THE completion works on the Bolt of Lightning memorial to all those who served at Burtonwood airbase are set to be completed in the coming weeks.
Following delays while awaiting a vital component from Germany, the official unveiling has now been scheduled for Monday, September 22nd, at a time yet to be confirmed.
It had been hoped that the official opening would take place last month (August), but due to a delay for vital parts, tuned mass dampers, it was postponed.
Designed by Peter Naylor and forming part of site street art commissioned and paid for by Miller Developments Ltd, led by Colin Graham, at a new housing development, The Bolt will provide a very significant landmark, highly visible from the M62 motorway and will act as a permanent memorial to all the men and women, military and civilian, British and American, who served at RAF Burtonwood.
The memorial will be 22.5m (73 ft 9 ins) high and sit on a base 6.5m (21 ft) square. The P-38 Lockheed Lightning twin-boom fighter at the top will be 5m (16 ft) long.
Work started on site on April 14, 2025 and site works are set to take place the week before the unveiling.
The components of The Bolt have been manufactured in Hull.
The base was opened in 1940 in response to World War II by the RAF and in 1942 it was transferred to the United States of America for war operations.
The base was home to 18,000 American servicemen at the end of the war. In 1946 the base was transferred back to the United Kingdom however United States operations continued. The base officially closed in 1991 and since then the runway and most of the associated buildings have been demolished.
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How ironic that the delay has been caused components coming from Germany.