PM's Attendance At memorial Unveiling Welcomed

31 August 2010
Media statement

Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign Welcomes Prime Minister’s Attendance At Unveiling

The Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign is honoured that Prime Minister John Key has agreed to attend the unveiling of the permanent statue of New Zealander Sir Keith Park in London on Battle of Britain Day, in the 70th anniversary year.

Terry Smith, Chairman of the Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign, said:

“The Prime Minister’s presence for the unveiling of the statue of Sir Keith Park is perhaps the clearest and most visible evidence of the close ties that still exist between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We in the United Kingdom should not forget that Britain did not stand alone in its darkest and finest hour. Our friends and allies from the Commonwealth, Europe and the United States stood with us.”

“126 pilots from New Zealand flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, and the Officer who Commanded 11 Group of the RAF, which was responsible for the defence of London and South East England, was Keith Park, himself a New Zealander. It is no surprise perhaps that the leaders of all New Zealand’s political parties put their names to a letter of support for this campaign soon after it was launched.

“It has taken us 70 years since the Battle of Britain to give expression to our collective thanks for what Keith Park achieved. But I believe we have now found a fitting way to remember him, with this statue permanently and prominently placed in the heart of the capital city of the country he did so much to defend in 1940.”

The unveiling will be attended by some 1000 invited guests, including New Zealand veteran Grp Capt John Gard’ner and members of Sir Keith Park’s family. Also in attendance will be 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 unveiling marks the culmination of a two year campaign, which also saw the temporary installation (November 2009 to May 2010) of a 5 metre high statue of Sir Keith on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. This statue is now on permanent display in the Battle of Britain Hall at the RAF Museum in Hendon.

Sir Keith Park commanded 11 Group Fighter Command, which was responsible for the defence of London and the South East of England. He therefore commanded the squadrons which bore the brunt of the fighting in the Battle of Britain. The failure to defeat the RAF in 1940 is seen as Germany’s first major setback in the Second World War – forcing the abandonment of the planned invasion of Britain.

Park was a New Zealander, who had fought in the First World War in the field artillery first at Gallipoli, and then the Somme where he was wounded and evacuated to England. Medically graded unfit to continue service with the artillery, Park joined the Royal Flying Corps, remaining with the air arm when it was re-formed as the Royal Air Force.

ends

© Scoop Media