A Very Chilly Day
The 12th April 2018 saw the long awaited official opening of the centre. Months of tireless work by the team and many of our volunteers had gone into planning the two events held for the day. However, all the planning in the world could not have foreseen the weather that day. The day was cold, damp and misty, so misty in fact that, for much of the day the Spire wore a shroud. Very atmospheric but not ideal for an outdoor event with nearly 4,000 guests.
British Bulldog spirit won through and an appeal for blankets earlier in the week meant we were at least able to try and keep the worst of the cold at bay for our 300 strong veteran corps. The planned multi-aircraft flypast could not take place as the cloud ceiling was a mere 300ft, so our host for the day, John Sergeant, had to improvise and talk about what we might have seen.
The event, saw over 300 veterans from across the globe gathering together to mark this significant milestone – which formed part of the official RAF100 anniversary, recognising 100 years of the RAF. These veterans officially opened the centre, each one cutting a length or red ribbon to place their own piece in a specially commissioned commemorative folder.
The veterans attending echoed the project’s theme of ‘Orchestra of Voices’ with representatives from Air Crew, Ground Crew, WAAF, Air Transport Auxiliary, Resistance workers and recipients of the humanitarian food aid mission, Operation Manna.
Nicky van der Drift, IBCC Chief Executive said: “The veterans and their memories, coupled with their struggle for recognition, have always been at the heart of this project. From the outset we have had fantastic support from all sectors of the veteran community and this was our chance to thank them publicly and formally. “
The ceremony saw representatives from Governments across the Commonwealth and Europe marking the essential contribution of other nations in defending our freedom.
Speeches from Sir Peter Luff, Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fun, and Lord Howe, Minister for Defence in the Lords, couple with a blessing from the Rt Reverend The Lord Bishop of Lincoln set the tone for the day.
The veterans were well looked after with a team made up of over 100 IBCC staff and volunteers and 140 serving RAF personnel who volunteered to help at the event. This support by the current generation of those who previously served strongly marked the ethos of the RAF in its 100th year.
The event saw a wide range of musical and dramatic performances from groups around the country :
- John Sergeant
- Carol Vorderman
- Invictus Games Choirs
- City of Lincoln Male Voice Choir
- Lincoln Orpheus Male Voice Choir
- Louth Male Voice Choir
- Caistor Male Voice Choir
- Military Wives Choir
- Lincoln Rock Choir
- Players in the IBCC Orchestra
- University of Lincoln Drama Group
- City of Lincoln Drama Group
- The Band of the RAF College Cranwell
- RAF Waddington Voluntary Band
- The RAF Waddington Pipes and Drums
- Heather Marie Little
- Paisley Atlanta
- John McAllister
To watch the film of the event click here
To see more images from the event please click here
Among the 300 veterans invited to the ceremony was Geoffrey Towers, who served in the 158 Squadron. He described the centre as “marvellous”.
“We should never ever forget those young men who died.
“I’m the last of the crew now, they’ve all gone. I was the baby of the crew really. We were like a band of brothers – we lived together, we flew together, our lives depended upon one another. It was a marvellous relationship, never again in my lifetime like, I had such wonderful comrades.”
Mrs Coby Van Reil, from the Netherlands, was just a child during the war. She said crews from Bomber Command saved her life.
Mrs Van Reil said in the final days of the war, bombing had ceased and instead food parcels were being dropped over her home city of The Hague.
The effort, called Operation Manna, meant the starving population, who had been cut off by the conflict, could eat and survive until more help arrived.
“I’m still so very thankful and it always makes me still emotional because if they hadn’t come, maybe I wouldn’t have been here,” she said.
“So I’m forever, ever, very, very thankful.”