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Veterans face Bomber Command memorial bill
03 October 2012Bomber Command veterans face a £557,000 bill to pay for the opening of an official memorial to the 55,573 colleagues who were killed during World War II, it has been reported.
Trustees of the Bomber Command Association have called on Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene after it emerged some of them may have to sell their homes in order to pay the security and seating costs of the opening ceremony in June.
Over £6.5m was raised towards the building of the memorial, but costs spiked due to the need for increased security at the official unveiling, which was attended by 13 members of the Royal family including the Queen.
Of the £827,000 spent on seating and security, £200,000 has been paid for by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, while a further £70,000 in donations has been received.
Bomber Command association chairman Air Commodore Malcolm White has since written to the Prime Minister asking for assistance, saying the government "could and should have done more to help" complete the monument.
Memorial fundraising committee chairman Jim Dooley told The Daily Mail the veterans "played a huge part in ensuring we remained free yet they have been neglected for decades".
"They just want a gesture of goodwill to recognise the sacrifice they and their colleagues made.
"Next year is 70 years since the Dambusters raised the morale of this country with their daring skill and sacrifice. The government should reflect the mood of a grateful nation and do the right thing. Not to do so would be a gross insult."
A government spokesman said that £1m of VAT on construction costs had been waived and that the RAF had provided £375,000 worth of personnel and aircraft for the ceremony at no cost to the trustees.
"The government does not usually support opening ceremonies for public memorials," the spokesman said. "However, given the unique circumstances of the Bomber Command Memorial, an exception was made in this case with the government spending over £1.5m on the event to commemorate the aircrew who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War."
HAVE YOUR SAY
04 October 2012
What a tawdry end to a most disgraceful episode in government history.
The government should pay up. After all, it wasted £100m on reviewing the aircraft carrier decision and has just yesterday wasted £40m on the bidding process for the West Coast main line.
The whole point of this memorial was to recognise the incredible bravery of those young men who flew highly dangerous missions over Germany and to reverse the shameful treatment of bomber command crews by the UK government since 1945.
Do the decent thing Cameron and cough up.
Michael - Hertfordshire
04 October 2012
How appalling and typical of this benighted government: Cameron and co have the common sense and compassion of a dead sea slug
Ian Skinner - Enfield
04 October 2012
If the government cannot/will not right off this debt with an extra payment I am sure the British public would donate to a fund to make up this short fall. It is a disgrace that it has come to this situation. Something has to be done!
David Oddy - Canvey Island
04 October 2012
Digraceful!
My Uncle George R.M. Warren is one of the many who sacrificed his life in 1943 while serving with Bomber Command. I was pleased as punch when all his brave comrades were honoured by the long overdue but finally completed Memorial. And now this!
I thought after reading several articles shortly after the unveiling that the Cameron Government had seen the light and would not be jeopardizing the financial situation of the Association's Trustees who worked so incredibly hard to see their idea reach fruition.
I can't do much from Canada but I implore all who support the purpose and existence of the Memorial to write their MP, the Prime Minister and Her Majesty to voice their displeasure and disgust.
I have been in London several times and seen hundreds of Bobbies and their support vehicles doing crowd control duties during various (and often ridiculous) strikes, demonstrations and "camp-ins". I wonder if the government billed the organizations running these groups for the security costs related to their nonsense?
Geoff Warren - Comox BC Canada
04 October 2012
It is unthinkable that Bomber Command veterans should have to face payment of this outstanding expense.
Sell their homes? - outrageous! Come on GREAT BRITISH PUBLIC, get your hands in your pockets. You too, Mr Cameron and the rest of your ministers and fellow MP's. You wouldn't have a job and we wouldn't have a free Parliament if it wasn't for the members of Bomber Command during the war!!!
Donations to Bomber Command Memorial Fund c/o RAF Museum, London, NW9 5LL
Reg - Tonbridge UK
04 October 2012
How do we donate to help the Trustee's with the money they are liable for, for the opening ceremony.
Brian Gregory, son of Lancaster Bomb Aimer
Brian Gregory - Holmer Green
09 October 2012
This is a complete joke and is totally disrespectful in all forms call yourselves a government you not fit to do the job sort it out straight away it's rediculace British government you are joke
Dean - Hampshire