New battle to save memorial to The Few
THE Battle of Britain Memorial has made a desperate plea for public donations ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Second WorldWar campaign.
Memorial officials said they are “running out of money” after all activities were cancelled and the museum closed to visitors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Though it hopes to reopen in mid-July, the site yesterday launched an appeal to the public to rally to its cause.
The memorial, near Folkestone in Kent, overlooks the English Channel above which Fighter Command defeated the German Luftwaffe between July 10 and October 31, 1940.
It has life-size replicas of a Hurricane and a Spitfire, while a black wall carries names of the nearly 3,000 men who fought for Fighter Command in the battle.
Battle of Britain Memorial Trust chairman Richard Hunting yesterday launched a Crowdfunder appeal in the memorial’s own fight for survival.
He said: “Despite the fact that we look after the memorial, the Trust receives no public funding of any kind, and we are simply running out of cash.
“It costs around £240,000 a year to run the site. Apart from donations we earn that money through The Scramble Experience, the shop and cafe and the car park, all of which are now closed.
“While we pay our respects at the memorial to the few who defended this country from invasion in 1940, we also pay tribute to the many – the ground crew, observer corps and thousands of
other people whose selfless and unstinting work allowed the aircrew to take the fight to the enemy.
“In that respect, we too are now looking to the many in the form of the public.
“We need their support to help the charity continue with its work of keeping the public informed and educated about the events of 1940 while also preserving the memory of the few who took to the skies to protect this country 80 years ago this summer.”
The campaign won the backing of RAF veterans.
Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot, controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “In this, the 80th year since the battle, it is vital the Battle of Britain Memorial remains in honour of all those who fought in the skies above Britain.”
Supporter Jim Dooley, who raised funds with help from Daily Express readers for the Bomber Command Memorial in London, said: “The memorial is a fantastic commemoration. It has a superb museum with a wonderful 3-D experience. For that to be lost due to coronavirus would be terrible.”
ON A clear day you can see the coast of France if you stand on the cliff top at Capel-le-Ferne near Folkestone.
Just 21 miles across the English Channel. In 1940 this was an enemy-held coastline with the threat of an invasion of Great Britain very real. That it never happened was due mainly to the men and women of the RAF Fighter Command.
The Battle of Britain Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the battle that lasted from July 10 until October 31, 1940.
Tranquility
It takes the form of a large propeller-shaped base with the figure of a pilot in flying gear looking out to sea.
Opened by the Queen Mother on July 9, 1993, it is a place of tranquillity.
There is a monument wall on which the names of all those who Winston Churchill called ‘The Few’ are inscribed.
A recent addition is a visitor centre called ‘the Wing’, which is built in the shape of the iconic wing of the Spitfire. It contains a virtual experience for younger visitors to teach them what the battle was all about.
The memorial also contains replicas of the two main fighters, the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.
Without these two and the less well known Boulton Paul Defiant and Bristol Blenheim, and the bravery of the pilots, the battle may well have been lost. On many summer days visitors will hear and see either a Hurricane or Spitfire fly overhead as a tribute. They mainly come from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.
The site is maintained by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and, like many charities during the coronavirus epidemic, has been closed. This has resulted in a shortfall of badly needed income.
This wonderful memorial must never close. Please help and, in doing so, remember – we must never forget.