Understand
New Ely museum honours World War Two RAF Witchford and Mepal stations
Overview
A new free-to-enter museum has opened on the Lancaster Way Business Park in Ely, Cambridgeshire, to honour the contributions and sacrifices of RAF Witchford and RAF Mepal during World War Two. The RAF Witchford and Mepal Museum was created by Grovemere Property following the closure of a previous exhibition. It features artefacts recovered from local sites, including a Lancaster engine from a 1995 excavation, personal items donated by families, and a building design incorporating part of a Lancaster bomber fuselage.
Key points
- The new RAF Witchford and Mepal Museum has opened on the Lancaster Way Business Park in Ely, Cambridgeshire.
- It pays tribute to two former RAF stations that played vital roles in Bomber Command operations during World War Two.
- The museum was built by Grovemere Property after the closure of the previous RAF Witchford Exhibition located in an office foyer.
- The centrepiece of the museum is a Lancaster engine recovered from a 1995 crash site excavation at Coveney.
- The unmanned facility uses an original Lancaster bomber traffic light system for public entry and is run as a charity.
- Local residents have donated numerous historical items, including uniforms, medals, flight logs, and personal journals.