Dedication ceremony for RAF Scampton stained glass window

On Monday 5th September, as part of a day of honouring the history of RAF Scampton and its legacy, the stained glass window commemorating the RAF station and its connection to the local community was dedicated by the Bishop of Grimsby.

Among the honoured guests at this memorial service included Air Officer Commanding Number 2 Group of the Royal Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Suraya Marshall, and both current and former service personnel. The Public Engagement Coordinator for the East (Central) Region of England, Megan Kelleher, represented the CWGC at the event.

The RAF Stained Glass Window Project was a crowdfunding project that began in 2018, and was supported by a variety of organisations, including the Royal Air Forces Association and the International Bomber Command Centre. The window, designed by Claire Williamson, was installed in June 2021 and a commemorative plaque was unveiled by Group Captain Parker, former Station Commander at RAF Scampton, and Wing Commander Atkins who is the current Station Commander. After a short service, the event concluded with a flypast by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.

In addition to including three of the iconic aircraft associated with historic RAF Scampton, the Avro Lancaster, the Avro Vulcan and a BAE Systems Hawk in the Red Arrows colours, the window pays homage to the 107 war graves at the site. Among those remembered here include 73 war graves from the two World Wars cared for by the CWGC, as well as a number of service graves included in the CWGC’s operational work as part of its Agency work.

The CWGC have worked closely with Scampton Church in recent years, and are proud to be a non-financial supporter of their ongoing work to create the Scampton Community and RAF War Graves Heritage Centre. This project is designed to create a community hub within Scampton following the closure of the RAF station, and the CWGC is hoping to work collaboratively with the Church to produce educational materials to share more about the stories of those remembered here to keep their stories alive.

Reflecting on the event, Megan Kelleher said “It was wonderful to be part of such a historic event and to share the stories of those commemorated here by the CWGC with the wider community. Scampton has a longstanding connection with the RAF, and it was wonderful to see that reflected in the stained glass window that was dedicated.”