War heroes to launch campaign for memorial (From The Argus)

War heroes to launch campaign for memorial

3:40pm Sunday 9th May 2010 in News By Nigel Freedman

A hero of Bomber Command will help raise money to build a memorial to fallen airmen.

Retired Air Commodore Charles Clarke, 87, was part of the mass escape attempt from the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp immortalised in the film The Great Escape.

He will join veterans from the Bomber Command Association who need to raise £3 million for the memorial to crewmen who died in the Second World War.

They will be at the Old Barn Garden Centre at Dial Post, near Horsham, on May 23 to launch a set of fine art prints and greetings cards to boost the fund.

The veterans will chat to customers about their experiences of flying missions over enemy lines during the war.

The prints and cards depict scenes of the airmen in action, scenes of the Blitz and famous aircraft including the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster Bomber.

The memorial will be built in London to commemorate the 55,573 bomber crewmen killed in action during the war.

Of every 100 men who began an operational tour of 30 missions, just 27 would complete it.

Mr Clarke said: “It is a national disgrace that there is no permanent memorial to the aircrew who gave their lives.

“Finally, we have the opportunity to put that injustice right.”