The iconic fin is instantly recognisable, while moving between the two sections gives a sense of confinement onboard a submarine. The solitary figure, perhaps looking up to where danger may come from or to the surface of the sea and its promise of  fresh air and sunlight, gives a human scale and a focal point for acts if renenbrance.

It is ten years since my previous visit to the National Memorial Arboretum. The Memorial Arboretum is still as peaceful and moving as I remembered. There are now over 400 memorials so it is impossible to see them all during one visit.

This year this the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings so the Arboretum is exploring the events of WWII and people that were affected by them.

We chose this as the theme for our visit whereas our previous visit in 2014 followed a First World War Centenary trail centred on WWI memorials.

When we arrived, we had lunch before visiting ‘The Year Was 1944’ exhibition. This culminates in a moving film by sand artist Kseniya Simonova. She manipulates sand to trace the journey of one man and his family from the outbreak of war through the beaches of Normandy and on to the present day.

By the end of the film, I felt quite emotional.

We then walked around the Arboretum taking in highlighted memorials relevant to the events of 1944. The route also introduced me to memorials that I hadn’t seen on my previous visit.

There is still another area that I haven’t yet explored in the outer meadow and woodland area of the Arboretum…

Our journey to York ran smoothly despite experiencing some erratic drivers along the various motorways. When it was time for lunch we stopped at Woodall services with its never endimg walkway to reach Waitrose on the opposite side of the road. In Waitrose we picked up sandwiches for our in-car picnic.

Comfortably replete we continued our journey to York where we parked in the hotel car park and checked in before heading into York. We visited Cliffords Tower which has recently undergone some changes that allow visitors more open access to the tower. The transformation is amazing and I would recommend the Tower to anyone who visits York. After the lofty heights of the Tower we visited the nearby York Army Museum which displays the history of both the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Royal Dragoon Guards in joint chronological order.

It was now time for afternoon refreshments so we stopped off at Fenwick’s where I chose Elderflower Presse and refrained from indulging in one of the ‘naughty cakes’.

By the time we got back to the hotel our room was ready so we collected the key and unloaded our car. The room was fantastic and there were several complimentary drinks, including a bottle of wine, for us to enjoy during our stay.

We had plenty of time to chill out in our gorgeous room before it was time to dine in the Olive Tree which is situated next to Clifford’s Tower. There had been an incident earlier in the evening which meant that part of the restaurant had been taped off until the police arrived to access the situation. The service was good and our meals were enjoyable but not gourmet.

After dining we headed back towards the hotel expecting to stop off at a pub along the way. Unfortunately all the famous pubs had bouncers on the door which wasn’t very inviting so we settled on a pub nearer to the hotel. I found a seat, not very comfortable, whilst Mr C ordered drinks at the bar. Some time later Mr C came back without drinks… The service was too slow.

We found a pub that was almost next door to the hotel. The comfortable laid back atmosphere was wonderful.

Warhorse to Horsepower examines how the British Army became increasingly mechanical during the First World War and how cavalry units eventually gave up their horses for tanks during the 1920s and 30s.

In pre-1914 Britain, society was already replacing horse with petrol driven vehicles and some life-size talking horses in the exhibition tell you their stories of this time and their later experiences in the war. Text panels and set-piece scenes provide information on how horses were fed and cared for and the close relationships that developed between soldiers and their horses.

It is often said that tanks replaced horses in the First World War, but they both had important roles and were on the same team. On the Western Front the horse may have struggled in its traditional role as fighting cavalry but the horse in general excelled as a beast of burden – keeping the modern army supplied with food and weapons in the front line.*

In 1928 the 11th Hussars and the 12th Lancers transferred to Armoured Car Companies, making them the first Cavalry Regiments in the British Army to be mechanised. With budget constraints and some continuing opposition to change, it took another decade for the remaining Cavalry Regiments to give up their horses for armoured vehicles. Eventually, by 1939, The Royal Armoured Corps was formed, taking under its banner the Royal Tank Regiment and 18 out of 20 Cavalry Regiments.

*From The Tank Story – guidebook of The Tank Museum

This exhibit is a fiberglass model used to create the bronze statue that now stands in Whitehall Place, London. The London statue was unveiled by the Royal Tank Regiment’’s Colonel in Chief, Her Majesty the Queen, on the 13th of June 2000.

The memorial depicts a Comet Tank Crew and is a permanent tribute to those who have served in the Royal Tank Regiment and its antecedents.*

The bronze figures shown here represent (from left) the Hull Machine Gunner holding a BSA machine gun, Turret Gunner, Commander with binoculars, Loader/Radio Operator and Driver of a Comet Tank.

Comets entered service in 1945, as a 32 ton Cruiser Tank armed with a 77mm gun. They served with the 11th Armoured Division for the last few months of the war in Europe.*

Take these men as your example.
Like them remember
That prosperity can only be for the free,
Who alone have the courage to defend it.

Pericles 490 – 429 B.C.

*from an information board next to the statue

Just too late to see service during the Second World War, the Lincoln became the mainstay of Bomber Command post-war, but was destined for a short front line career as the Cold War and the jet age brought the shortcomings of its performance into sharp relief.

The RAF’s lack of an aircraft with sufficient range to be deployed in the Pacific led the Air Ministry to suggest that AV Roe Limited design an enlarged Lancaster to meet the requirement. The resulting Lincoln first flew in June 1944. However, the need to maintain supplies of Lancasters delayed production until 1945; the first production Lincolns reaching No.57 Squadron in August. Lincolns were intended to join the Tiger Force in the bombing of Japan but the war ended before they were needed.

583 Lincolns were built to equip around twenty squadrons. However, inferior performance in the face of jet fighters and the need to be able to reach targets behind the Iron Curtain saw their partial replacement with Boeing Washingtons from 1950. The type saw action against communist terrorists in Malaya in 1950 and Mau-Mau dissidents in Kenya from 1953, but Lincolns were finally superseded by the jet V-Bomber force from 1955.

The last Lincolns in RAF service were those engaged in radar development trials with No.151 Squadron, Signals Command until May 1963.

My Australian readers might be interested in reading the Radschool Associations post about the `Long Nose` Lincoln Mk 31 that was unique to Australian manufacture. Below is an extract from the article, but it is well worth reading the full post and viewing the accompanying photographs.

The Lincoln was designed as a Lancaster replacement, initially for use on long range missions into Eastern Europe and ultimately to equip the Royal Air Force in the Pacific war against Japan. Originally dubbed the Lancaster Mk 4, the extent of the redesign was such that a new type number and name was justified. Apart from Australia, the only export customer for the Lincoln was Argentina. It was also the largest aircraft to be built in Australia. The `Long Nose` Lincoln Mk 31 was unique to Australian manufacture being modified for anti-submarine, anti-shipping and general reconnaissance. It had a 1.9 metre extension to the nose designed to accommodate a tactical navigator, and three sonobuoy operators. Direct opening observation windows which slid up and down on tracks were also in the nose. These windows were fitted with adjustable deflectors which would eliminate wind interference when the windows were open. Four 1680 HP Rolls Royce Merlin Mk 102 liquid cooled power plants were installed.

The bomb bay was modified to carry two homing torpedos, two racks of active sonobuoys and two 188 imperial gallon (855 litres) long range fuel tanks that could be jettisoned. Several freight panniers inside the bomb bay were available if needed. Total fuel capacity including bomb bay tanks was 3226 imperial gallons (14,666 litres). With an average fuel consumption of 230 imperial gallons (1045 litres) per hour the Lincoln had approximately 14 hours endurance. Maximum all up weight was 82,000 lbs (37,200 kgs).

In July 1952 the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) conducted a test flight on a Lincoln Mk 31. The following selected extracts give some interesting insight into the role of the test pilot and into Lincoln flying generally.

Summary

Apart from poor visibility while handling on the ground, there was no great difference in handling from the normal `short nose` Lincoln. It was extremely difficult to taxy on narrow taxy tracks as the edge of the sealed surface could only be seen abeam the aircraft. From the nose position, although the bomb aimer could see ahead, he could not see the wheels so little assistance could be obtained from the front. When lined up on the runway, from either pilot’s position the edge of the runway was observed to intersect the part of the field of vision obscured by the fuselage approximately 100 yards ahead of the aircraft. This lack of visibility made the aircraft difficult to operate at night-time and with the tail down nothing ahead could be seen. The aircraft behaved generally in a very similar manner to the standard Lincoln bomber, however in a yawing or steep sideslip attitude, there was a sudden snatch on the rudder control which resulted in a complete rudder lock. The rudder would lock in the full port or starboard position according to the direction of yaw or skid. Increasing speed would relieve the problem.

The true story of Trevor Bowyer, DFC, gunner in RAF Bomber Command during World War Two

Synopsis (from the book cover):

This vividly powerful and absorbing biography of an RAF rear gunner during World War Two is told with both sensitivity and humour.

With accounts from some of Trevor’s contemporaries, including Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Michael Beetham, himself a WW2 bomber pilot and survivor of the ill-fated Nuremburg raid, this latest book by Kenneth Ballantyne, meticulously researched, lavishly illustrated and written in his now familiar easy style, is enthralling from start to finish.

Born in Shropshire, Trevor’s story embraces his childhood and early career on the TPO. Living through the London Blitz he volunteered for Bomber Command aircrew. Sent on the first 1,000 bomber raids, he later cheated death when his turret was riddled by cannon fire. Shot down over the North African desert, for three days he walked back through enemy lines. A second tour followed in Lancasters, flying from Lincolnshire into the heavily defended German heartland, where night fighters relentlessly stalked the bomber stream every mile across occupied Europe.

Review:

This is a well written personal account of the traumas of life as gunner in Bomber Command during World War Two. It left me wondering how both Trevor and the other crew members were able to endure the terror and problems they faced during their missions.

The book is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs. It also gives a personal account of life in the small rural town of Shrewsbury in the run up to World War Two.

I thoroughly recommend this book.