Sir Keith Park, Defender of London

Today is 15^th September, Battle of Britain Day, and sees the unveiling of a new statue in London. It’s a memorial to Air Chief Marshall Sir Keith Park. In 1940, Park was the commander of No. 11 Group RAF which was responsible for the fighter defence of London and the South East of England. Although a senior commander he had a great “hands on” understanding of the tactics and issues faced by his Spitfire and Hurricane pilots. He kept in close touch with the front line aircrew by flying in to visit them at their airfields in his own personal Hurricane. His leadership and tactics were crucial in winning the Battle of Britain and he earned the nickname “Defender of London.”

Later, in 1942 he again played a crucial role in North Africa and the Mediterranean, including the air defence of Malta. From Malta his squadrons were able to take part in operations such as the invasion of Sicily.

Sir Keith Park was already a veteran of the First World War. A New Zealander, he joined the artillery on the outbreak of war and fought in the landings and trench warfare at Gallipoli, transferring to the British Army in 1915. He then fought at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and having been wounded by a German shell he was certified unfit for military service. By the end of 1916 however he had recovered enough to join the Royal Flying Corps, going to France as a pilot in 1917 where over the next year or so he won the Military Cross (twice), Distinguished Flying Cross and Croix de Guerre. After the Armistice he stayed in the Royal Air Force (as the RFC had become in April 1918) and steadily rose to the position which saw him defending London in 1940.

The unveiling of his statue in London’s Waterloo Place today was attended by surviving NZ Battle of Britain pilots, many military and civilian officials. The whole show kicked off with a fly past by a Spitfire swooping low over Waterloo Place. A stirring site, and a fitting salute for this great man to whom we Londoners owe so much.

Next to me in the crowd stood a guy holding a New Zealand flag high above his head. He held it up all through the ceremony, and I thought that this was also a salute the great man would have appreciated.