Bolt of Lightning sculpture lands as permanent memorial to all who served at Burtonwood airbase

VIDEO: THE Bolt of Lightning memorial to all those who served at Burtonwood airbase and commissioned and paid for by a local developer, has landed at Omega.

Following delays while awaiting a vital component from Germany, installation started over the weekend, although an official unveiling date is yet to be confirmed.
It had been hoped to perform the ceremony next Monday, September 22nd, but this has been put back again.

Picture Cllr Paul Warburton.

Meanwhile, local Cllr Paul Warburton welcomed the new addition to the local community, saying: “The ‘Bolt of Lightning’ has arrived!
“The ‘Bolt of Lightning’ sculpture has been installed next to the M62 at Omega. The sculpture depicts a US Lockheed P-38F Lightning fighter aircraft on top of two curved beams, representing its trails.
“Commissioned by Miller Developments Ltd and designed by Peter Naylor, it will act as a permanent memorial to all the British and American military and civilians who served at RAF Burtonwood.
“Thanks to Colin Graham & Aldon Ferguson for making this happen.”
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 continuing before the official 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.