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This page is under construction and is being completed in phases The following information is not intended to be comprehensive. There are several references throughout this site to the various memorials and monuments in existence commemorating those who gave their lives. I have included some of the more prominent ones that bear direct relevance to Martlesham Heath in order that visitors to this site have a better understanding of those references. Each passage is completed with a series of links to both official and unofficial sites that explain them in more depth. The Runnymede Memorial
Graves and headstones are traditionally the focal point for any connection with someone with whom we have a connection, or fond memories of, and who have passed away. Sadly, for the men of the allied air forces their death would often be in an exploding aircraft or over the Sea. Many bailed out only to land severely injured on desolate and inhospitable land never to be found. Some were so badly injured it was never possible to identify their remains and they would forever remain “missing in action”. After the cessation of hostilities a great deal of thought was given to commemorating those airmen with no known grave. Around the world various memorials were erected to remember the dead of Britain and her Commonwealth. There was also a need for a similar place for the 20,000 men lost over the United Kingdom and Northern and Western Europe, the result was the Runnymede Memorial. This impressive place was opened and dedicated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on the 17th October 1953 and rededicated by Her Majesty 50 years later on the 17th October 2003. More details for the Runnymede Memorial can be found on the following sites: http://www.cwgc.org/admin/files/cwgc_runnymede.pdf http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/archie_bombercommand/runnymede_memorial.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runnymede The Cambridge American Cemetery
Soon after their arrival in the United Kingdom it became clear that the American military needed to make provision for the large numbers of brave men being killed on operations. Set in just over Thirty acres near Madingley, Cambridge stands the American Cemetery. It was first established on the 7th of December 1943 on land donated by the University of Cambridge. Consisting of the burial site, the memorial and the wall of the missing it was dedicated on the 16th of July 1956. 3,812 men are buried there and the wall of the missing contains the names of the 5,125 who have no known grave. The vast majority of those buried and commemorated there were members of the United States Army Air Corps. A number of those who served and died with the 356th fighter group are buried here. Any visitor to this site who wishes to fully understand the huge price our cousins paid could do little better than going there. The Cemetery is impeccably administered by the American Battle Memorial Commission and is a truly impressive reminder of the great deeds achieved by great men. Further details and information is available from the following sites: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/MadingleyUSACemetery.html http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/cambridgeuk/madcem.htm The Battle of Britain Memorial (Capel Le Ferne, Folkestone)
Royal Air Force Martlesham Heath played an active role during the Battle of Britain. Many Squadrons operated there during the Summer and early Autumn of 1940 and several pilots lost their lives. Wing Commander Geoffrey Page DSO OBE DFC and Bar was an inspirational young pilot severely injured during the Battle of Britain. Despite Two years in hospital he returned to win the Distinguished Service Order the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar and claimed 15 enemy victories, one for every operation he endured during his recovery. Having experienced at first hand the sacrifices made he decided to begin a campaign to establish a national memorial to what Winston Churchill had named “The few”. This memorial was opened by Her Majesty the Queen Mother on the 9th of July 1993. The poignant centerpiece is the statue of a lone airman looking out across the English Channel in the direction from which his foes launched their attacks and the direction from which Operation Sea lion and the subsequent invasion would have come had the “Few” not stopped them. http://www.mishalov.com/Page.html http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWpage.htm http://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/about-us/ The Battle of Britain Monument (London)
Unveiled on the 18th of September 2005 by HRH the Prince of Wales the monuments stands on the Victoria embankment in London. At a cost of £1.74 Million, funded entirely by public subscription, it was designed by the Sculptor Paul Day and commemorates the 2,936 air and ground crews of Britain and 14 Other countries who thwarted the German air supremacy ambition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_Monument_in_London |
