Battle of Britain

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Reference WMO/85585

Address:

Adjacent to Westminster Pier

Victoria Embankment

Westminster

London

SW1A 2NS

England

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War Memorials Trust case: War Memorials Trust needs to avoid Contributors changing location/description details as we help to protect and conserve this war memorial through our casework. You can still add photographs, update condition and use the tabs below. If you believe any of the information you cannot edit is wrong or information is missing, please make a note of the reference number and include it in your email when you contact us.

Status: On original site
Type: Freestanding
Location: External
Setting: Roadside
Description: Figure sculpture
Materials:
  • Metal Metal (any)
Lettering: Incised
Conflicts:
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
About the memorial: 3D sculpture designed by Donald Insall Associates. Located on the Victoria Embankment overlooking the River Thames.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Westminster Walk: This is a memorial to dwell for a while and study the emotional portrayals of the life of those who saved Britain from invasion in the Battle of Britain. The detailed inscription tells the story. The site is based on a previously existing, but blocked up structure originally designed as a smoke outlet for underground trains when powered by steam engines. The panelled granite structure is 25 metres long with a walkway cut obliquely through the middle. The bronze plaques with the raised relief add poignancy to the images. Pilots at rest Observer Corps watching for an attack Ground Crews arming Hurricanes Pilots scrambling Pilots sharing stories in the Mess Hall Hop pickers in Kent watching an Aerial Battle Women Working in a factory Pilot pursued by a Luftwaffe Pilot St Pauls Cathedral surrounded by Smoke from Blitz People searching the ruins after an air raid A family making tea in an Anderson shelter Aircraft: Bristol Beaufighter, Bristol Blenheim, Gloster Gladiator, Bolton Paul Defiant,Hawker Hurricane Sculptor: Paul Day>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Route: Next continue to Westminster Bridge and cross road to view Boadicea’s statue --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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WAR WITH NAZI GERMANY BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER/ 1939 AND BY JUNE 1940 HITLER'S FORCES HAD/ OCCUPIED MOST OF WESTERN EUROPE, WITH FASCIST/ REGIMES ALSO RULING IN ITALY AND SPAIN. FURTHER EXPANSION OF NAZI DOMINATION IN EUROPE/ DEPENDED ON BRITAIN BEING NEUTRALISED BY EITHER INVASION OR SURRENDER UNDER GERMAN TERMS. AS PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL VOWED THAT/ BRITAIN WOULD NEVER SURRENDER, THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND COMMENCED 'OPERATION SEALION', THE INVASION OF BRITAIN. THE FIRST PRIORITY WAS FOR/ GERMANY'S LUFTWAFFE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE SKIES/ ABOVE THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AND SOUTH EAST ENGLAND/ TO PREVENT THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL AIR FORCE/ ATTACKING THE GERMAN INVASION FORCES WHILE THEY WERE AT SEA. ON 10TH JULY 1940 THE LUFTWAFFE STARTED A SERIES OF/ ATTACKS ON PORTS AND CONVOYS IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. USING ADVANCED WARNING FROM RADAR/ STATIONS. BRITAIN WAS DEFENDED IN THE AIR BY RAF/ FIGHTER COMMAND UNDER AIR CHIEF MARSHAL HUGH DOWDING, WITH BACKUP FROM BALLOON BARRAGES AND/ ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN INSTALLATIONS ON THE GROUND. BY/ EARLY AUGUST, WITH GERMAN INVASION FORCES AND/ LANDING CRAFT BEING ASSEMBLED ON THE FRENCH COAST,/ THE ATTACKS BECAME MUCH HEAVIER, WITH GERMAN/ BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS CONCENTRATING ON RAF/ AIRFIELDS AND AIRCRAFT FACTORIES. DURING THE HOT SUMMER OF 1940, PILOTS, MANY UNDER TWENTY YEARS OF AGE. WOULD 'SCRAMBLE' FOR THEIR/ AIRCRAFT TO INTERCEPT ENEMY RAIDS AS OFTEN AS FIVE/ TIMES A DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT. OUTNUMBERED IN AIR/ BATTLES, EXHAUSTED RAF SQUADRONS WERE ROTATED TO/ STATIONS ELSEWHERE IN BRITAIN AND REPLACED BY FRESH UNITS, OFTEN CONTAINING A HIGH PROPORTION OF LESS/ EXPERIENCED PILOTS. BY EARLY SEPTEMBER THE INCREASINGLY CRITICAL SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IN AIR VICE MARSHAL KEITH/ PARK'S 11 GROUP, WAS RELIEVED TEMPORARILY BY THE/ LUFTWAFFE TURNING ITS ATTENTION TO LONDON IN A FINAL/ ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE BRITISH WILL TO RESIST. THE/ TURNING POINT CAME ON 15TH SEPTEMBER WHEN TWO/ HUGE AIR ATTACKS WERE REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES/ LEADING HITLER TO CONCEDE THAT AN INVASION WOULD/ FAIL. DAY AND NIGHT ATTACKS CONTINUED THROUGH TO/ MAY 1941 BUT THE MAIN ASSAULT HAD ENDED BY LATE/ OCTOBER 1940. THIS FAILURE TO SUBDUE BRITAIN/ WOULD ULTIMATELY COST GERMANY THE WAR. OF THE 2936 PILOTS AND AIRCREW WHO FOUGHT IN/ RAF FIGHTER COMMAND IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN,/ 544 LOST THEIR LIVES AND A FURTHER 795 DID NOT LIVE/ TO SEE THE FINAL VICTORY IN 1945. ONE IN SIX WERE/ FROM COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM AND/ ON THE PLAQUES SURROUNDING THIS MONUMENT, THEIR/ NAMES HAVE BEEN GROUPED ACCORDING TO COUNTRY OF/ ORIGIN. THE PLAQUES ALSO/ FEATURE THE BADGES OF THEIR SQUADRONS. IT IS IN HONOUR OF THE SPIRIT AND SACRIFICE OF THOSE/ KNOWN AS 'THE FEW' AND THOSE SUPPORTING/ THEM THAT THIS MONUMENT HAS BEEN ERECTED.

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