UK
Funding bombshell for memorial veterans
3 October 2012 | UK By Rosie Laydon
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A group of World War Two veterans say they have been left hundreds and thousands of pounds out of pocket by the Ministry of Defence.
They say the MOD did not provide enough money for the unveiling of the new Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park earlier this year.
On the 28th of June this year one of the last Lancasters still flying dropped poppies from the sky as 6,500 people turned out to watch the Queen unveil the specially created monument.
It was a landmark event which many hoped would heal the wounds of a campaign which cost the lives of 55,573 airmen and yet received no official thank you from a Government ashamed of the war damage inflicted by those bombs.
The veterans say the MOD has left them to carry the can for the spiralling costs of the unveiling ceremony. They claim it made a commitment to match funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sports, something the MOD denies.
In a statement an MOD spokesman said: "The Government does not usually support opening ceremonies for public memorials. However, given the unique circumstances of the Bomber Command Memorial, an exception was made in this case with the Government spending over £1.5m on the event.”
That figure includes a £1million VAT reimbursement and the veterans argue the MOD has not yet parted with any actual cash. There is an outstanding balance of £582,000 to cover the costs of the ceremony and veterans in their 90s on the board of the Bomber Command Memorial Association are now living in fear of losing their homes to make good the debt.
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