Polish Bomber Squadron Centre at RAF Ingham
20.04.2024
On Wednesday, 17 April 2024, the Polish Bomber Squadron Memorial Center at RAF Ingham was ceremoniously opened. The event was part of this year's Polish Heritage Days – Polish Heritage Days 2024 and kicked off a series of events promoting the Polish presence in the Islands in the Manchester consular district.
The project, carried out by a group of British history enthusiasts, took over 14 years to finalise, from its conception to the opening of the Centre this year. Thanks to their efforts, with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Manchester, local government authorities, British foundations and private donors, and volunteers, the organisers managed to create a unique educational and museum centre dedicated to the Polish bomber squadrons stationed at the base during the war. The main organisers of the project, Geoff Burton and Brendan Pritchard, were previously awarded the Bene Merito decoration in 2002.
The event was attended by Lord-Lieutenant Dennis, Air Commodore Adam Sanson, local authorities, historians of the World War II period, and numerous representatives of the Polish community, including descendants of crew members and personnel serving in Polish bomber squadrons during the war, Polish Saturday schools from the surrounding area, and scouts. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by the Polish Consul General in Manchester, Michal Mazurek, and the Defense Attaché, Brigadier General Michal Sprengel. A special delegation from the Air Force Inspectorate of the General Command of the Armed Forces and the Air Force Military Academy in Dęblin were also present.
Lt Mieczyslaw Frąckiewicz (aka John Franklin), the oldest living Polish veteran in the United Kingdom, performed the official ribbon-cutting.
Visitors to the Center can explore an extensive permanent exhibition depicting the role of Polish soldiers fighting on various fronts of World War II, with a special focus on Polish airmen serving in bomb squadrons stationed at RAF Ingham base. The exhibition also includes various goods donated by the families of Polish airmen and a 1:1 scale model of the cockpit of a Lancaster bomber by Indian artist Suhail Shaikh. In addition, a typical bungalow in which demobilised Polish soldiers lived after the war as part of the Polish Resettlement Corps has been reconstructed.
Lincolnshire County is considered the "home" of bomber squadrons – 49 air bases operated there during World War II, and in 2018, the International Bomber Command Centre opened in Lincoln. Aviation, military, and WWII history enthusiasts visit the county and its memorials in large numbers.
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