Dambuster tour

[zacmarshall]

First day of the Dambuster Tour organised by Paul Hogan.

Today was a visit to the International Bomber Command Centre at Lincoln and then on to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.


The memorial to the 57, 861 men and women who gave their lives as part of bomber command. All the names are on the memorial tablets surround the memorial itself.


Memorial to Operation Manna, where rather than drop bombs the RAF and USAAF dropped food to the starving people of the Netherlands. This was in April and May 1945, later on there was a ceasefire in place but when it first started the RAF didn't know if they would be shot down.


FF, Healey and some TRs from the TR Register

The petrol tank is out on my C-V8, Paul's Interceptor is sick and one of the TR guys had to bring his F-Type. There will be more tomorrow...


Just Jane, currently being worked on ready for the summer season where they taxi her along the run way. The intention is to restore her to flying condition.

[colin7673]

A nice tour for the retired

[zacmarshall]

I agree it will restrict the numbers having it during the week but the BBMF isn't open (for tours at least) at weekends.

Most of the people with the tour with me still work but thought it justified taking a couple of days off work. I'm lucky that I work flexi-time and have an understanding boss (although not as understanding as previous boss who is a petrol head )

Paul has done a really good job of organising the tour. The hotel is excellent, reasonably priced for full board and the dinner last night was very good.

A nice tour for the retired

[Martin R]

I had other commitments otherwise would love to have joined you. Looks great!

[colin7673]

Saw a CV8 at 10pm today. Didn’t get the reg but it was burgundy type colour with a brown vinyl roof..
it was turning Right at BickerBar Roundabout on the A17, heading up the A52 towards Boston…

Was this car part of the trip ?

[zacmarshall]

Was this it?

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This is the C-V8 on the trip

Would have been where you said at about 10am this morning

[David Devine]

While we were in the BBMF hanger they towed out the Lancaster for its Pre season flight testing.

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[colin7673]

Did they start her up David as she makes a beautiful sound when taxiing the runway

[David Devine]

Hi Colin

They started the engines and tested them for around ten minutes each and then flew away on a test flight & she does sound great.

Dave

[zacmarshall]

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Lancaster getting ready for take off with a Typhoon behind (under the wing)

[Joerg]

Just a little reminder from my side and I hope it will not offend anyone:

Could you imagine what a German is thinking about these weapons?
How would you react if we would do "Coventry air raid tours"?

War is always bad and wrong and in my eyes any kind of weapon should be seen as such.

The German Bundeswehr has a very impressive Museum in Dresden, build by a Jewish architect and with only one major topic: NO MORE WAR!

https://www.facebook.com/MHM.Dresden - use the translation of FB to learn more.

The steel wedge in the building is btw. pointing the direction that the planes used in March 1945 to drop their bomb on some 100.000 (mostly) innocent people coming from the east of Germany fleeing from Russian terror.

Maybe we should see historic weapons as something to learn from and not as a sensational technical device.

My 10 cent.

[sandro botticelli]

Joerg

I cannot allow your post to go without a reply

I love you as a person so this is a general comment on the subject of history revisionism

You wrote:

"How would you react if we would do "Coventry air raid tours"?"

That is the whole point

Bomber Command was the British reaction to the destruction of Coventry.

"As ye sow so shall ye reap".

The prolonged series of air raids on Coventry, from October 1940, set in motion the entire concept of area bombing in the war, rather than precision bombing.

Himmler coined the phrase "coventriet" meaning "to be coventryed" and the most violent of the series of raids on Coventry was known by the codename Operation Mondscheinsonate (Moonlight Sonata)

Today, 90 years after fascism took grip of that psyche, you rightly say that all war is bad.

But you only say that because, at enormous human cost, the British and Americans were able to change the educational curriculum in Germany after the war to change the way Germans think, from war to pacifism, hence the rise of the Green Party in Germany etc, and the German reluctance today to come to the rescue of the Ukrainians, who are now suffering their own Coventrys.

I and my family are only alive because of Bomber Command and that is why the British wish to honour the sacrifice of the airmen who gave their lives, at a ratio of 1 airman for every two who served, so that we, that is you and me, are free today to enjoy our lives and to meet in friendship when we share our interests.

Lest we forget.