Nicola's Photography Blog

Many of you may know that I’ve been investigating my uncle’s RAF career over the last year and a half, and its been an emotional rollercoaster to be honest, which I didn’t expect and has made me realise just how much we owe to those that fought during World War 2. We owe them our freedom, which many of us take for granted.

My uncle in his Spitfire which he flew before transferring to Bomber Command

My uncle was an RAF bomber pilot, enlisting into the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1940 at the tender age of 18. After passing through the rigorous training system he gained his Wings in April 1941 and joined 57 Squadron, flying night bombing raids in a series of Vickers Wellingtons (fondly known as Wimpys or Flying Cigars).

Having done a lot of investigation at The National Archives at Kew, I was able to find all the raids that he took part in and sadly it was a very short list: just 12 missions.

On the night of 8 April 1942 he and his crewmates took off from RAF Feltwell bound for Hamburg. They never returned and all 6 were Killed in action and with No Known Grave. He was just 20 years old, the youngest of the crew, none of whom were aged over 28.

As part of my research I’ve been in contact with the Stichting Missing Airmen Foundation in Holland. They trace the families of crew who crashed in the Friesland area of the country. Having reviewed all the records, I’ve found I have to agree with the general consensus that my uncle’s plane crashed in the North Sea, just off the coast of Holland and the Foundation have been helping with my research as a result.

Once all the families (or as many as possible) are traced, the Foundation likes to erect a Memorial to the Crew and hold a ceremony where all the families can finally have some closure. I was honoured last summer to be invited to such a ceremony for the crew of Wellington R1397 (me in the pink raincoat and camera).

Following are some of the photos I took of the day:

Military attache Peter Lambourn talks to the head of the Dutch Airforce Recovery Dept

Presentation in Boazum church about the crew and the search for the crashsite

Leaving Boazum church on the way to the crashsite

New Zeland Ambassador for the Hague (one of the crew came from NZ) with Military Attached Peter Lambourn

Children from the village who have helped with the Memorial, pay their respects

Peter Lambourn lays his wreath next to that of the New Zealand Ambassador

Other wreathes including one from the Foundation

The Memorial erected by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation

Foundation members on the right, with some of the family members on the left

Over 55,000 RAF men and women made the ultimate sacrifice during the War, with many of those having no known crashsite, and therefore with no possibilty for a grave and for closure for the families involved. Over the last few years there has been a public campaign to raise money to erect a memorial to all those, including those who died, in Bomber Command. After much toing and froing, negotiations and so on, work has finally started on the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, with the Foundation Stone being laid on 4 May 2011.

All seemed well, or is it? The Government policy to try and reduce the deficit, by swaging cuts and so on has impacted on the Memorial. with a change in the law possibly leaving the Memorial with a £250k VAT bill! Disgraceful!! These men and women gave their youth and in the case of 55,000 men and women, their lives. There has never been any recognition in the form of a medal for members of Bomber Command, the only part of the Armed Forces not to receive one. Is the Goverment somehow embarrassed by Bomber Command? Without the efforts of Bomber Command, the war would have lasted far longer and thousands more people would have died. Even if they are embarrassed, its time to swallow their pride and to Honour and Thank these men and women, before its too late. Many of them are now in their 80s and 90s and they deserve to have recognition before the last of them passes away. Surely the least the Government can do is pay the debt we owe those men and women, and drop this VAT.

Disgusted, I wrote to my MP Virenda Sharma. He took up my case with the Treasury. Here is his comment after he received the reply from Mr Osborne’s department.

     As you will see, Mr Gauke sets out the Government’s logic in charging VAT on war memorials. However, this seems to completely miss the point. Mr Gauke discusses ‘luxury’ items and offering reliefs for food and other ‘essential’ items, but this should not be an issue of logical reasoning and financial facts and figures. Ultimately, if individuals want to erect a monument to honour the war dead, in keeping with planning restrictions and the wishes of others, it is absurd that the Government should begin to consider whether this is ‘worthwhile’ or not. Amidst talk of the ‘big society’, this is the sort of community activity that should be encouraged. While bankers continue to be paid astronomical bonuses, and companies manage to sustain tax dodging to the tune of billions of pounds, when a community wants to mark those who gave their lives in war for us, this is subject to strict tax regulation.

    Mr Gauke talks of their ‘exceptional fiscal challenge’, and no one can deny the need to tackle the government’s budget deficit. However, it seems that consistently those who least deserve it are losing out, with cuts that go too far and too fast. Charging VAT on war memorials is a clear demonstration of how fast the Government are making cuts, with little regard to the long term impact, and the effect on individuals’ confidence.

    I am sorry this was perhaps not the response you were hoping for. Please be assured of my support for VAT relief on this and other war memorials, which would cost the Government little and show a clear demonstration of support for our forces. However, the Treasury’s response is definite, and I am afraid there will be little manoeuvre. However, please feel free to contact me further on this or any other issue.

And finally the response from the Treasury:

Treasury - VAT memorials letter

It seems this Government has little respect for the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces and for those that wanted to show their gratitude to those that gave everything, for our freedom.

A proud Niece looking for justice through her photography. In Memory of my Uncle and the crew of Wellington x3757.

Lest We Forgot

EDIT  10th February 2012.

Good news! It seems People Power has had an effect and David Cameron has stepped in and given the Bomber Command Memorial Fund a grant which after all the figures are totted up, will rule out the VAT bill. Hurrah! About time too. Check out the Telegraph’s piece yesterday about it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/rafbombercommand/9070661/1m-lifeline-for-Bomber-Command-memorial.html