International Bomber Command Centre facts for kids
.jpg)
Memorial spire at the IBCC
|
|
| Abbreviation | IBCC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2011 |
| Type | Charity |
| Purpose | To relate the stories and experiences of the personnel of Bomber Command during the Second World War. |
| Headquarters | Lincoln, UK |
|
Main organ
|
Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial Trust |
| Affiliations | University of Lincoln |
|
Staff
|
19 |
|
Volunteers
|
648 |
| Website | Official website: https://internationalbcc.co.uk/ |
The International Bomber Command Centre (or IBCC) is a special place. It's a memorial and a museum. It tells the important story of Bomber Command from World War II.
The centre is in Lincoln, England. It overlooks the city. It opened in January 2018. Its official opening was in April 2018. This was part of the RAF's 100th birthday party!
Contents
What is the IBCC?
A charity called the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial runs the IBCC. They work with the University of Lincoln to create a huge online collection of stories.
Why was the IBCC created?
The IBCC was built for a few important reasons. It helps us to remember and understand the people of Bomber Command. It also helps us to make peace.
The IBCC wants to share the personal stories of everyone involved. This includes the brave service men and women of RAF Bomber Command. It also includes the ground crews and civilians. They were all affected by the bombing during World War II. The centre has many historical documents and photos. These show what Bomber Command did.
The IBCC's Digital Archive
The IBCC has a huge online collection of information. It includes spoken stories, photos, diaries, and letters. Many of these have never been seen by the public before.
About 1,200 people who were part of Bomber Command have shared their stories. These are veterans and survivors. The archive staff and volunteers have saved 200,000 items.
Records of Losses
The IBCC also has a full record of all Bomber Command losses. It holds details from 1936 to 1968. You can find information about individuals and their crews. It also tells how they were lost. Sometimes, there are photos and other records. This is almost 4 million pieces of information. You can use it for free on their website.
How the IBCC was funded
Building the centre cost about £16 million. The Heritage Lottery Fund gave £3.1 million. Another £2.1 million came from special government funds. Other money was given by people and groups.
Visiting the IBCC
Where is the IBCC?
_-_cropped.jpg)
Lincoln was chosen for the IBCC because of its history. During World War II, 27 RAF Bomber Command stations were in Lincolnshire. That's more than a third of all stations! This is why Lincolnshire was called "Bomber County."
The centre is on Canwick Hill. It's close to RAF Waddington. This air base had the most losses of any Bomber Command station. It's also near where Avro aircraft were made.
You can see Lincoln Cathedral from the Memorial Spire. The Cathedral was a very important landmark for aircrews.
The Chadwick Centre
_-_cropped.jpg)
The Chadwick Centre is the main visitor building. It has a learning area and three exhibition rooms. These rooms are interactive and exciting. There are also visitor facilities and a collections room.
The centre shares the experiences of Bomber Command members. It also shows how bombing affected people living in cities. It looks at the war and what happened after.
The centre has gathered over 1,200 personal stories. These are from Bomber Command veterans around the world. They also include stories from civilians affected by the bombing. Some stories are from people in Lincolnshire. They share what it was like to have so many RAF people arrive.
The Spire Memorial
The Spire Memorial is in the IBCC grounds. It was put up on May 10, 2015. The spire looks like Lincoln Cathedral. It is made of special steel that changes color over time.
The spire is 102 feet (31.09 meters) tall. It is 16 feet (5 meters) wide at the bottom. These sizes are based on the wingspan of a Lancaster bomber. The spire was officially shown to the public in October 2015. About 3,600 guests were there, including 312 RAF veterans.
Walls around the spire have names carved into them. These are the names of all 57,871 men and women. They gave their lives while serving or helping Bomber Command. This is the only place in the world where all these losses are remembered together.
The Peace Gardens
The Peace Gardens include a Memorial Avenue. This is part of the Lincolnshire Peace Garden. It has trees for each of the 27 Lincolnshire air stations. There is also an International Garden. It has plants from the five continents and 62 nations involved with Bomber Command.
An outdoor amphitheater is used for learning. There are also areas with plants that smell nice. The Peace Gardens have a "Ribbon of Remembrance." It is made of special stone. Families and groups can use it to honor those who served.
Images for kids
-
The Spire
-
Plates bear the names of aircrew who lost their lives flying from bases in Lincolnshire.
-
The memorial spire
-
Aerial view of the Memorial Spire and Walls over looking Lincoln Cathedral
-
The visitor centre is named after Roy Chadwick, the designer of the Lancaster Bomber
-
Remembrance Service, 2021
