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

City and Midland Bank - WW1

City and Midland Bank - WW1

E14, Canada Square, 8

Statues flank this central panel. The bases of both are inscribed: Albert Toft, Sc. 1921. One is a winged angel writing in an open book (...

War dead | WW1
718 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
WW1 at Liverpool Street Station

WW1 at Liverpool Street Station

EC2, Liverpool Street Station

An error in one of the names (Cleathers / Cleathero) has been pointed out to us and has been confirmed as being on the memorial itself. W...

War dead | WW1
1,109 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Holy Trinity war memorial - WW1

Holy Trinity war memorial - WW1

N4, Granville Road, Holy Trinity church garden

The 1920s photo of the church shows the WW1 memorial in place in front of the church, facing south west. The plinth supported a tall pill...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Woolwich Army Ordnance Department war memorial

Woolwich Army Ordnance Department war memorial

SE18, Carriage Street, 37

{Beneath the Board of Ordnance badge with the motto 'Sua Tela Tonanti' (To the warrior his arms), and between two soldiers with bowed hea...

War dead | WW1
67 subjects commemorated
East Anglians - WW1

East Anglians - WW1

EC2, Liverpool Street Station

{Inscribed on the large stone medallion:} This memorial to the men of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire who fell in the Great Wa...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Mark Gertler - E1

Mark Gertler - E1

E1, Elder Street, 32

This is a lovely 18th century cobbled street in which the blue plaque is garishly anachronistically. The plaque was erected in 1975 when ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
C. Burgess Smith

C. Burgess Smith

Churchwarden of St Mary's Harmondsworth in 1885.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Caxton Hall - head 3 - Shakespeare

Caxton Hall - head 3 - Shakespeare

SW1, Caxton Street, 10, Caxton Hall

The foundation stone is low down at the right hand side of the building. Above each of the two statues is a bust, both of the Greek god v...

1 subject commemorated
Broderers' Hall

Broderers' Hall

EC2, Gutter Lane, Priest's Court, 33

Site of the Worshipful Company of Broderers' Hall, 1515 to 1940. Corporation of the City of London

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
John Dixon

John Dixon

Civil Engineer from Newcastle. Freemason. His brother, Waynman, was an engineer and an Egyptologist so was used on the project to bring Cleopatra's Needle to London. There is a legend that Waynman ...

Person, Engineering, Egypt

1 memorial