Help save the Tower

Yorkshire Air Museum sits on the former site of RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, not far from York. It was a World War II airfield used extensively by Allied bomber crews. The Control Tower, built in 1942, was the nerve centre of operations against Germany from RAF Elvington. Through its windows, Halifax bombers were counted out on missions and counted back. Out of 4,000 sorties, almost half of all aircrew never returned, killed in action or taken as prisoners of war.

Today the YAM is asking for help in saving the Control Tower from decay, after already carried out various repairs. In January 2022 the museum repaired the leaking roof, the iron balustrade and staircases. Now the badly corroded, metal windows require replacing (like for like, as it is a Grade II listed building). Then the flaking exterior walls need to be re-rendered with lime-based materials and the interior walls repainted. To complete the restoration work and prevent further decay the total cost is £200,000, of which the museum only has half. The museum is calling for donations to make up the shortfall to finish the repairs and preserve the Tower as a monument to the role of Bomber Command in WWII. You can make a donation by visiting the following website: shorturl.at/efpu5

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