Churchill's "few"..... The "few" become one.

[Tony oily bike]

The "few" become one.

On the day before the 75th anniversary of VE Day, our last-but-one of “the few”, Terry Clark, has died at the age of 101.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-52592965


His death leaves John "Paddy" Hemingway as the last member of "The Few" who took to the skies in summer 1940.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/340713983184550/permalink/581174472471832/

https://www.battleofbritain1940.net/bobhsoc/surviving.php



Paul Farnes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-51306750

Archie McInnes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-49204090

Maurice Mounsdon
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50710808

[JayJay]

It was sad he didn't quite make the anniversary.

I did a lot of reading around the subject in the run up to the 8th. Hard to believe that was a month ago already. The recorded recollections from those that fought or supported those that fought were very moving. I also watched the episodes in the BBC's Britain's Greatest Generation series. RAF Fighter Command wasn't just made up of British crews. There were Commonwealth and European, inc Polish and Czech, crews too. I thought they were all British.

RAF Bomber Command also played a vital role. Out of the 125,000 air crew in the Command, 55,573 died. The average age at death was only 23. They didn't even get the memorial until 2012 and they never had a campaign medal. Mainly because civilians were killed in the bombings and it was decided it wasn't the done thing to 'celebrate' it. Yes people died but they died everywhere. I don't think that should have stopped the medal. Again, many of the crews that flew were from the Commonwealth including the Canadian Air Force which made up No. 6 Group. I hadn't realised that either.

Here are pics of the memorials:
RAF Bomber Command in Green Park, London (there is also a centre in Lincoln dedicated to Bomber Command)
2 views of the Battle of Britain Scamble memorial in Whitehall (3rd photo by Chris Talbot)
Battle of Britain memorial at Capel-le-Ferne in Folkestone

I think it's important we do remember. Not so much in a jingoistic way but in remembering the sacrifice of ordinary men and women who stepped up and either fought, or supported those that did.

[BikerGran]

I've been to that memorial at Capel-le-Ferne.  It's one of the most poignant things I've ever seen.  It was years ago I went, The building behind wasn't there, just the airman (who sits in the centre of a propellor in the paving) and a little building off to the side, as well as the wall to the right where the names of the dead are inscribed.

I think it looked better without the building behind, but the best view is from behind where you can see the young airman is looking out to sea, waiting and hoping for his oppos to return.

I took this view from google maps, I don't think they'll mind.

[JayJay]

I noticed the differences when I looked at photos. Plus now there seems to have been another layer added around him. I wondered whether it was the different group emblems. Hard to see properly. I like what you said about his view.

[BikerGran]

Yes I think the extra layer detracts from the sculpture.  I'm glad I saw it when I did, the big building wasn't there and there was no-one else around at all.  Looking at the picture I posted I can still feel what I felt at the time.