Flashback: Hollywood Hits Lincolnshire For 'Bomber Boys'
Thursday, 11th December 2014
In 2012, the skies over Lincolnshire once again roared with the thundering engines heard decades earlier. Those who'd been around for a while might have been forgiven for thinking they'd gone back in time to the Second World War.
But the rumbling from above was actually Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor flying over the country in a Lancaster Bomber, with his pilot brother Colin.
It was all part of the filming for a stunning documentary called 'Bomber Boys', which profiled the work of the RAF's Bomber Command air force over the course of World War Two.
The show explored the contributions of RAF pilots as they fought for Great Britain during the war, detailing the stories and battles of the heroes. It also featured some of the wartime operations that were undertaken by Bomber Command, and the hurdles and obstacles they had to overcome during the war effort.
Along with the flying of the iconic Lancaster Bomber, Ewan and Colin also visited several RAF stations, including the Faldingworth base here at Skydock.
The documentary's producer and director, Harvey Lilley, from Lion Television, told the Lincolnshire Echo: "It all helped paint a picture for them of what life was like for the 125,000 young men who fought in the bombing campaign of the Second World War, many of whom – more than 55,000 – paid the ultimate price."
The documentary also encompassed stops in the German city of Hamburg, and Afghanistan. But it was here in Lincolnshire where the real action took place, as Ewan and Colin flew in the bomber at the 2011 Lincolnshire Lancaster Day.
The documentary was screened on BBC television in February 2012.
See the Bomber Boys YouTube trailer video below for a taster of Ewan McGregor's Lancaster experience and visit to the Skydock site at RAF Faldingworth.