ONE RCAF GENERATION CONNECTS WITH ANOTHER AS THEY RECALL THE TRUE NATURE OF A COURAGEOUS FIGHTING SPIRIT. BY DR. RICHARD MAYNE A s a historian it is rare that I write in the first person. However, after attending the ceremony for the opening of the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincolnshire, England, this past April, I can think of no better way to relate that experience since it was indeed a moving and personal event. I also should point out that I have a bias, as my father was an air gunner in Bomber Command during the Second World War; so even before the ceremony started it had special meaning for me. That said, my position as the RCAF’s chief historian has given me the privilege and honour to partake in many ceremonies of this nature, but there were a few aspects of my IBCC experience that, aside from my family linkage, made it one of the most remarkable that I have attended. Before describing these experiences, however, it is first necessary to provide context. The IBCC has defined itself as “a world-class facility to serve as a point for recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command. Providing the most comprehensive record of the Command in the world, the IBCC ensures that 100 RCAF Today 2018