BOMBER COMMAND MEMORIAL DEDICATED

Veterans’ Affairs Minister De-Anne Kelly today unveiled a national memorial in Canberra to those who served in Bomber Command in World War II.

Mrs Kelly also delivered a message on behalf of Prime Minister John Howard to the Australians who flew in the nightly bombing raids over Europe.

“All of you know the terrible odds faced by the men who volunteered to serve in Bomber Command. Approximately 10 000 Australians served with Bomber Command and almost 3500 were killed. The crews needed skill and endurance to survive a tour but sadly for many skill and endurance were not always enough,” Mr Howard said.

The Bomber Command memorial at the Australian War Memorial integrates key elements of the experiences of those who served – a searchlight scanning the sky, a variety of aircraft flown and the air and ground crew who flew or maintained them.

Mrs Kelly said those who served in Bomber Command represented a group of Australians the likes of whom we shall perhaps never see again.

“The men who flew the Lancasters, Halifaxes and Stirlings nightly over Europe displayed a courage that few can imagine 60 years later,” Mrs Kelly said.

“Knowing as we do what they went through, and also what they achieved, we are now able to acknowledge through the dedication of this memorial our gratitude for their service in humanity’s cause.”

Australian War Memorial acting director Helen Withnell said the Bomber Command memorial was an important addition to AWM’s commemorative features in the Memorial’s sculpture garden.

“Bomber Command is the result of close and cooperative work between the Memorial, the RAAF Association and internationally-renowned sculptor Neil Dawson,” said Ms Withnell.

RAAF Association president Air Commodore Geoff Michael (Ret’d) said: “The statue meets all the requirements if the design brief: Aircrew in flying gear, ground crew, and aircraft types flown by Bomber Command, silhouetted in the base memorial. The cone is symbolic of a searchlight. The biggest fright we ever had were searchlights.”

Media contact: Craig Clarke (Minister Kelly) 0417 889 423
                         Laura Ryan (AWM) 0403 326 805