International Bomber Command Centre

The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) will be a facility and monument created to relate the historical impact of Bomber Command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. The project is run by the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial Trust (a registered charity), who in partnership with the University of Lincoln, is scheduled to open the centre in September 2015. The aim of the IBCC is tell the personal stories of members of the RAF and Bomber Command, ground crew and civilians impacted by the bombing campaigns during the Second World War. The centre will also provide a comprehensive record of the role of Bomber Command's squadrons and to display historical documentation and photographs relating to the activity of Bomber Command.

Located at Canwick Hill, the centre will be just under two and half miles from RAF Waddington and close to an aircraft production facility that existed at Bracebridge Heath. A view of Lincoln Cathedral, a prominent landmark for air crew, forms an important part of the vista from the centre.

The Heritage Lottery Fund contributed £3.1million of funding towards the £8million cost of building the centre.

Background
The city of Lincoln was selected for the location of the IBCC because 27 Royal Air Force bases (over a third of all Bomber Command stations) were based in the county during World War Two. The large amount of airfields led to Lincolnshire being nicknamed the "Bomber County".

The Spire Memorial
Within the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre the Spire Memorial was erected on 10 May, 2015. The memorial, based on the shape and dimensions of the wing of a Lancaster bomber will be 102 ft (31.09 m) high and 16 ft (5 m) at the base and was built in Yorkshire. The Spire is scheduled to be officially opened in June 2015.

The spire will be inscribed with the names of over 26,500 men who lost their lives serving in Bomber Command. The engraved names is scheduled to be completed in September 2015. Eventually, the names of all 55,573 who gave their lives in Bomber Command will be undertaken.

The Chadwick Centre
Named after the designer Roy Chadwick of the Lancaster bomber, the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) will be an education centre, exhibition space, reference library, artworks and museum relating the story of Bomber Command. The centre will relate the experiences of service personnel in Bomber Command and the effects of bombing on civilian populations. The centre will also cover both the war time and post-war review of the bombing campaigns undertaken during the Second World War.

The centre aims to collect personal experiences of air force veterans from around the world, as well as from civilians impacted by the bombing campaigns and the impact on Lincolnshire of having so many RAF personnel arrive.

International Peace Garden
A landscaped garden will surround the centre to honour the 60 nations that saw service within Bomber Command. The centre, in conjunction with the British Council, is running an international competition to find artists aged 18 to 25 (similar to the average age of Bomber Command personnel) to create artwork for the park.

Digital archive
The IBCC is contacting institutions around the world to create a Bomber Command Digital Archive. The aim is bring photographs, log books and documentation together from all countries that had representatives within Bomber Command.