International Bomber Command Centre
{{short description|World War II interpretation centre and memorial}}
{{Redirect|IBCC|text=For the online medical texbook, see the Internet Book of Critical Care}}
{{use British English|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = International Bomber Command Centre
| image = IBCC Site.jpg
| caption = Memorial spire at the IBCC
| alt = Memorial Spire at the International Bomber Command Centre at Canwick Hill in Lincoln
| abbreviation = IBCC
| motto =
| formation = {{Start date|2011}}
| extinction =
| type = Charity
| status =
| purpose = To relate the stories and experiences of the personnel and support staff of Bomber Command.
| location =
| coords = {{Coord|53.2139|N|0.53095|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}
| region_served =
| membership =
| language =
| general =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| main_organ = Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial
| parent_organization =
| affiliations = University of Lincoln
| num_staff = 22
| num_volunteers = 648
| budget =
| website = [https://internationalbcc.co.uk/ Official website]
| remarks =
}}
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) is a memorial and interpretation centre overlooking the city of Lincoln, England, and telling the story of RAF Bomber Command's extensive losses of aircraft and crews during the Bombing of Germany during World War II. It opened to the public at the end of January 2018, with an official ceremony on 12 April as part of Royal Air Force (RAF) centenary celebrations.
Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial
=Objectives=
The project was created to act as a point of "recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command".
IBCC aims to tell the personal stories of service men and women of RAF Bomber Command, ground crews and civilians affected by the bombing campaigns on both sides of the conflict during the Second World War and beyond to the Cold War era. The centre provides a comprehensive record of the role of Bomber Command's squadrons and digitally displays historical documents and photographs relating to the activity of Bomber Command, in an interactive and immersive exhibition.{{cite web|title=International Bomber Command Centre|url=http://internationalbcc.co.uk/|publisher=International Bomber Command Centre|accessdate=25 April 2015|author=|date=}}
=Digital archive=
The IBCC has created a digital archive on Bomber Command in partnership with the University of Lincoln. The IBCC Digital Archive focuses on people’s stories of RAF Bomber Command and the bombing war in Europe, 1939-1945, from the perspectives of ground, air, military and civilian, on both sides of the conflict. Much of the archive was publicly unavailable before. The archive currently holds over 40,000 items, including 1,300 oral history interviews, in 2,500 collections.{{cite web |url=https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/ |title=Digital Archive |author= |website=internationalbcc.co.uk |date= |publisher= |accessdate=18 December 2018 }}
=Losses database=
The IBCC has a comprehensive record of Bomber Command losses from 1936 to 1968 and includes details of people, their crews, how they died and any available photographs. {{cite web |url=https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/ |title=Losses database |author= | website=losses.internationalbcc.co.uk |date= |publisher= |accessdate=23 June 2020 }}
Canwick Hill site
Located on Canwick Hill, the centre is just under two and half miles from RAF Waddington, which suffered the greatest losses of any Bomber Command station, and close to the former Avro aircraft production facility at Bracebridge Heath. A view of Lincoln Cathedral, a prominent landmark for aircrews, forms an important part of the vista from the centre of the Memorial Spire.{{cite web|title=International Bomber Command Centre|url=http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/international-bomber-command-centre|publisher=Visit Lincoln|accessdate=25 April 2015|author=|date=}}
Within the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre sits the Spire Memorial, which was erected on 10 May 2015.{{cite web|title=New Lincoln landmark as Bomber Command spire is assembled|url=http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2015/05/new-lincoln-landmark-as-bomber-command-spire-is-assembled/|publisher=Stonebow Media Ltd |accessdate=13 May 2015|author=Emily Norton|date=10 May 2015}}
File:International Bomber Command Centre Memorial Plates.jpg
Gallery
File:Memorial Spire at International Bomber Command Centre.jpg|The memorial spire
File:Ariel View over the Cathedral.jpg|Aerial view of the Memorial Spire and Walls overlooking Lincoln Cathedral
File:Chadwick-Centre-at-the-International-Bomber-Command-Centre.-Credit-Tim-Doyle.jpg|The visitor centre is named after Roy Chadwick, the designer of the Lancaster Bomber
File:Remembrance Service 2021.jpg|Remembrance Service, 2021
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://internationalbcc.co.uk/ International Bomber Command Centre official site]
- [https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/ International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive]
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lincolnshire-37541926/a-lancaster-flies-over-the-new-lincoln-bomber-command-centre Lancaster bomber flypast, 2016]
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lincolnshire-42721911/aerial-view-of-international-bomber-command-centre-memorial BBC News article featuring aerial view of IBCC]
{{Commons category}}
Category:Royal Air Force memorials
Category:Buildings and structures in Lincoln, England