Artistic pupils honour the RAF with drawings

Children’s mural marks Battle of Britain

UXBRIDGE pupils have commemorated 75 years since the Battle of Britain by creating a mural on display at St Andrew’s Park.

The children, aged four to eight, have created drawings depicting RAF planes used to win the pivotal Second World War campaign in the summer and autumn of 1940 and the medals subsequently awarded to members of the RAF for their bravery.

These are being displayed as a mural at the entrance to the former RAF base that houses the Grade 1 Listed Battle of Britain Bunker and secret operations room.

It was here that Prime Minister Winston Churchill uttered his famous declaration: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

The former base, now renamed St Andrews Park, is being redeveloped by VINCI St Modwen to provide around 1,300 homes and a public park, as well as offices, shops and a hotel.

Tim Seddon, St Modwen’s regional director for London and the south-east, said: “This is a hugely important project on many levels and it has been rewarding to get local children on board.

“We are delivering a huge number of homes in a new community and very much want to build on the site’s heritage, respecting the old while welcoming the new.”

Four and five year-olds from John Locke Academy, in Bader Way, designed the medals on the hoardings, while the planes were drawn by children aged seven and eight from Ryefield Primary School in Ryefield Avenue, Hillingdon.

Assistant principal of John Locke Academy, Helen Squires said: “The children were fascinated learning all about the history of the Battle of Britain.

“They collaborated exceptionally well on the medals and took great care in making them look ‘extra special’ because they felt this would be a good way to say thank you to the men who were really brave and fought for their country.

“We are really proud of them and feel privileged that we can be a part of this piece of local history.”

The posters displaying the artwork are expected to be seen by thousands of motorists and public transport users everyday as they pass along Hillingdon Road and past the 110-acre development, which began in 2013 and is expected to take seven years to complete.