A statue of a solitary airman staring contemplatively out over the English Channel forms the centerpiece of a national memorial to the men Churchill immortalised as ‘the Few’.
The location, atop Kent’s famous white cliffs and within sight on a clear day of the coast of France, is an appropriate place to pay tribute to the men of the Royal Air Force who defeated the Luftwaffe in 1940 and saved Britain from Nazi invasion.
It was, though, a Hertfordshire man, himself a pilot in the Battle of Britain, who was the inspiration for, and the driving force behind, the enigmatic sculpture at the heart of what is now the Battle of Britain Memorial.
Alan Geoffrey Page (known as Geoffrey) was born in Boxmoor on May 16, 1920 and would go on to have an impressive career in the RAF, earning the Distinguished Service Order and a Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. It was many years after the conflict that he was to inspire the creation of the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne, now a focus for those who wish to pay their respects to the fewer-than 3,000 men whose bravery and sacrifice helped turn the tide of the Second World War.
It was towards the end of the 1980s that Geoffrey realised that there was no dedicated memorial to the friends and colleagues with whom he had flown in 1940, and decided to put that right. With no site, no memorial and no funds, all he had was an idea – and the kind of determination that was perhaps not surprising in one who had defied seemingly insurmountable odds some five decades earlier.
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Explosive history
With bonfire night this month, author Harry Smee recounts the explosive story of his family’s firework company, Brock’s, creators of wonders and war-changing weapons
A Day In The Life Of... A Jewellery Designer
Laurie McGrath, senior designer at Harriet Kelsall bespoke jewellery in Halls Green, gives an insight into her working day
Sniffig out clues in THE ASHES
Meet the fire investigation dogs securing convictions against arsonists and murderers who otherwise may go free
Saving Mrs Tiggy-Winkle
The secret life of a much-loved British mammal and simple steps we can take at home to stop its extinction
A walk down Surreal Street
Paul Crowley draws on his graphic designer’s eye to capture scenes from the country to the street, all tinged with surreality
Sofa styling
Kerry Laird, interior designer at Fishpools in Waltham Cross, gives a guide to dressing your sofa
Relieved of duty
Karen Fletcher, residential property expert at Longmores Solicitors in Hertford, looks at the impact of the stamp duty holiday on the market
Hidden spaces
With some of Herts’ loveliest countryside and steeped in royal history, Kings Langley holds hidden gems for the walker or cyclist
NEW WORLD PIONEER
Hertford Puritan pioneer Samuel Stone founded what would become a state capital and a keystone in US democracy. This month, 400 years after The Pilgrim Fathers sailed to the New World, we look at his remarkable life and legacy
Making Good Connections
The owner of historic Munden Estate in Bricket Wood is Herts’ new High Sheriff, combining an ancient post with a passion for helping others