International Bomber Command Centre ride-in to honour life-saving WW2 mission

Over 500 bikers from across the UK are expected to roll into Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) next month for the annual InSpire Ride charity event.

Taking place on Sunday, May 18, the event will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Manna – a WW2 humanitarian mission that saw British and Canadian aircraft drop food supplies to starving civilians in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.

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The April 1945 mission saved thousands of lives and will be remembered by the Canwick history centre with a day of thanks, running from 10am to 4pm.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet up with other bikers and share your passion,” IBCC Chief Executive, Nicky van der Drift told MCN. “There’s a big element of the biking community that surrounds remembrance and remembering those that came before and that’s at the forefront of what we do.”

The venue is asking for a voluntary contribution of £10 for all attendees, with all of the money raised donated to the IBCC. Featuring one of the UK’s tallest war memorials, the centre acts as a point of remembrance and education for all of the Bomber Command crews that served in WW2.

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There’s a café on site, plus interactive galleries, as well as a feature containing the name of every individual who lost their lives in Bomber Command during the war. Other features during the event will include a ‘Women in War’ exhibit, featuring 10 eight-foot silhouettes of different job roles in the conflict.

“We had over 500 bikes attend last year, and it would be great to see that many this year and more,” van der Drift continued. 

The first InSpire Ride took place in 2018 and attracted 180 bikes. It then grew to around 500 just a year later, before taking a pause for the Covid-19 pandemic and retuning in 2022.

Last year’s event was used to mark 80 years since the ‘Great Escape’ with hundreds of bikes lining up at the venue to pay their respects, enjoy locally prepared food, and watch a live flypast from multiple WW2 aircraft.

The 2025 event will feature both a Northern and Southern ride-in to the venue. The Northern ride starts at starts at Barton-upon-Humber services Lidl car park, with the Southern riders meeting at Woody’s Bar, at Woodland Waters in Ancaster. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are set to provide a flypast once again.

Those wanting to take their experience to the next level can do so with a choice of VIP packages, with the full list of options found online now.