An evocative memorial to the valiant pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain will now shine out in the darkness.
The National Memorial to the Few on the White Cliffs of Dover stands as an atmospheric tribute to those who took to the skies above southern England in 1940.
A statue of a lone pilot looking out to sea commemorates the thousands of RAF men, nicknamed “the Few” by Winston Churchill.
Now the clifftop memorial is just as evocative at night after floodlights were donated by a businessman in memory of family who served in the war.
The lights were switched on for the first time to mark the end of the 80th anniversary of the Battle, which took place between 10 July and 31 October.
They were paid for by local businessman Alastair Kerr in memory of three members of his family who served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.
They were Wing Commander M E Kerr, Squadron Leader J M Kerr and Flying Officer R Gibson.
Mr Kerr said he made donations to the memorial “out of gratitude for the life I have and the freedoms I am so lucky to enjoy”.
He added: “Bearing this in mind, together with the fact that both sides of my family saw fine men and women serving in both world wars, I felt I should show my respect and appreciation of them, the combatants, and the previous generations for their bravery and determination.
“Hopefully what I have done is to help the Trust keep this pivotal period in Britain and Western Europe’s history very much alive, not only for the present but for all the generations to come.”
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust has had a challenging year as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, but was heartened by the support of the many people who responded to the charity’s fund-raising efforts.
“The clifftop home of the Memorial is always an atmospheric place to visit, and we felt that floodlighting the central airman sculpture would add another dimension to this much-loved tribute to the Few,” saidTrust Chairman Richard Hunting CBE.
“We are incredibly grateful to Alastair for generously funding this superb addition to the site.”
For more information about the memorial, and to donate, visit:https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/
