A Lincolnshire MP said he is “very fearful of our ability today to erase or rewrite history” after a dog’s name, which is a racial slur, was removed from a gravestone at RAF Scampton.
The removal and replacement of the plaque was done by Drapers Memorials this week and caused huge uproar, with many believing it is a big part of history that needs reinstated.
Gainsborough’s Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh has now had his say on the matter and believes the past needs to be “explained, taught about and learned from – not written”.
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh
The MP, whose constituency includes Scampton, wrote to the RAF station commander, and according to The Guardian his correspondence said: “Undoubtedly we are both more sensitive and more sensible today when it comes to the delicateness of racialist and derogatory terminology which had been used with unfortunate informality in the past.
“It is perfectly understandable that this is a tricky matter to which there are no simple or easy solutions. I am, however, very fearful of our ability today to erase or rewrite history.
“The past needs to be explained, taught about and learned from – not rewritten. Wing Commander Gibson’s dog was much loved by the Dambusters and was killed while he was on a raid risking his life to defend our country.”
An RAF spokesperson said on Thursday: “As part of an ongoing review of its historical assets, the RAF have replaced the gravestone of Guy Gibson’s dog at RAF Scampton. The new gravestone tells the story of Guy Gibson’s dog, but the name has been removed.”
The current gravestone will be stored in a safe location while any next steps are considered.
The controversy doesn’t end there as it is also reported that films about the Dambuster have either edited out the dog’s name or given him the name Trigger instead.
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Drivers in Lincoln will face nearly a fortnight of disruption when electrical works cause a road closure on Skellingthorpe Road from next week (July 11).
Western Power Distribution will install a new electricity connection for a new primary school on Skellingthorpe Road.
The county council has been constructing a new 130-place school on the site of the former Priory Witham Academy Junior School, which will be for St Christopher’s primary-aged pupils.
As a result, Skellingthorpe Road will be closed between Tritton Road and Boultham Park Road between July 11 and July 22.
This is to ensure the safety of engineers and local people while work is taking place.
A diversion will be put in place via Tritton Road, Doddington Road and Newark Road.
Western Power Distribution said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused while we complete this essential new connection.”
We are investigating a road traffic collision which happened just after 5pm today.
The crash happened on the A15 just south of Waddington and involved a black Peugeot 208 that collided with a tree. The driver of the car, a 56-year-old male, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The A15 was closed just before 6pm and is likely to remain closed for some time.
We are particularly keen to hear from those who were driving along the A15 this afternoon between 4pm and 5:10pm and may have captured dashcam footage of the road during the collision.
If you have dashcam footage or any other information that will assist in our enquiries, there are a number of ways you can get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 285 of 4 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 285 of 4 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
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