W/O Kendall Brown’s report on the Bomber Command Memorial Dedication trip is below:
From the 19th June to the 7th July, I had the fortune to be 1 of 2 Air Cadets selected nationwide to attend the unveiling and dedication of a memorial to RAF Bomber Command by HM Queen Elizabeth II in London. The trip was absolutely fantastic, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to be able to travel alongside 32 of our Bomber Command veterans from WW2 was an absolute privilege. As well as having the best 2 weeks of my life, it gave me a good chance to reflect on the heroic actions of the men and women that served in Bomber Command, and how they fought for the freedom that we are so lucky to have today.
The members of the official New Zealand Delegation were made up of 32 veterans, care staff provided by Veteran’s Affairs New Zealand, Defence Force personnel (mainly Army nurses) and myself along with CDT W/O Jordi Hoult, who is from Christchurch. We flew in the RNZAF’s 75th anniversary Boeing 757, having overnight stops in Darwin, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and a refuelling stop in Sicily. On the flight in, I was very lucky to be able to go up to the flight deck and sit in the jump seat for the landing at RAF Brize Norton. It was really cool to see what the pilots did as they brought the plane in to land. We had around a week in England, so that gave us plenty of time to see the sights, do the shopping (lots of souvenirs) and attend the ceremonial services that were scheduled for us. We also had a visit to RAF Hendon, a huge air force museum located a few miles out of London. It was quite emotional for the veterans, as they told us some fascinating stories of the missions they flew even as we were taking photos of the bombers they flew in.
If I were to pick a highlight of the trip, it would be the memorial itself, which took place at Green Park, 5 minutes from Buckingham Palace at 12 noon. It was a beautiful day, with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees, so all the Defence Force personnel were dripping in their dress uniform, while us cadets were lucky enough to just have long sleeved shirts and trousers! It was awesome to be in the presence of the highest royalty and her immediate family. There was also a flypast by 5 RAF Tornado G24s, and to top it off a 1 million poppy drop by Britain’s last airworthy Avro Lancaster Bomber, which I am sure sent shivers down the backs of most of the 6000-strong crowd, mine included! But what was really the best part of the memorial was to see the veterans finally acknowledged for their service after decades of controversy surrounding their incredible actions during the war. It was a very emotional time for many of them, as the memorial provided a fitting sense of release for them and many of their friends who did not make it back.
I am forever grateful to the Unit Commander of No. 41 Squadron (City of Porirua) Air Training Corps, FLTLT Tristan Will, whose recommendation to the Commandant of New Zealand Cadet Forces helped me to get selected for this incredible opportunity. I have taken from this trip many great memories, and to be able to meet these veterans who fought for our freedom is something that I will never forget.
|
|
|
|
|