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Bomber Command Memorial, Green Park, London

 

The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth on Thursday 28 June 2012.

The Memorial honours the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who died during the 2nd World War,
and also commemorates those of all nations who lost their lives in the 1939-1945 bombing.

Built in Portland stone, the Memorial was designed by Liam O'Connor.
Centrally located is a 9 foot (2.7 metre) high sculpture by Philip Jackson, featuring bronze statues of seven Aircrew.
The roof is made from aluminium recovered from the wreckage of a Handley Page Halifax Mk III Bomber of the Royal Canadian Air Force,
which had been shot down over Belgium in May 1944.
The internal roof design is evocative of the geodetic structure of the fuselage of Wellington Bombers.
The open central section of the roof allows the sky to be seen above the Aircrew, day or night.

Of the 55,573 casualties of Bomber Command, 131 were from 462 Squadron RAAF.
Of those, 37 were Australians. Their names are listed in Panel 109 at the Australian War Memorial.

The following photos were taken by this website's Owner/Author during a visit to the Bomber Command Memorial on Tuesday 10 July 2012.
Transcriptions from the engravings on the Memorial are included with each of the relevant photos.

Views of Memorial on arrival & from Piccadilly side;
External features of Memorial on Green Park side;
Internal features of Memorial;
Sculpture within Memorial;
Individuals in Air Crew;
Wreath, and views of Memorial from Green Park side.

The following websites are also of interest for further information (copy and paste to your web browser):-
BBC News: 28 June 2012 "Queen unveils RAF Bomber Command memorial" ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ )
CBC News: 28 June 2012 "Queen unveils WW II Bomber Command memorial" ( http://www.cbc.ca/news )
RAF Benevolent Fund – Guardians of the Memorial ( http://www.rafbf.org/1794/bomber-command-memorial.html )
Photographs of the Memorial from planning through construction to the unveiling ( http://www.bombercommandmemorial.co.uk )

 

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (38)

 

 

 

Left: The Bomber Command Memorial, eastern end, as viewed from the pathway leading from Green Park underground station.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (39)

Above: View from Piccadilly, eastern end of Memorial.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (43)

Above: View from Piccadilly, western end of Memorial.

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Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (45)

 

Left: Information Panel for the Bomber Command Memorial

THIS MEMORIAL WAS BUILT WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF
THE LORD ASHCROFT, JOHN CAUDWELL, RICHARD DESMOND
JAMES DOOLEY
ROBIN GIBB AND THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION
THE BOMBER COMMAND ASSOCIATION
AND THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THOSE WHO DIED

MINISTERS OF THE CROWN
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
THE RAF BENEVOLENT FUND
THE RAF MUSEUM
THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, LE GOUVERNEMENT DE CANADA
THE GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
THE POLISH AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION
LE MINISTERE DE LA DEFENCE ET DES ANCIENS COMBATTANTS FRANCE
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH GROUP
AND PUBLIC DONATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

ARCHITECT
LIAM O'CONNOR
SCULPTOR
PHILIP JACKSON
INSCRIPTIONS
RICHARD KINDERSLEY
WREATH
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
GILBERT-ASH
STONE CONTRACTOR
S McCONNELL AND SONS

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (51)

Above: Bomber Command Crest on eastern end of Memorial, as viewed from the Green Park side, with information stone below crest.

BOMBER COMMAND
ROYAL AIR FORCE
STRIKE HARD STRIKE SURE

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (52)

Above: Information stone below Bomber Command Crest.
THIS STONE WAS LAID BY
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER
KG GCVO
ON BEHALF OF
MARSHAL OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
SIR MICHAEL BEETHAM
GCB CBE DFC AFC
PRESIDENT AND
THE BOMBER COMMAND ASSOCIATION
4TH MAY 2011

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (53)

Above: Royal Air Force Crest on western end of Memorial, as viewed from the Green Park side, with information stone below crest.

PER ARDVA AD ASTRA (as pictured)
PER ARDUA AD ASTRA (RAF motto)

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (54)

Above: Information stone below Royal Air Force Crest.

THIS STONE WAS LAID BY
JOHN CAUDWELL
PRINCIPAL BENEFACTOR
OF THIS MEMORIAL
8 MARCH 2012

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Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (55)

Above: Internal wall, western end, with engraving.

THE FIGHTERS ARE OUR SALVATION BUT THE
BOMBERS ALONE PROVIDE THE MEANS OF VICTORY
WINSTON CHURCHILL SEPTEMBER 1940

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (89)

Above: Internal wall, eastern end, with engraving.

THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO THE 55,573 AIRMEN
FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM BRITISH COMMONWEALTH
& ALLIED NATIONS WHO SERVED IN
RAF BOMBER COMMAND & LOST THEIR LIVES OVER
THE COURSE OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (63)

Above: Internal wall and roof, Piccadilly side, with engraving above pillars ....

THIS MEMORIAL ALSO COMMEMORATES THOSE OF ALL NATIONS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE BOMBING OF 1939-1945

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (64)

Above: Internal roof, Piccadilly side, showing edge of open section, with engraving .....

PER ARDVA AD ASTRA (as pictured)
PER ARDUA AD ASTRA (RAF motto)

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Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (62)

 

 

Left: Rear view, Piccadilly side, of centrally located sculpture with bronze statues of seven Airmen grouped together after leaving their aircraft on return from an Op. The inscription in the base reads .....

FREEDOM IS THE SURE POSSESSION
OF THOSE ALONE WHO
HAVE THE COURAGE TO DEFEND IT
PERICLES

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (88)

Above: Sculpture with bronze statues of seven Airmen, viewed from front left, on Green Park side of Memorial.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (87)

Above: Sculpture with bronze statues of seven Airmen, viewed from front right, on Green Park side of Memorial.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (90)

Above: Sculpture with bronze statues of seven Airmen, on Green Park side of Memorial. The inscription in the base reads .....

HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II
UNVEILED THIS MEMORIAL
28 JUNE
IN THE YEAR OF HER DIAMOND JUBILEE
2012

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (75)

Above: Close-up of the bronze statues of seven Airmen. Some are looking up, some looking down and others look forward. Their faces appear to show mental strain and physical exhaustion.

 

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Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (74) Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (72) Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (71)

Above: Close-ups of Aircrew according to their position in the front row of the sculpture.
Front left: Crew man looking to the sky; Front centre: Crew man also looking skywards; Front right: Crew man looking down.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (82) Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (70) Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (73) Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (76)

Above: Close-ups of Aircrew according to their position in the back row of the sculpture.
Back far left: Crew man looking skywards; Back centre left: Crew man with head bowed and eyes closed;
Back centre right: Officer looking into distance; Back far right: Crew man looking into distance.
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Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (91)

Above: Wreath on plinth, Green Park side of the Memorial.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (93)

Above: The Bomber Command Memorial as viewed from the Green Park side, with the plinth and wreath closest to camera. The central sculpture, engravings on the left and right internal walls, and the geodetic roof with open panel, are all visible.

 

Bomber Command Memorial 10 July 2012 (95)

 

 

 

 

Left: The Bomber Command Memorial as viewed from the Green Park side. The plinth and wreath outside, and the central sculpture inside the Memorial are all visible. The RAF and Bomber Command Crests can also be seen on the left and right external walls (Photos of the crests, and the information stones below them, have been shown in an earlier section.)

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