Monument

Croydon Aerodrome Battle of Britain memorial

Erection date: 27/10/1991

Inscription

{On the front of the pylon, below the Royal Air Force Fighter Command crest and a Christian cross:}
In God we trust
This memorial is in tribute to all connected with Croydon and its aerodrome who gave their lives either in the air or on the ground during the Second World War,
1939 - 1945.
This memorial was unveiled by Air Marshal Sir William Wratten KBE, CB, AFC, FRAeS, RAF, on Sunday 27th October 1991.

{On the left face of the pylon below three badges:}
They gave us our freedom.

{On the back of the pylon below three badges:}
The possibility of defeat never existed.
{Way down at the bottom right:}
A.D.S. M.B.E. {Alan Savage}

{On the right face of the pylon below three badges:}
Remembered always

{On the step risers, starting at the front:}
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. W.S.C. {Winston Spencer Churchill}

Royal Artillery - Hon.Artillery Company - Queens Royal Reg. - Middlesex Reg. - Tower Hamlet Rifles - 2nd London Rifles - W.A.A F. - A.T.S. - A.T.A.

Ambulance - Fire - Police - Royal Observer Corps - Home Guard - NAAFI - Salvation Army

All civil defence units - telephone services - transport - doctors & nursing staff - post and all those who suffered.

On the second step riser, at the back:}
W. L. A. - W. V. S.

{On a plaque laid into the ground in front of the monument:}
In memory of Alan D. Savage MBE DFM, 1927 - 2007, without whose constant endeavours this memorial would never have been raised.

21 foot high and topped with a bronze eagle, this monument does not actually name the Battle of Britain but that is what is being commemorated, along with the fighter pilots and all those based at Croydon that won it. We understand the badges are those of the squadrons based here and we think (but are open to correction) that the initial spaghetti untangles as:

A.T.A. - Air Transport Auxiliary
A.T.S. - Auxiliary Territorial Service
NAAFI - Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
W.A.A F. - Womens' Auxiliary Air Force
W. L. A. - Women's Land Army
W. V. S. - Women's Voluntary Service

Buried under the monument is a time capsule containing historic items relating to the Battle of Britain and Croydon Airport.

Site: Croydon Aerodrome Battle of Britain memorial (1 memorial)

CR0, Purley Way

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Croydon Aerodrome Battle of Britain memorial

Subjects commemorated i

Battle of Britain

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

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World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

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all connected with Croydon & its aerodrome who gave their lives in WW2

Croydon aerodrome was the world's first international airport.  It was closed...

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Fighter Command

Famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, fending off the German air atta...

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Royal Air Force

Formed 1st April 1918 at Hotel Cecil, 80 the Strand where it had its first he...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Croydon Aerodrome Battle of Britain memorial

Created by i

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister 1940 - 45 and 1951 - 55. Born Blenheim Palace, near Woodstock,...

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Alan D. Savage

MBE DFM.   RAF bomber pilot.  Designed the Croydon Aerodrome WW2 memorial and...

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Air Marshal Sir William Wratten

KBE, CB, AFC, FRAeS, RAF.

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