Possibility of a Bomber Command Museum

[Dave_Richardson]

It would be great if they could pull it off! From the Daily Express:

"PUSH FOR MUSEUM TO HONOUR BOMBER COMMAND HEROES
Monday July 16,2012
By John Ingham

BOMBER Command could be in line for a £37million museum on one of its former airfields. Campaigners want to buy the old RAF Bicester base in Oxfordshire and turn it into a museum, telling the story of how brave aircrews took the war to Nazi Germany.

English Heritage says the 350-acre site is Britain’s best-preserved bomber airfield with 19 Grade II listed buildings.

It still has the control tower, hangars, workshops, ammunition stores, pillboxes and trenches.

The airfield was a training centre for thousands of bomber aircrew and was also the scene of the maiden flight of the Halifax bomber.

But after years of decay it is now being sold off by the Ministry of Defence.

Bomber Command Heritage, a group of 50 volunteers, wants to buy the airfield for about £2million and then turn it into a museum over the next 20 years at a cost of £35million.

Bomber Command veteran Gordon Mellor, 92, a navigator who was shot down in 1942, said: “I hope they succeed.”

The local authority, Cherwell District Council, backs the scheme.

But BCH chairman Dean Overton fears its plans could be outbid by developers.

He said: “People want to hear more about the stories behind Bomber Command. This is the last chance to tell these stories.”

The MoD said the site is being sold through BNP Paribas Real Estate with expressions of interest required by August 24.

A spokesman added: “The value will be set by the market through a bidding process. There is no guiding price.”

Of the 125,000 Bomber Command volunteers, 55,573 were lost – the highest casualty rate of any branch of the British Armed Forces in the Second World War.

But the crews were denied a medal and a memorial."

[AlanW]

I'd love to be proved wrong, in my thoughts that "money" over-rides everything, but if a developer puts in the highest price, then thats who it goes to. Shame that whoever owns the land (especially if the government) that it cannot be bequeathed to whoever wants to create a BC Museum, that would certainly be a mark of a willingness of keeping the memory of BC aircrew alive. But maybe i'm too old fashioned in my values.

[Dave_Richardson]

I think you're right Alan. It's going to be down to money at the end of the day. The site is owned by the MOD.

The website of the 'Bomber Command Heritage' who are trying to save it is:

http://www.bc-heritage.org/

[K4KittyCrew]

Hi Dave and Alan, yes. unfortunately 'decent morals / old fashion views' are sadly few and far between nowadays. Your comment about the govt bequeathing the land to someone who will build a museum on it .......... well, like you both, can't see it happening in this day and age.

Overall, the majority of people values may change as time moves on but for the sake of those who served us, they will never change our thoughts.
John