War Memorials in Australia
Bomber Command Memorial
Place: Campbell,
Australian Capital Territory, 2600
District:
Southern Tablelands
(ACT)
Orientation: Suburb of
Canberra
Location: Sculpture Garden, Australian War Memorial, Anzac Parade and Limestone
Avenue
Position:
Ref: 00058
__________________________
The design of the memorial incorporates specific references to elements of the Bomber Command experience. Bombing operations occurred mainly at night and searchlights posed a major threat; the central 16.5 metre high stainless steel tower symbolises these. The Bomber Command personnel, both air and ground crew, appear as silhouetted figures in the curved steel screen wall, 4.5 metres in length, 2.3 metres high. A glass plate at the base of the searchlight beam depicts eight of the aircraft flown by Bomber Command: Blenheim, Halifax, Hampden, Lancaster, Mosquito, Stirling, Wellington and Whitley. Finally, on a black granite ring surrounding the base of the sculpture are engraved words commemorating the Bomber Command crews and RAAF and Bomber Command insignia.
The memorial was designed by New Zealand sculptor Neil Dawson and fabricated in New Zealand.
The memorial was dedicated on 23 July 2005.
The Order of Ceremony and images of the proceedings
are available here.
Information current to July 2005
Sources: Program for Dedication Ceremony produced by Australian War Memorial