(Above) A memorial statue of Sir Keith Park on the Fourth Plinth on Trafalgar Square.
After a hard-fought campaign that included a stint on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square a permanent statue commemorating the man who masterminded victory in the Battle of Britain is to be installed in central London.
A bronze statue of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, commander of 11 Group Fighter Command, will be unveiled on Battle of Britain day, September 15 2010 in Waterloo Place in sight of New Zealand House
Park, a New Zealander, is today credited as being the architect of the defeat of the Luftwaffe, effectively putting an end to Hitler’s British invasion plans.
However the politics of the day saw the master tactician sidelined after criticism in some quarters – notably adherents of the so-called Big Wing theory led by Trafford Leigh Mallory, the head of 12 Group. His reputation has since been rehabilitated to the point where he is now recognised by many as the man who saved Britain.
Air Chief Marshal of the RAF, Lord Tedder, said of him: "If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don’t believe it is recognised how much this one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world."
Sir Keith Park's achievements during the Battle of Britain are only now being fully recognised.
The unveiling will mark the culmination of a two-year campaign, which saw the temporary installation (November 2009 to May 2010) of a 5-metre high fibre glass version of the statue on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square – a move that ruffled some feathers in the art world and had Jonathan Jones of the Guardian describing it as a “monument to Saloon bar fools”.
For supporters of the scheme, which has received the backing of people as varied as Boris Johnson and Tony Benn, the permanent statue will be a vindication.
"Sir Keith was neglected in his own lifetime," said Terry Smith, Chairman of the Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign, "so it will give me great pleasure to see him receive the public recognition that is long over due, especially as the statue will be unveiled on Battle of Britain day in this the 70th anniversary of the Battle."
Some 1000 invited guests, including Battle of Britain veterans and members of Sir Keith Park’s family, will attend the unveiling together with representatives of the Commonwealth and other countries whose airmen flew alongside The Royal Air Force during the Battle, as well as supporters of the Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign.
The fibreglass Sir Keith Park statue is on permanent display in the Battle of Britian Hall at the Royal Air Force Museum, London.
Keep up to speed with the latest news about the Battle of Britain 70th anniversary at www.culture24.org.uk/battle-of-britain.
