One of the things that I've wanted to see for quite a while is the RAF Bomber Command Memorial in London, and as I had some free time while on my way to see Louise, I called in at Green Park to take a few shots.
The RAF Benevolent Fund describes the memorial like this:
"The memorial has been built to be modern, yet classical, in Portland stone.
At its heart are the bronze sculptures of a Bomber Command aircrew.
Within the memorial, the space is open to the sky with an opening designed to allow light to fall directly onto sculptures of the aircrew.
The scale of the sculpture as a whole means that visitors will always see the profile of the sculpture against the sky above them, day and night - thus rendering that section of the sky powerfully symbolic for the memorial."
So here is the sculpture of the crew. Over 55,000 crewmen lost their lives while serving in Bomber Command. One of my uncles was in an aircraft shot down, and he became a POW, so there is a personal link to this memorial.
There were a number of other visitors there while I was taking photos, and others had left bunches of flowers around this sculpture. One of the crew has a bunch of daffodils tucked into his flying jacket.
What an incredibly detailed memorial. Their uniforms, their expressions and the colour are so powerful. Thanks for the detailed explanation - such an awful thing for 55,000 families to have lost loved ones. The placement of the memorial sounds so well thought out.
Thank you Lizzy, and thank you for the fav! This is a monument I've wanted to see ever since it was opened a couple of years ago, and I was very impressed with what I saw.
Thank you Ferry. I hadn't realised the Hague was bombed. It's terrible that such a bombing campaign was necessary, but I do admire the courage of the aircrews who set off knowing that there was a high risk they would never return. We should be very grateful that we now live in a time of peace in Europe.
Thank you Graham, and thank you for the fav! - it's certainly an impressive memorial.
Ian
Thank you Padlock - it's a very evocative sculpture.
Ian
Thank you Lizzy, and thank you for the fav! This is a monument I've wanted to see ever since it was opened a couple of years ago, and I was very impressed with what I saw.
Ian
Thank toy Lindsay - it's an excellent memorial and I was pleased to get to see it at last!
Ian
Thank you Ivan - I was very impressed with this memorial.
Ian
Thank you Cindy, glad you like it!
Ian
Thank you Ferry. I hadn't realised the Hague was bombed. It's terrible that such a bombing campaign was necessary, but I do admire the courage of the aircrews who set off knowing that there was a high risk they would never return. We should be very grateful that we now live in a time of peace in Europe.
Ian
Thank you Dianne - it is a very impressive memorial, and I was pleased to get to see it.
Ian
Thank you Brian, glad you like it!
Ian
Thank you Therese - I was really pleased to get to see this memorial at last!
Ian