Lancaster Ride RAF East Kirkby
Apr 24, 2015 12:13:13 GMT 1
Barfluer, deteulada, and 1 more like this
Post by bulldog on Apr 24, 2015 12:13:13 GMT 1
Hi
I had the great honour a couple of days ago to visit The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre based at what is now the disused RAF East Kirkby Airfield in Lincolnshire. Before the photos a very brief bit of history . The centre is owned by the Panton family and was conceived as a memorial to Christopher Panton who was lost at an early age in a bombing raid in WW2 on Nuremberg. It is also dedicated to the other 55000 brave aircrew who also lost their lives in that dark period of history. It is an amazing, thought provoking centre. The chapel and museum hold tributes and personal memorabilia from so many of these people. Some of the letters are incredibly moving and make you realise how fortunate we are to live in the age we all do now.
Initially the days guests all assembled in a recreated wartime nissen hut for our briefing. As you can see the photos recreate the atmosphere well. Apparently if you were called up into the RAF you could then volunteer for aircrew. Apart from the pilots your first experience after basic training was a live mission potentially over Nazi Germany. The flak locations were all pointed out on the map and night fighter bases. How these guys went out night after night I truly could not imagine.
RAF East Kirkby was built during the war and took 9 months to build at a then cost of one million. Pity they couldn't get them to do Heathrow's third runway now. (10 years and 15 billion is it?) The squadrons came from Scampton initially. 57 and 630 squadron. Sobering thought that in the 21 months of operation 848 aircrew lost their lives which equates to about 150 Lancasters lost.
The base still has the wartime control tower, and apart from a modern hangar is as it was.
Before the photos I would express my thanks and as I said above found it a great honour to meet the owners and talk to other people on the trip who were surviving aircrew from the war. Incredible.
The centre aims to restore the Lancaster to flying condition but their expectation is is may take ten years. If any of you are ever in the area, make the effort and pay a visit it is truly memorable and thought provoking.
When you view the photos , imagine you are in this aircraft being shot at, the only way into the rear turret is sliding on your back and once locked in you are stuck there!. You had two .303 brownings for defence max range 3-400 yards. German fighters cannons with range 800 yards.
Moving forward into the cockpit you have to traverse the main spar. This is an space shaped from the top 1/3 only of the fuselage and has a max height I guess at about 3feet. It makes you realise that if the Lancaster was doing anything other than smooth straight and level flight exiting the aircraft would be near impossible.
Please enjoy the photos I will try to put some video on separately.
Clive
View forwards from side entrance door
Again moving forwards, navigator on left
Wireless operator, most comfortable place!
Lying down as bomb aimer
above bomb aimer is gun position. Bomb aimer did both
artefacts in hanger
I had the great honour a couple of days ago to visit The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre based at what is now the disused RAF East Kirkby Airfield in Lincolnshire. Before the photos a very brief bit of history . The centre is owned by the Panton family and was conceived as a memorial to Christopher Panton who was lost at an early age in a bombing raid in WW2 on Nuremberg. It is also dedicated to the other 55000 brave aircrew who also lost their lives in that dark period of history. It is an amazing, thought provoking centre. The chapel and museum hold tributes and personal memorabilia from so many of these people. Some of the letters are incredibly moving and make you realise how fortunate we are to live in the age we all do now.
Initially the days guests all assembled in a recreated wartime nissen hut for our briefing. As you can see the photos recreate the atmosphere well. Apparently if you were called up into the RAF you could then volunteer for aircrew. Apart from the pilots your first experience after basic training was a live mission potentially over Nazi Germany. The flak locations were all pointed out on the map and night fighter bases. How these guys went out night after night I truly could not imagine.
RAF East Kirkby was built during the war and took 9 months to build at a then cost of one million. Pity they couldn't get them to do Heathrow's third runway now. (10 years and 15 billion is it?) The squadrons came from Scampton initially. 57 and 630 squadron. Sobering thought that in the 21 months of operation 848 aircrew lost their lives which equates to about 150 Lancasters lost.
The base still has the wartime control tower, and apart from a modern hangar is as it was.
Before the photos I would express my thanks and as I said above found it a great honour to meet the owners and talk to other people on the trip who were surviving aircrew from the war. Incredible.
The centre aims to restore the Lancaster to flying condition but their expectation is is may take ten years. If any of you are ever in the area, make the effort and pay a visit it is truly memorable and thought provoking.
When you view the photos , imagine you are in this aircraft being shot at, the only way into the rear turret is sliding on your back and once locked in you are stuck there!. You had two .303 brownings for defence max range 3-400 yards. German fighters cannons with range 800 yards.
Moving forward into the cockpit you have to traverse the main spar. This is an space shaped from the top 1/3 only of the fuselage and has a max height I guess at about 3feet. It makes you realise that if the Lancaster was doing anything other than smooth straight and level flight exiting the aircraft would be near impossible.
Please enjoy the photos I will try to put some video on separately.
Clive
View forwards from side entrance door
Again moving forwards, navigator on left
Wireless operator, most comfortable place!
Lying down as bomb aimer
above bomb aimer is gun position. Bomb aimer did both
artefacts in hanger
