Category: UK Aviation Museum News

War veteran and long-serving volunteer at the Yorkshire Air Museum, George Martin, has become a Regional Winner and National Finalist in the Nationwide Community & Heritage Awards. Organised as a partnership between the Nationwide Building Society and the Heritage Lottery Fund, these awards recognise outstanding individual contributions to the nation’s heritage and community.One of three regional winners, George will be heading to the Tower of London on November 11th to fly the flag for the Yorkshire Air Museum at a glittering ceremony, where the national winners will be announced.

Now aged 88, having been born in Bradford on 28/8/1920, George has been coming to the Yorkshire Air Museum for the past 25 years as a volunteer. Along with a group of about 12 others, mostly from the York Air Gunners Association, he started work restoring the aircraft gun turrets and then creating the unique Air Gunners Room exhibition at the Museum. Until recently, George attended the Museum at least twice a week, but, as he is no longer able to drive, he now comes over twice a month from his home in Harrogate, when friends or family can bring him.

It is in recognition of this service and George’s extraordinary ability to talk to people about his experiences as an Air Gunner and Wireless Operator that the Museum put forward the nomination for these prestigious awards. The Museum receives many letters and comments from people who have enjoyed meeting George in the emotive surrounding of the Air Gunners Room. It is a rare gift to be able to recount often harrowing experiences in such an open, unassuming, but completely engaging manner.

Museum spokesman, Ian Richardson, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled that George Martin has been selected as a Regional Winner and Finalist in the Community and Heritage Awards. He has entertained literally thousands of visitors with his recollections over the years, and has enthralled many school groups. He nearly gave his life in service of his country and has continued to give of himself over a lifetime. We wish him every success and hope he may become a national winner – he certainly deserves it!”

George volunteered for the RAF in 1940 at Blackpool and after training was attached to 199 Squadron at Ingham, Lincolnshire, on Wellington Bombers as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner. Returning from his 23rd mission on 23rd May 1943, over Dortmund, George’s aircraft was hit by flak and he was badly injured by shrapnel and burns and lost his thumb on one hand. Remarkably, the aircraft made it back to base, and George was hospitalised. His crew went out two nights later, and never returned. http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk

 

“Reach for the Sky”, an education resource book produced by the Yorkshire Air Museum and the Royal Aeronautical Society received an enthusiastic endorsement from the Rt. Hon. Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State for Transport and Minister for The Yorkshire & Humber Regions, at a lively launch ceremony yesterday (Tuesday 24th June.). The event was held at the prestigious London headquarters of the Royal Aeronautical Society, at Hamilton Place on Hyde Park Corner.In her letter of acceptance to the invitation to launch this book, the Rt. Hon. Rosie Winterton, said: “I am delighted to see the diverse and innovative ways that the Yorkshire Air Museum is working with the Royal Aeronautical Society to promote interest in the aerospace industry using the rich history that this centennial year of British powered flight will celebrate.”

Some 27 pupils from Frith Manor Primary School, Barnet, North London, attended the event and displayed projects on the theme of future flight that they had undertaken for the occasion, which caught the attention of the Minister of State and other guests and clearly demonstrated the ideas and ingenuity that lie in the minds of our children, waiting to be developed.

This collaboration between the Yorkshire Air Museum and the Royal Aeronautical Society is indeed a unique venture. With the tremendous support received from Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency, we are to send a free copy to all the 25,000 primary schools in Britain this year and we don’t believe that any other museum has launched an education resource in such a manner before.

This KS2 level book has been written with the assistance of specialist schools advisors, the M.L.A. and the Government agency “Creative Minds” to fit into the current “STEM” (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths) targets. It is easy to read and covers all the milestones of aviation history and development, including Yorkshire’s rich history in this. It features superb illustrations, ‘Science Bytes’ and activities and is designed for ease of copying for teachers. With the help of Virgin Galactic and EADS / Astrium, the book also covers the exciting developments in ‘passenger space flight’, which will once again fire the imaginations of children. It also explodes some myths about aviation in that Britain has the second largest aviation industry in the world and it is the second largest manufacturing industry in Britain.

As Ian Reed, Museum Director, points out: “We are very keen to engage our children in the science of flight at an early age and to inspire them with both Britain’s, and particularly Yorkshire’s extraordinary heritage in this field. We were delighted with the enthusiasm and interest shown by the Rt. Hon. Rosie Winterton the Minister of State for Transport at the launch of “Reach for the Sky”, acknowledging the importance of this unique project”.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk

Editors Notes:

Amongst those present at the launch were Thea Stein, Executive Director of Economic Inclusion, Yorkshire Forward, Sue Gradwell, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership, Ian Reed, Yorkshire Air Museum Director, John Edmonds, Chairman of Trustees of the Yorkshire Air Museum and Amy Parkinson, formerly of NYBEP, who co-wrote the book with Ian Reed.

EADS / Astrium.

Astrium is the subsidiary of European Aeronautical Defence Systems which is developing a European ‘passenger space vehicle’, who along with Virgin Galactic, offered information and images for the book.

An extraordinary act of compassion which took place in the heat of war sixty four years ago was once again remembered at Elvington on Sunday 1st June, when the Doncaster Air Gunners Association brought a party of German WWII veterans to the museum.This annual re-union, which alternates each year between here and Germany, has now existed for 20 years and stems from an act of human kindness following the shooting down of an RAF Lancaster in 1944.

On return from a raid on Berlin, Lancaster “Sugar 2” from RAF Wickenby, was hit by fire from a Messerschmidt 110. On fire and spiralling earthward, the crew baled out of the stricken aircraft. Navigator Arthur Lee however, was pinned to the floor by the centrifugal force of the spin, until, suddenly, the aircraft blew apart and he was forcibly ejected. Luckily, he had put on his parachute harness and was able to pull the cord, with the chute just opening in time to break his fall into the trees below, in a wood near Katzelenbogen, 20 miles south east of Koblenz.

But for Rudi’s intervention, things could have been very different for Arthur and Rudi himself had risked the possibility of a court martial. After the war had ended, Rudi erected a 10ft high wooden cross at the crash site, flanked by six smaller crosses to mark the rest of the Lancaster crew who had perished in the crash. Forty five years later, Rudi and Arthur were reunited at the cross, when a pilgrimage of RAF Wickenby members and Doncaster Air Gunners Association made the trip to the crash site, after researching the details with assistance from the current Luftwaffe and the German Nightfigters Association, which meet at Sobernheim airbase. Thus, German veterans and current servicemen at the time took part in a service of remembrance at this reunion.

This set the spark of a friendship between Doncaster Air Gunners and the Nightfighters Association that has remained strong to this day. The Air Gunners association identified the site of the last crash of a German aircraft on British soil, at Dunnington Lodge, near Elvington, as the most appropriate for a twin memorial to “The Cross in the Woods” erected by Rudi Balzer in Germany and , for twenty years, the reciprocal visits have taken place.

Last Sunday, Yorkshire Air Museum Chaplain Neil Mackay led a short Service of Remembrance at Dunnington Lodge before the Doncaster Air Gunners and the visiting German veterans and family proceeded to the museum for a luncheon and a special tour of the museum’s unique restored Halifax bomber.

Museum spokesman, Ian Richardson, said: “We were delighted to assist our friends at the Doncaster Air Gunners Association in making this a very special occasion for the German veterans and their families. The long lasting friendship that has existed since that remarkable act of kindness shows us that conflicts are about politics, not people in general, and that old opponents can respect each others courage in the pursuit of their duty, thereby finding the similarities that lasting friendships can be based upon.”

Both Arthur Lee and Rudi Balzer are sadly no longer with us, but they would have been astounded at the continuing legacy their friendship has created.

Pictured with the impressive Halifax Bomber “Friday the 13th” are: (left to right).

Stan Wannell – Doncaster Air Gunners Association. (Former Wireless Operator / Air Gunner on Wellingtons.)

Theo Nau – German Me. 109 fighter pilot.

Eric Foynette – RAF Lancaster Navigator an ex POW. At 92 years of age, Eric is the last remaining witness to the re-union of Rudi Balzer and Arthur Lee.)

Ulrich Majewski – Post WWII Luftwaffe pilot.

Walter Rehling – Dornier 217 pilot in WWII.

Otto Markruse – Luftwaffe Dayfighter pilot on Focke-Wulfe 190.

Herbert Gleich – Junkers JU 88 pilot.

Kneeling in front are: L to R:

Moira Hurrell, Jacqui Whitehead (Event Organiser) and Sue Collett of the Doncaster Air Gunners Association.

Further information at: www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk

Over the past weekend, a number of veteran airmen from 578 Squadron attended the Squadron Association’s annual re-union, during which a Service was held at Selby Abbey. Amongst these was 87 year old Don McDonald, an Australian pilot who attended the event for the first time, having never before had the opportunity to make the long trip to do so.Following a request from fellow Association members David McSherry, of Hemingbrough, and Norman Davidson, 578 Squadron Association Chairman, from North Sheilds, arrangements were made for Don McDonald to make a special visit to the Yorkshire Air Museum on Monday (19th May) to see the Museum’s unique restored Halifax bomber. This was the first time that Don had stepped inside a Halifax since the end of the war and was without doubt a fitting end to an emotional weekend.

Don, accompanied by his wife of 30 years, Ailsa, both sprightly for their age, were shown around the Halifax by Museum volunteer Phil Kemp, of Wilberfoss, who has been involved with the restoration of this aircraft for over 15 years. Both were excited at the prospect and although Ailsa had not been expecting to go inside, she was amazed by the experience of seeing where here husband had sat to carry out his duty.

Don was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 7th October 1920. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force in his hometown in December 1941, and was transferred to Europe in March 1943, where he joined 578 (Burn) Squadron as a pilot at the height of the Allied bombing campaign. After a full tour, during which he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, which he modestly puts down to ‘simply having the good fortune for not being in the wrong place at the wrong time’, he moved to Norton in Marsh in the hazardous role as an instructor, before taking on a second tour of duty with 466 Squadron, Driffield. Instructing was indeed a dangerous, but vital role, as the aircraft used were often those that had been repaired after mission damage but not deemed fit for operational use.

Don recalled the raids over Germany’s industrial heartland which would see over 600 aircraft attack their target, in waves of 200 or more over a short time period of just 9 minutes, saying that it was all down to luck that your aircraft was not involved in a mid-air collision or shot out of the sky, as so many were. However, we suspect that there is more to his earning the DFC, but he is not telling.

Ian Richardson, museum spokesman, said: “It was wonderful to meet Don and Ailsa and hear Don’s story. Those of us born many years after the end of WWII can only imagine what these young men went through at the time and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. We must also never forget that our Commonwealth stood firm behind Britain in our hour of need and all of us at the Museum were delighted to assist in the arrangements to make this visit to see the Halifax possible. We hope that this will not be the ‘one and only’ time we see Don and Aisla at Elvington.”

Further information at: www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk

The Yorkshire Air Museum’s new Bomber Command exhibition Against the Odds received a flying start on Wednesday 19th March when it was officially opened by Sir David Jason OBE, widely regarded as one of Britain’s most popular actors.

An Honorary Member of the Museum and aviation enthusiast, Sir David arrived in some style by flying in by helicopter for this auspicious occasion, to the delight of over 1000 visitors who turned up for the occasion. Sir David graciously signed many autographs before going on to ‘inspect’ a contingent of new Royal Air Force recruits from nearby RAF Leconfield and some cadets from 2388 (Castleford) Air Training Corps.

After being shown into the new exhibition, Sir David chatted to several veterans of Bomber Command who have had a long association with the Museum, and he was clearly moved by hearing of their often harrowing experiences.

Produced in association with Imperial War Museum, “Against the Odds” details and explores the international reasons for the formation of this unique force and the unparalleled sacrifice of its young airman, many just in their late teens, from all over the world. With over 55 800 killed in action or as prisoner of war, no fighting group saw such heavy losses, but, perhaps because of the later controversy over the consequence of aerial bombing on civilian populations, no campaign medal has ever been issued to the brave volunteers of Bomber Command. The stunning exhibition stands in an original wartime building on this former Bomber Command Station, and the large display panels with striking, and even controversial, imagery are interspersed with artefacts and audio visual displays.

Providing a wealth of easily extractable factual information, Against the Odds will be an excellent educational resource for school parties and groups and associations and anyone engaged in lifelong learning objectives. It forms an excellent base upon which to start a tour of the Museum, which most of the existing displays and resources link into, facilitating a more in depth exploration of some topics.

Museum Director, Ian Reed, said: “This exhibition, which is of national standard and scale, will bring the story of Bomber Command to a younger generation in keeping with the objectives of this unique Memorial to Allied Air Forces. This is probably the most fitting place in Britain for it to be located and we are especially pleased and honoured that our Life Member, Sir David Jason, was able to take time out from a hectic filming schedule to open Against the Odds on our behalf.”

In a major endorsement for the Museum speaking in television interviews, Sir David said how proud he was to be associated with the Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial and how important places like this were in ensuring the memory of all those who gave their lives is never forgotten.

Opening the new display, Sir David said, “I feel very close to the RAF being a pilot myself. When you think about it these crews didn’t give their lives, their lives were taken from them and when you consider over 55,000 never came back in order to defend democracy, we must never forget what they gave.”

With such an understanding of aviation and his well known support for the Royal Air Force and RAF Benevolent Fund, there could not have been a better person to open the exhibition for us and this high profile launch has already resulted in a dramatic surge in visitor numbers.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk