I was watching on TV with great interest the unveiling of the Bomber Command statue in London.
My Great Uncle flew with Bomber Command
during World War 2
Image ©IWM (CH 8648)
It was of particular interest to me as my great uncle Alexander Davidson was one of those who flew with Bomber Command and never returned from his mission – his remains were not recovered and it was presumed the Lancaster he and his crew were flying in was lost at sea following a raid over Germany.
Alexander’s name is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, but that is still some way from the majority of his relatives who live in Scotland.
This fact is even truer for those families whose relatives are buried or remembered abroad.
Certainly, many people can hop over to Europe but there are still issues of cost and accessibility and then there are the servicemen who are buried even further away in places such as Africa and Asia where sites can be impossible to visit due to unfavourable local conditions.
Having spoken to people who have been able to visit their loved one’s grave or memorial, they are pleased that they have had the opportunity to see for themselves that somewhere, the sacrifice of their relative is recorded in perpetuity.
That is why it is so important that we build the engraved panel wall around the cross of remembrance in Astley Park.
Local people who have lost loved ones can see that the sacrifice of their relatives has not been forgotten and they are all deserving of a prominent position in our town’s remembrance.
As with the Bomber Command Memorial, it’s sad that it has taken so many years to happen but the important thing is that it now it will and people continue their support for the Chorley Remembers project so everybody can see those names around the cenotaph at last.
