December 2007 - We continue to lose Battle of Britain airmen -
Wg Cdr Eric Barwell - Daily Telegraph obituary here
F/Lt Michael Shand - Daily Telegraph obituary here (a survivor of the Great Escape)
S/Ldr Herbert R Sharman AFC - served as an Observer in 248 Squadron
20 November 2007 - F/O Blair Dalzel Russel, one of four surviving Canadian Battle of Britain airmen, passes away. His obituary in the Daily Telegraph here and a 2003 interview here
27 September 2007 -
67 years to the day he was shot down and killed, Sergeant Trevor Oldfield of 92 Squadron is commemorated by a memorial close to the crash site at Hesketh Park, Dartford. This is the third memorial to be dedicated by the Shoreham Aircraft Museumn as part of their programme to highlight the RAF airmen lost within a 10-mile radius of the museum. More information here
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24 September 2007 - new DVD available - 'A Day to Remember' - follow the sculptor Paul Day as he creates the London Monument.
See 'Videos and DVDs' at left.
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21 September 2007 - Three airmen's stories added - F/O NJM Barry, Sgt TG Oldfield and F/O BE Finucane - see Airmens stories
15th September 2007 - Battle of Britain Heritage Walk is launched by the RAF. For an account of the ceremony at St Clement Danes click here
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15 September 2007 - AVM Sir Keith Park - an appreciation in the Financial Times - click here
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31 July 2007 - excavation of a Battle of Britain Hurricane at Gravesend abandoned -
Flight Sergeant Eric Williams of 46 Squadron was shot down over the Thames Estuary on 15 October 1940, his Hurricane with him aboard embedded itself in a timber wharf near the water's edge at Gravesend. It was too deep to be recovered in 1940 and Williams was posted as 'Missing', this led to his being commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial after the war. The wharf area was subsequently concreted over to provide facilities for a road haulage firm which meant that further recoveries could not be attempted. However the area is now being redeveloped for housing and a final attempt was made to recover any remains for proper burial in case they should be disturbed and scattered by the construction process. Sadly it seems that they are beyond the reach of even present day technology, for the full MoD report click here
F/Sgt Williams is of course commemorated on the Monument.
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From Lord Tebbit, July 2007: I have just learned of an interesting visit to the Battle of Britain London Monument.
A French-speaking Blue Badge tourist guide was recently allocated a party of visitors from France, age range 20’s to 30’s, all of whom were blind and in London on a weekend trip. The guide took them on a panoramic coach tour where they had to rely on his description of various landmarks until he had the idea of visiting the Monument, with which he was himself familiar.
The young French visitors were thrilled. They were able to touch the Monument, feeling and understanding the detail as the guide commented on the design, the history it represented and the background to establishing it. They stayed a long time while other tourists around the Monument took photographs of the group. This was something that the blind could relate to, being able to feel the outline of the figures and scenes on the Monument.
It was unanimously declared the piece de resistance of the French group’s weekend visit to London.
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19 July 2007 - RAF Bentley Priory closes............ for a full report click here
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12th June 2007 – Lord Tebbit received the Prime Minister of Slovakia Dr Robert Fico at the Battle of Britain Monument where the PM laid a wreath in memory of the Slovak pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. The British Government was represented by a senior RAF officer.
The short ceremony was witnessed by a small crowd of passers-by who gathered as the PM and his party were shown around the Monument before the laying of the wreath. The Monument is now established as a part of the London scene and a focus for both British and overseas visitors wishing to remember those who fought in the Battle – or simply to learn about how the history of Europe was changed in 1940. The PM was accompanied by two of the few surviving wartime Slovak airmen (though they did not fly in the Battle) :Gen. (ret) Mikulas Grofcik (left)
and Gen. (ret) Ivan Schwarz (right)
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This year sees the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - for more information see www.bbmf.co.uk
The History Channel commissioned a documentary that followed the Flight as their Lancaster was completely refurbished and the other aircraft prepared for the 2007 season. The special 50th anniversary display at IWM Duxford in May and their appearance at Biggin Hill the following month are covered in detail - see;
http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/tv_guide/full_details/British_history/programme_9.php
The programme is available on DVD for £12.99 inc P & P - see "Videos and DVDs" at left.
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