North East Lincolnshire Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson (right), joined fellow council leaders, the Mayor of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, and invited guests to mark Lincolnshire Day – October 1 – at the International Bomber Command Centre near Lincoln. In his address to the audience, Cllr Jackson spoke of the local sacrifices made during the two World Wars, and the way in which North East Lincolnshire continues to remember that sacrifice. Read his speech below:
“This is my third visit to the International Bomber Command Centre and I always find it a very humbling experience.
Over the years, North East Lincolnshire has joined the rest of Lincolnshire in contributing to the efforts of our nation and its allies to maintain the freedoms we enjoy today.
In the heart of Grimsby Town Centre, in Grimsby Minster, stands a memorial to 810 members of the 10th Service Battalion who were killed in action or died in service.
These men made up the Grimsby Chums -a British First World War Pals battalion raised in and around our town in 1914 and who went to fight in the Great War. These men grew up together, worked together and many of them died together. The sacrifice made all those years ago by so many of our young men is not forgotten and the memorial in our Minster stands as a proud reminder of the town’s military history.
Look further around the Minster and you will see the main east window, its central theme being a memorial to Grimsby trawlermen lost in World War II. A couple of miles away, on the Port of Grimsby, stands the Royal Naval Patrol Service memorial, honouring fishermen who served on trawlers converted to minesweepers and who cleared mines to keep the Humber ports open during both World Wars.
Driving south through North East Lincolnshire towards Louth, along the A16, there is a large flat area of countryside that is now a popular area for dog walkers with houses and an industrial estate on the site too. 80 years ago, this land looked very different as it was the site of RAF Grimsby (Waltham), a satellite station for Second World War bombers.
Now into the present, this proud and close association to our nation’s armed forces remains. This is evident every June when our Armed Forces Major Events Team, supported by North East Lincolnshire Council, organises and hosts what has grown into the largest Armed Forces Weekend in the UK.
With Cleethorpes as a wonderful backdrop, this event sees tens, indeed hundreds, of thousands of visitors line the streets to support military parades, displays and activity. On two occasions now – one being this year – Cleethorpes has been honoured to have its Armed Forces event elevated to the national stage – bringing with it more military pageantry, Government ministers and fantastic displays. The Red Arrows are always a joy!
At North East Lincolnshire Council, I am proud to say that our Armed Forces and Veterans’ Charter encourages public bodies and partner organisations to support in-service and ex-service personnel from the military and the Merchant Navy, their families, veterans and carers.
Access to social and rented housing, retraining for employment, and support groups for servicemen and women suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder are just a few of the issues specific to veterans which the Charter addresses through better, joined-up working between agencies. Again, our Armed Forces Major Events Team works hard to help deliver this support.
North East Lincolnshire Council remains fully committed to The Armed Forces Covenant and, in 2021, I was again proud to stand with colleagues to accept the Gold Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
Finally, may I pay tribute to this fine memorial and its grounds, serving as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice that so many Lincolnshire families made. Today, on Lincolnshire Day, I would like to thank all of those who worked with determination and passion to make the vision of this International Bomber Command Centre a reality.”
* Every year the three councils of North and North East Lincolnshire, and Lincolnshire County Council, host an event to mark October 1 – Lincolnshire Day. In the past they have been held at Lincoln Castle, Normanby Hall near Scunthorpe, and Creative Start and Orsted at the Port of Grimsby.
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