Veteran marks A46 Lancaster memorial take-off

Britain’s last surviving Dambuster, George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, marked the start of work to build a giant Lancaster sculpture on the A46 near Lincoln.

The full-size art installation will be on land at Brills Farm just off the A46 in Norton Disney.

Over 30,000 drivers a day would pass the monument to Bomber Command.

George ‘Johnny’ Johnson marked the start of the works to build the monument. Photo: NKDC

The structure will be named ‘On Freedom’s Wings’ and will appear to be in flight on the horizon, heading ‘home’ to the former RAF base at nearby Swinderby Airfield.

Ken Sadler, trustee of the Bomber Gateway Trust, said: “The sculpture will be covered in poppies for two-weeks in November.

“But the quarter of a mile stretch of meadow that we have proposed will have poppies planted in it.

“The idea is that when you look at it with a blue sky it looks as though it is taking off.”

RAF veterans and Ken Sadler, trustee of the Bomber Gateway Trust, attended the ceremony. Photo: NKDC

• The trust needs to raise £100,000 to fund the project and has so far reached around £35,000 through its JustGiving page here and private donations.