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12 & 626 Squadrons

This war memorial is a sandstone column with a bronze figure of Icarus falling from the sky with incised lettering on the column. The memorial is located at the entrance to Wickenby Airfield in Lincolnshire which is still in use for light aircraft. The exact site was chosen as it was part of the World War II taxiway.

In 2009 War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £1,462 towards replacing the old base with new sandstone steps to improve access. The base of the memorial was originally a grass mound but water became trapped underneath and it was soon replaced with a concrete and flint base. After some years, cracks began appearing in the concrete and the flints were unsuitable for people to stand on to access the memorial.  The Trust does not usually fund major alterations to the design of memorials but it was considered appropriate in this case as the design of the base was not the original and both were of little design interest and were causing damage to the memorial so a long term and aesthetically pleasing option was chosen.

The memorial was erected in 1980 by The Wickenby Register (12 and 626 squadrons).  It is dedicated to the 1,080 airmen lost whilst serving with the squadrons at RAF Wickenby during World War II. The designer of the bronze sculpture is Marganta Wood.

The inscription reads:

“Royal Air Force
Wickenby
No. 1 group Bomber Command
1942-1945

In memory of
one thousand and eighty men
of 12 & 626 squadrons
who gave their lives on
operations from this airfield
in the offensive against Germany
and the liberation
of occupied Europe

Per ardua ad astra”

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM655
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 20370

War Memorials Online: 103680

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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