Monument

Battle of Britain - London monument

Erection date: 18/9/2005

Inscription

{A large plaque tells the story of the Battle - this text we have put on our page for the Battle of Britain. The plaque concludes:}
Of the 2,936 pilots and aircrew who fought in RAF Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain, 544 lost their lives and a further 795 did not live to see the final victory in 1945. One in six were from countries outside the United Kingdom and on the plaques surrounding this monument their names have been grouped according to the airmen's country of origin. The plaques also feature the badges of their Squadrons.
It is in honour of the spirit and sacrifice of those immortalised as "The Few" and those supporting them that this monument has been erected.

{A small plaque below part of the list:}
The sculptor for this monument was Paul Day, working with architects Donald Insall Associates. The site was suggested by English Heritage and Westminster Council, the bronze reliefs and plaques were cast by the Morris Singer Foundry and the contractor was Stonewest.

BBM says "the names and ranks of the airmen who took part in the battle are {on plaques} mounted around the outside of the monument, the airmen's names being grouped under their respective countries." and at that website you can access the names, many of which have photos and further information.

Unveiled as part of the commemorations of the 65th anniversary of the Battle.

2010: the BBC reported on a name, Sq Ldr Charles Alexander Ogilvy, being added to this memorial.

Site: Battle of Britain - London monument (1 memorial)

SW1, Victoria Embankment

As happens occasionally (we've listed a few others here) this memorial hides a ventilation shaft. BBM has photos of it when it was a plain anonymous granite structure. To create the monument the chimney was split into two long low sections covered with the high relief sculptures and plaques.

This is a stunning memorial which we don't think is appreciated as widely as it should be. Perhaps the overall design is against it, since taking one photograph that shows the whole is just not possible.  But the sculptures by Paul Day are magnificent. We cannot find a website with photos that do them justice - you'll just have to go and look for yourself.

Some of the scenes depicted are: pilots "scrambling" (our picture), the flights being plotted in an ops room (like No. 11 Fighter Group RAF Operations Room), mechanics and riggers preparing the aircraft, the Observer Corps scouring the air for incoming Luftwaffe (our other picture), the chat in the mess room after a flight, crews waiting for the signal to scramble, women factory workers building the aircraft, St Paul's surrounded by smoke, civilians sheltering and scanning the skies, anti-aircraft guns being loaded and fired, rescuers searching the ruins, etc.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Battle of Britain - London monument

Subjects commemorated i

Battle of Britain

As part of WW2 the Germans set out to gain supremacy over the RAF in the Brit...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Battle of Britain - London monument

Created by i

English Heritage

English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that ma...

Read More

Donald W. Insall Associates

A firm of chartered architects, historic building and planning consultants. D...

Read More

Westminster City Council

The ancient parish of St Margaret's was divided into St Margaret's and St Joh...

Read More

Paul Day

Sculptor. Best known work (you love it or you hate it) is the huge statue (wh...

Read More

Morris Singer Foundry

Founded by John Webb Singer as the Frome Art Metal Works. Cast many of the be...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

W. T. Stead - WC2

W. T. Stead - WC2

WC2, Victoria Embankment

The inscription refers to Stead having worked near this site for 30 years. This was in Catherine Street in the offices of the Pall Mall G...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Arsenal Football Club founded

Arsenal Football Club founded

SE18, Number 1 Street, Dial Arch public house, Dial Arch Buildings

Erected in about 2005, the memorial (now almost covered by foliage) can be seen on the right centre of our photograph. Because of the ram...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Gerard Manley Hopkins - E15

Gerard Manley Hopkins - E15

E15, The Grove, Stratford Library

Seamus Heaney unveiled the plaque and performed at a poetry reading later in Stratford Town Hall as part of the celebrations for the 150t...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
All Saints Church WW1 memorial

All Saints Church WW1 memorial

E8, Haggerston Road, All Saints Church

[On the stones at the base of the cross, in raised metal lettering:} To the greater glory of God and in proud and thankful memory of the...

2 subjects commemorated
Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery WW1 - casualties

Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery WW1 - casualties

SE4, Brockley Grove, Brockley and Ladywell Cemetry

The names commemorate those who are buried in the cemetery without individual headstones, so some have accompanying touching epithets whi...

War dead | WW1
112 subjects commemorated