Summary
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) is a memorial and interpretation centre overlooking the city of Lincoln, England, and telling the story of RAF Bomber Command's extensive losses of aircraft and crews during the Bombing of Germany during World War II. It opened to the public at the end of January 2018, with an official ceremony on 12 April as part of Royal Air Force (RAF) centenary celebrations.
 Memorial spire at the IBCC | |
| Abbreviation | IBCC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2011 |
| Type | Charity |
| Purpose | To relate the stories and experiences of the personnel and support staff of Bomber Command. |
| Headquarters | Lincoln, UK |
| Coordinates | 53°12′50″N 0°31′51″W / 53.2139°N 0.53095°W |
Main organ | Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial |
| Affiliations | University of Lincoln |
Staff | 22 |
Volunteers | 648 |
| Website | Official website |
Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial edit
Objectives edit
The project was created to act as a point of "recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command".[1]
IBCC aims to tell the personal stories of service men and women of RAF Bomber Command, ground crews and civilians affected by the bombing campaigns on both sides of the conflict during the Second World War and beyond to the Cold War era. The centre provides a comprehensive record of the role of Bomber Command's squadrons and digitally displays historical documents and photographs relating to the activity of Bomber Command, in an interactive and immersive exhibition.[1]
Digital archive edit
The IBCC has created a digital archive on Bomber Command in partnership with the University of Lincoln. The IBCC Digital Archive focuses on people’s stories of RAF Bomber Command and the bombing war in Europe, 1939-1945, from the perspectives of ground, air, military and civilian, on both sides of the conflict. Much of the archive was publicly unavailable before.[2]
Losses database edit
The IBCC has a comprehensive record of Bomber Command losses from 1936 to 1968 and includes details of people, their crews, how they died and any available photographs.[3]
Canwick Hill site edit
Located on Canwick Hill, the centre is just under two and half miles from RAF Waddington, which suffered the greatest losses of any Bomber Command station,[1] and close to the former Avro aircraft production facility at Bracebridge Heath. A view of Lincoln Cathedral, a prominent landmark for aircrews, forms an important part of the vista from the centre of the Memorial Spire.[4]
Within the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre sits the Spire Memorial, which was erected on 10 May 2015.[5]
Gallery edit
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The memorial spire -
Aerial view of the Memorial Spire and Walls overlooking Lincoln Cathedral -
The visitor centre is named after Roy Chadwick, the designer of the Lancaster Bomber -
Remembrance Service, 2021
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "International Bomber Command Centre". International Bomber Command Centre. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ "Digital Archive". internationalbcc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Losses database". losses.internationalbcc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "International Bomber Command Centre". Visit Lincoln. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Emily Norton (10 May 2015). "New Lincoln landmark as Bomber Command spire is assembled". Stonebow Media Ltd. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
External links edit
- International Bomber Command Centre official site
- International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive
- Lancaster bomber flypast, 2016
- BBC News article featuring aerial view of IBCC
