29 June 2009
‘Bouncing Bomb’ taken on loan by Newark Air Museum
Fresh on the heels of the unveiling of the ME846 – 619 Squadron Lancaster display, Newark Air Museum has today taken delivery of an UPKEEP ‘Bouncing Bomb’ at its site on the Winthorpe Showground.
The legendary weapon has been place on loan by the Ministry of Defence and this was made possible thanks to the efforts and good offices of the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust. The Trust keeps alive the memory of Sir Barnes Wallis, the noted aeronautical designer famous for designs from Airships to Swing-wings via the Wellington bomber and the Dambusters raid.
The UPKEEP now on display at Newark Air Museum is described as:
"A test piece bomb dropped at Reculver in 1943. Recovered by Andrew Hemsley with the help of the MOD in the form of EODTA on the 6th, 7th and 8th June 1997. This test piece was recovered by 101 Field Regiment TA; 22 Sqn and 223 Sqn were the recovery teams. Hammerite, Hodge Clemco and M & J Tool Hire assisted with free services for the restoration of the bomb. This item is on loan to the Newark Air Museum by arrangement with the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust.”
The UKPEEP is now displayed in the Lancaster Corner of Hangar 1 at Newark; alongside the several other Barnes Wallis related artefacts including:
• A Lancaster fuselage section from a 9 Squadron aircraft W4964, which dropped a Barnes Wallis designed Tallboy bomb on the Tirpitz battleship;
• A memorial plaque loaned to the museum by Jan van den Driesschen, who tends Guy Gibson and Jim Warwick’s graves in Holland [Gibson was leader of the Dambusters Raid and Warwick was an Instructor from 1661 HCU at RAF Winthorpe and he was also Gibson’s navigator on the flight when they were killed]
• A propeller blade from Lancaster AJ-S flown by Pilot Officer Louis Burpee, which was shot down in Holland in wave 3 of the Dambusters Raid
Chris Henderson of the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust commented that “He hopes the safe arrival of the UPKEEP will be the start of a close association between the Trust and the Newark Air Museum”.
For more information go to: www.newarkairmuseum.org and www.barneswallistrust.org
Photo Credits: Howard Heeley - Down To Earth Promotions |
