Lord Ashcroft gives £1 million to Bomber Command memorial

Members of a World War II bomber crew 

Lord Ashcroft, the former Conservative Party Treasurer, has formally donated the final £1 million needed to build a long-overdue memorial to the 55,000 men who lost their lives serving with Bomber Command, reports The Daily Telegraph Newspaper.

The memorial in London's Green Park is due to be unveiled on 28 June.

The Telegraph quoted Lord Ashcroft, who owns three of the 19 Victoria Crosses awarded to Bomber Command during the Second World War, as saying he was ‘very proud to be part of’ the memorial campaign.

He told the newspaper: ‘Over the years there has been controversy about Bomber Command [because of the policy of area bombing] but you can respect bravery and men who obey their call of duty irrespective of what they do and which side they are fighting on.’

Lord Ashcroft had already donated £57,000 and had agreed that when the campaign came within £1m of its target, he would provide the remaining funds.

Although the £6.5m needed for the memorial, designed by Liam O'Connor and featuring a sculpture by Philip Jackson, has been raised, the Bomber Command Association is still raising the £1.5m fund needed for its upkeep, as well as £500,000 to pay for security, policing and seating for the opening ceremony.

Donations can be made at www.bombercommand.com