Scramble for cash to honour ‘Few’ from Yorkshire

Now an ambitious fundraising project is under way to ensure the air crew from the region who took part in the Battle of Britain during the dark days of 1940 are never forgotten.

Around £600,000 is needed to build a monument honouring the men and their comrades, both Britons and Allies, at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster.

The town’s former mayor, Peter Davies, chairman of the newly-formed Northern Battle of Britain Appeal Committee, said their crucial role in the conflict should always be remembered.

“The name of every victim and survivor will be listed on the northern monument to recognise the incredible contribution each one made to secure freedom for Britain and her allies,” he added.

The Battle of Britain Historical Society, which has organised the tribute, chose the town to host it because of its strong RAF links last March.

The museum was a former base of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, whose members were among the Battle of Britain fighter pilots.

Bill Bond, who thought up the project, said at the time: “The fact there were 105 Yorkshire men who flew in the Battle of Britain is an amazing number for one county.

“No other county in the UK had anywhere near that number.”

Nearly 3,000 Allied pilots and air crew from 15 nations fought in the four-month campaign to thwart the planned German invasion of Britain via the Channel in 1940.

Their success denied Hitler’s forces the air supremacy they would have needed to make and invasion a success and turned the tide of the war, effectively paving the way for eventual victory in Europe.

Hitler was forced to try different tactics against England, with a bombing campaign against major cities and industry, but that was unable to weaken the war effort sufficiently to affect the Allies as the tide then began to turn against Germany.

In a speech to Parliament as the battle raged overhead on August 20, 1940, wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill made one of his keynote speeches of the conflict when he uttered the words: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Although ultimately successful, the cost of the battle was high 
to the RAF – 544 lost their lives and of the remainder, a further 814 died before the end of the war.

Today about 125 of those who flew are still alive and scattered around the globe. Most are members of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association.

Mr Bond said: “The Battle of Britain was a pivotal air battle that changed the course of world history, and as such should be remembered and celebrated throughout the land.”

“Sadly, though, as the memory dims so does the interest but, far more alarmingly, children are growing up totally ignorant about the debt owed to the Few.

“If lessons are not learnt from history then mistakes of yesteryear can easily be repeated.

“It is our society’s intention to invite schools to send parties of children to see the monument and learn of the incredible exploits of the young men of the RAF.”

The monument, designed by Polish sculptor Robert Sobocinski, will be the third such memorial in Britain, with sculptures already commemorating the battle in London and Kent.

The five-metre high structure will have a bronze statue of an aircraft involved in a dogfight at its centre.

It will also incorporate busts of wartime commanders, stained glass windows and picture panels depicting scenes from the conflict.

The monument will also include an outdoor widescreen display on which footage from the battle will be shown.

The names of all the Allied aircrew who flew will be inscribed on large granite slabs.

Further memorials are also planned for the Scottish borders, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The fundraising appeal will be officially launched at the museum on Sunday at 2pm.

It will be followed by a service of remembrance at 3pm as well as a march-past by local air cadets and a salute taken by Air Vice Marshal Alan Johnson.

Donations can be made to the Northern Battle of Britain Monument Appeal at South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Dakota Way, Airborne Road, Doncaster, DN4 7FB.

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