Fred and Harold Panton opened the Aviation Heritage Centre in 1988 as a tribute to their brother, Christopher, a flight engineer whose airplane was shot down during a bombing raid over Nuremburg in 1944. The museum has since become a memorial for all those who died during WWII bombing missions.
The centre is located at East Kirkby Airfield in Lincolnshire, UK, the former home of 57 Squadron and 630 Squadron. Between August 1943 and July 1945, aircrews carried out 212 missions (sorties) from the airfield, from which 121 Lancasters never returned. An additional 29 aircraft were lost to accidents during the war years. In total, 848 East Kirkby personnel lost their lives.
According to the museum owners, "If one person goes away with a better knowledge of Bomber Command, their losses and what they gave for our country, we are one step closer to repaying our debt to them."
The heritage centre occupies a small part of the once sprawling airfield although visitors can appreciate fully what it must have been like due to the beautifully restored WWII-era buildings and displays. The air raid shelters, blast shelter, perimeter track and portions of the runway are all original.
The control tower, which dates back to the 1940s, is particularly noteworthy, as it has been painstakingly restored and offers a life-like recreation–compete with dummies in 1940s-era clothing–of a WWII operations centre.
According to the museum Web site, “Many say [the control tower] is haunted, and there is a definite chill in the air as you listen to and watch the recreated Bomber R/T as they return from Berlin.”
Another noteworthy site is the museum hangar. Although the building itself is relatively new and larger than the one used during WWII, it rests on the site of the original hangar. Inside, visitors will find a myriad of photographs, airplane parts and vehicles dating back to the days when the airfield was in use. Included in the display is an original Barnes Wallis Bouncing Bomb, used by 617 Squadron, better known as the “Dambusters.”
In addition to the on-site memorabilia, visitors can also take a 45-minute tour along some of the disused taxiways and aprons in a genuine “Queen Mary” lorry, dating from WWII. The lorry tour concludes with a poignant trip down the main runway from which so many missions were launched.
'Just Jane'
The highlight of the heritage centre is the Avro Lancaster, which is one of only three working Lancasters in the world. “Just Jane,” as the aircraft is affectionately called, is not airworthy, but a trained crew, including a pilot, flight engineer and one crewman, perform four-engine taxi runs weekly.
According to Web site, this is the only place in the world to see a Lancaster perform a taxi run at an original airfield. Additionally, it is the only place in Europe where visitors can ride along during the taxi run.
Taxi runs are scheduled most Wednesdays and during special events throughout the year. The museum hosts a wide variety of events, including airshows, 1940s-era dances and more. The complete list of events and admission prices can be found on the museum’s Web site.
 |
 |
 |
