IN MEMORY OF THE FEW (AND ALSO THE MANY…)

THE FOCAL POINT     

Central to the site is a statue of a seated pilot, facing out to sea, the direction from which the Luftwaffe would have come.  So simple, yet so moving, the pilot sits on a propeller boss surrounded by the badges of all the Allied squadrons and other units that took part in the Battle. The blades of the propeller are set into the ground, making the memorial as striking from the air as it is for the visitor on the ground.

The airman’s identity is hidden by his Irvin jacket – we don’t know his nationality or his rank, reflecting the part played by heroes from so many nations.  The same reasoning applies to the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, which reveals neither rank nor decoration.

CHRISTOPHER FOXLEY-NORRIS MEMORIAL WALL

Named in tribute to the late Air Chief Marshal, Foxley-Norris was a Hurricane fighter pilot in 1940.  He was the first President of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and together with Lady Foxley-Norris provided the funds for the wall to go ahead.

The Wall contains the names of all aircrew known to have flown at least one sortie with an accredited squadron or unit of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, including those who survived the war and, in some cases, only left us in more recent years.

​​The names are listed in alphabetical order, without rank or decoration, highlighting the fact that every single one of the Few contributed to the RAF’s victory.

At the left-hand end of the wall is a brick plinth inset with an inscribed poem by veteran William Walker AE, who died in October 2012 at the age of 99.

THE WING

The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust’s visitor centre is housed in The Wing, an eyecatching building in the shape of a Spitfire wing.

The Wing is home to The Scramble Experience, an exciting, hands-on attraction that uses audio-visual effects, a video wall and other special techniques to show something of what the Few experienced in the summer and early autumn of 1940.

A first floor ‘cockpit’ area with an open balcony offers superb views across the Channel to France, from where the Luftwaffe would have appeared in 1940. It is home to the Cockpit Cafe, which sells a range of sandwiches, snacks, ice creams, cakes and hot and cold drinks, including alcoholic beverages.  The Wing is also home to a well-stocked souvenir shop.

“MY BOYS NEVER TURNED BACK…

… so we will carry on” said Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother when her arrival by helicopter to perform the official unveiling ceremony was threatened by challenging weather in 1993.  The Wing was unveiled by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in March 2015 – when the same weather was also in play!

THE MANY

Although the heroism of the Few who fought the air battle is never to be denied, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust has launched an ambitious project to commemorate ‘the Many’, those whose efforts kept our pilots in the air during the summer and early autumn of 1940, defeating the Luftwaffe in the process.

Many thousands were involved in keeping the aircraft maintained, repairing the runways, keeping communications flowing, looking out for incoming aircraft and other numerous support roles.

Members of the public are invited to fund commemorative tiles that will be inscribed with the names of those who served in a variety of roles and will be laid at the Memorial to mark their contribution towards the success of ‘the Few’ and the eventual defeat of the Nazis.  Those who are nominated need to have played an active support role in the Battle of Britain, which ran from 10 July to 31 October, or one month either side of it. They may have served as Air Raid Wardens, ground crew, coastguards or firemen, for instance, or with the National Pigeon Service, the Observer Corps (later the Royal Observer Corps) or the GPO.