BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike

Subject: RE: BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike
From: Sooz
Date: 08 Aug 07 - 03:59 AM

Nice to see acknowlegement of the contribution of the Polish Airforce during WW11. There were a couple of squadrons stationed near here in Lincolnshire. My uncle was in one of them. After being captured by the Russians from his home village in Poland he managed to escape from the prison camp and found himself here flying spitfires. He has some great stories to tell although there are many things he does not want to remember.

Subject: RE: BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike
From: gnomad
Date: 07 Aug 07 - 01:00 PM

Interesting story. I am pleasantly surprised that some jobsworth didn't prevent the cross's erection.

Quite a few peaks have bits of shattered aircraft lying on them from that era, and it is good that we should hear the stories behind them.

Subject: RE: BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Aug 07 - 03:48 AM

No-one but me and skipy interested in a piece of real history! That surprises me!

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike
From: skipy
Date: 06 Aug 07 - 05:13 PM

RIP, It is one of 10s of 1000s of stories that need telling, most of them now lost in the mists of time as well as the mists of the moors.
Skipy

Subject: BS: The memorial on Buckden Pike
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Aug 07 - 04:57 PM

I posted this link on another thread and have decided it is too good a story to hide amongst an argument!

I was amazed by what I found when I saw it. It is one of the most beautiful and moving memorials I have ever seen. We started walking around Kettlewell, I think, and followed the river Wharfe till we got to Bucken. The pike is a hard slow climb and the top is covered in peat bog - On a wet day like the one we chose it can take an hour just to cross the top! Then, amazingly, the memorial is there on the southern edge. The cloud lifted and it was as if time had stood still on that lonely summit. There is nothing you can do but look in silence and shed a tear for those lost, wondering how the surviror could possibly overcome those odds.

I'll not spoil the story for you but on returning to Buckden I felt very honoured even just to have passed by the site. To add a musical link I could not help but think of Bob Peggs song 'The Gypsey' where the 'hero' of the song stops overnight in Buckden. I am pretty sure Bob must have known of the link some people were bound to make between ther 'hero' of the monument and the name of his band:-)

Cheers

Dave