The Memorial to the Few

Memories of an event, of a war are propagated through social media, museum, but also monument and memorial. It is the case for the National Memorial to the Few which is dedicated to the heroic deeds of the men who fought the Battle of Britain in 1940. The Memorial was opened by the Queen Mother Elizabeth on July 9, 1993 at Capel-le-ferne located near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent.

The Memorial site includes numberous elements :

· A poem ''Our Wall'', written by veteran William Walker AE

· Sir Keith Park Bust, which was carved by Sculptor Will Davies and was included to the Memorial in 2010. 

· Replica aircraft which has been donated to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust by the Tory Family Foundation. this replica is a tribute to Geoffrey Page because it represents the plane he flew during the battle.

· Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, which is engraved with the names of all those who were awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp.

·  But the major monument of the Memorial is The central statue, which was carved Harry Gray of the Carving Workshop in Cambridge.

This statue represents a seated airman looking out to sea. At the first glance this pose seems to be very simple, but actually it is very moving in its context.

The man represented wears a jacket which hides his uniform, it disguises both his nationality and his rank. Thank to that : we don't know if This airman is a British officer or maybe a gunner from another country. Both played their part in the battle and the Memorial reflects that fact. 

That central figure sits on a propeller boss surrounded by the badges of all the Allied squadrons and other units that took part in the Battle. Therefore this monument honors all countries and units which participated in the Battle of Britain.

The idea of this memorial comes from the Wing Commander Geoffrey Page, a pilot who played a very important role in the Battle of Britain and more generally in the war, especially for destroying 15 enemy aircraft. 

With this memorial, Geoffrey Page wanted to pay tribute to his comrades who had flown with him in Fighter Command in 1940.

This monument is much appreciated by the public, besides every years it receives a large number of visitors. In the public opinion , airmen who fought in the Battle were courageous and brilliants. They are considered as real heros for their devotion to their country.

The popular view is propagated through the monument , in honor of the courage shown by the airmen. It keeps the memory of the veterans alive for many years to come.

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