28 July 2005
On Saturday morning 23 July 2005 the Australian Rugby Choir sang at the dedication of the Bomber Command Memorial, located in the sculpture garden at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The memorial commemorates the service and sacrifice of all those Australians who served in Bomber Command during World War II. More than 10,000 Australians served in Bomber Command and, at the height of the campaign, crews had less than a 50 per cent chance of surviving a tour of 30 operations. The men of the RAAF who fought with Bomber Command amounted to fewer than two per cent of all Australians who enlisted in World War II, yet the 3,486 who died accounted for almost 20 per cent of all deaths in combat.
About 24 choir members attended the dedication service to lead the singing of the hymns and National Anthem. Accompanied by the RAAF Air Command Band, the choir made a significant contribution to the event, which attracted a crowd of over 2,000 people, including many Bomber Command veterans.
Air Commodore Geoff Michael, a Bomber Command veteran and National President of the RAAF Association, was most complimentary of the choir's performance and its contribution to the service. Many other veterans expressed similar comments after the ceremony.
The Bomber Command Memorial, created by renowned New Zealand sculptor Neil Dawson will be one of the first sculptures encountered by most visitors as they walk from the car park to the main entrance of the Australian War Memorial. The design incorporates specific elements to symbolise Bomber Command - a symbolised searchlight beam, representations of air and ground crew, and depictions of the primary aircraft flown.