November 14, 2013 10.16 am This story is over 124 months old

Waddington Air Show donates £50k to Bomber Memorial

Generous donation: The RAF Waddington International Air Show Board of Trustees donated £50,000 to the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial.

The Board of Trustees from the RAF Waddington International Air Show donated £50,000 to the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial this week.

The Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial will be an iconic spire tribute to the crews of Bomber Command on Lincoln’s landscape.

Situated on Canwick Hill, The Spire of Names, created by award winning structural artist Walter Jack, will be accompanied by an interpretation centre, detailing life at war and the county’s aviation history.

The 50m tall steel spire will feature the names of all 25,611 airmen who flew from the county never to return during World War 2.

The Spire of Names memorial chosen for the site on Canwick Hill in Lincoln.

The Spire of Names memorial chosen for the site on Canwick Hill in Lincoln.

The £50,000 donation, which was made possible due to the success of the annual air show, will go towards developing the site.

RAF Waddington Station Commander Air Commodore Al Gillespie said: “The Bomber Command Memorial is a cause close to every aviator’s heart, especially considering RAF Waddington’s role during the Second World War.

“Despite Lincolnshire’s long affiliation with Bomber Command the county has no formal acknowledgement of this and Lincolnshire hosted 27 Bomber Command stations and HQ 5 Group.

“The Spire of Names will stand as a significant and contemporary memorial that will serve as not only a location for remembrance but also something that has international appeal for generations to come.”

Receiving the cheque on behalf of the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial were Trustee Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Air Vice Marshall Paul Robinson.