April 5, 2016 11.06 am This story is over 95 months old

Lincoln Bomber Command memorial to be lit up for Queen’s birthday

The Bomber Command Memorial Spire on Canwick Hill in Lincoln will become one of 1,000 beacons lit in honour of the Queen of England’s 90th birthday. The beacon at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) will be lit by 50/61 Squadrons veteran, James Flowers at 7.30pm on Mer Majesty’s birthday, Thursday, April 21. James has…
The Bomber Command Memorial Spire. Photo: Jason Corrigan

The Bomber Command Memorial Spire on Canwick Hill in Lincoln will become one of 1,000 beacons lit in honour of the Queen of England’s 90th birthday.

The beacon at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) will be lit by 50/61 Squadrons veteran, James Flowers at 7.30pm on Mer Majesty’s birthday, Thursday, April 21.

James has been a great supporter of the project, having raised over £8,000 through sales of his book, A Tail End Charlie’s Story.

Photo: Emily Norton for The Lincolnite

Veteran, James Flowers (R) with chairman of the trust Tony Worth (L) Photo: Emily Norton for The Lincolnite

James said :“I am both excited and honoured to be the WW11 Aircrew Veteran asked to light the Queen’s 90th Birthday Beacon at the rapidly developing new International Bomber Command Centre Memorial to celebrate.

“It has long been a dream of mine that I live to see the completion of this wonderful memorial now being constructed in centre of Bomber County to remember the 55,573 WW11 young men killed in action between 1939 and 1945, and to see the Digital Archive and Centre in which the exciting stories of those who served during this terrible war are to be kept. Thereby ensuring that the memories of these brave men live on.”

As the site is still under construction, the IBCC will not be able to open this event to the public but the beacon will be visible from the city and will illuminate the spire memorial.

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will light the Principal Beacon at Windsor Castle.

This will be followed by the lighting of a number of Beacons along the Long Walk, Windsor Great Park, including one at the Copper Horse, and then over 1,000 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK overseas Territories and a Commonwealth Country to celebrate the landmark birthday.

Beacons will be lit at churches, on farms, country parks, village greens and on country estates. Lighthouses, National Trust and English Heritage properties are also taking part.

The Army Cadet Force are taking special gas fuelled beacons to the top of the four highest peaks in the UK:

  • Ben Nevis – Scotland (1st Battalion Highlanders Army Cadet Force)
  • Mount Snowdon – Wales (Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force)
  • Scafell Pike – England (Cumbria Army Cadet Force)
  • Slieve Donard – Northern Ireland (2nd NI Battalion Army Cadet Force)

The Beacons on top of the Four Peaks will be lit at 7.15pm with all other beacons being lit by 8.30pm that evening.