flying_Start_Wings_into_Shortlist

They are one of 23 projects bidding for grants from this fund, and according to the Lottery website, the winners will be chosen by a committee this Autumn.

A second initiative entitled ‘Living Landmarks: The People’s Millions’ is the one that will be decided by a public vote, and the one that has unfortunately dropped the Science Museum Inspired project.

Details of both here:- http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_livinglandmarks

Dean.

Good luck guys 😀

As to where she will be going… has anyone considered Scampton? When we went to the open day last month, the guide mentioned something about 558 but unfortunately I was too far away to hear what he’d said. They have all the facilities and it’s not quite as busy as Waddington… just a thought!

Dean.