Earlier today a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a full-scale Avro Lancaster monument that will be placed at Brills Farm adjacent to the A46 on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border.
As previously reported, the 98-foot-tall steel monument, dubbed “On Freedom’s Wings,” was unanimously approved by the North Kesteven District Council last month. The installation will consist of a steel frame mounted on a slim steel support structure to give the impression of flight, and will depict Lancaster R5689 (pictured above) heading home toward the former RAF base at Swinderby Airfield. It is intended “to remind visitors of Lincolnshire’s inextricable link to the RAF and to act as a catalyst for people to visit the many attractions in the county.”
Today’s event was reportedly attended by WW2 Bomber Command veterans, including Dambuster George “Johnny” Johnson, who assisted in the process. Click below to check out video of the groundbreaking as well as photos of a scale model depicting the monument’s proposed design.
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Yesterday, the North Kesteven District Council unanimously approved the planning application for the installation of a full-scale Avro Lancaster monument at Brills Farm adjacent to the A46 on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border.
The 98-foot-tall steel monument “is intended to remind visitors of Lincolnshire’s inextricable link to the RAF and to act as a catalyst for people to visit the many attractions in the county.” It will be built on high ground in order to depict Lancaster R5689 (pictured above) in flight, heading home toward the former RAF base at Swinderby Airfield.
The Bomber County Gateway Trust reports that WW2 Bomber Command veterans, including Dambuster George “Johnny” Johnson, will break ground at the site during a special ceremony on May 15. When complete, its proposed name will be “On Freedom’s Wings”.
Click below to check out a proposed design for the structure.
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The Bomber County Gateway Trust’s effort to erect a monument to Bomber Command in Lincolnshire featuring a full-scale representation of the Avro Lancaster is closer to becoming a reality after North Kesteven District Council’s Planning Sub-Committee reportedly received a recommendation to approve proposals for the project.
As previously reported, the monument would represent R5689 (pictured above), which is believed to be the most photographed Lancaster of the war, likely because it was used in literature to train pilots to identify the type. R5689 served with 50 Squadron RAF and crash landed at Thurlby Top Wood while limping home to RAF Swinderby after a mission on September 18, 1942 – an incident that claimed the life of RCAF crew member Sgt. J.R. Gibbons. [continue reading…]
