The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) is a memorial and interpretation centre telling the story of Bomber Command overlooking the city of Lincoln, in England, the centre opened to the public at the end of January 2018. The official opening ceremony was held on 12 April 2018, as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the RAF.

Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial

Objectives

The project was created to act as a point of "recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command". 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 The centre provides a comprehensive record of the role of Bomber Command's squadrons and digitally displays historical documents and photographs relating to the activity of Bomber Command, in an interactive and immersive exhibition.

IBCC Digital Archive

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 multiple perspectives: on the ground and in the air, military and civilian, and on both sides of the conflict. Much of the archive has never been available for public access before.

Losses Database

The IBCC has a comprehensive record of Bomber Command Losses. It holds the records of all losses from 1936 - 1968 and includes details of the individual, their crew, details of how they were lost and, where available, photographs, epitaphs and AIR records.

Canwick Hill site

Location

Located on Canwick Hill, the centre is just under two and half miles from

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target ...

, which suffered the greatest losses of any Bomber Command station, and close to the former Avro aircraft production facility at

Bracebridge Heath Bracebridge Heath is a village and civil parish located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, in Lincolnshire, England. It lies at the junction of two major roads the A15 to Sleaford and the A607 to Grantham, and was (until modern sy ...

. A view of Lincoln Cathedral, a prominent landmark for aircrews, forms an important part of the vista from the centre of the Memorial Spire.

Spire Memorial

Within the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre sits the ''Spire Memorial, which'' was erected on 10 May 2015.

International Bomber Command Centre Memorial Plates

Gallery

File:Memorial Spire at International Bomber Command Centre.jpg, The memorial spire File:Ariel View over the Cathedral.jpg, Aerial view of the Memorial Spire and Walls over looking Lincoln Cathedral File:Chadwick-Centre-at-the-International-Bomber-Command-Centre.-Credit-Tim-Doyle.jpg, The visitor centre is named after

Roy Chadwick Roy Chadwick, CBE, FRSA, FRAeS (30 April 1893 – 23 August 1947) was an aircraft design engineer for the Avro Company. Born at Marsh Hall Farm, Farnworth, Widnes, the son of the mechanical engineer Charles Chadwick, he was the chief designer ...

, the designer of the

Lancaster Bomber The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling ...

File:Remembrance Service 2021.jpg, Remembrance Service, 2021

References

External links

International Bomber Command Centre official site

International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive

Lancaster bomber flypast, 2016

BBC News article featuring aerial view of IBCC
{{Commons category Royal Air Force memorials Buildings and structures in Lincoln, England British military memorials and cemeteries World War II memorials in England