Boris Johnson pays tribute as statue of Sir Keith Park is unveiled in Trafalgar Square

Boris Johnson pays tribute as statue of Sir Keith Park is unveiled in Trafalgar Square

05 November, 2009
by: Tom Jeffreys

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, was among those gathered in Trafalgar Square yesterday afternoon to pay tribute to Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park. A statue of Park – the man who masterminded the RAF’s victory in the Battle of Britain – was unveiled on the Fourth Plinth to warm applause from assembled war veterans, family members, current members of the RAF, media and assorted dignitaries.

The statue was the result of a two-year long campaign begun by London financier Terry Smith and supported by, among others, Sir Patrick Moore, Tony Benn, Sir Richard Hadlee, Edward Fox, Frederic Forsythe, Peter Jackson and Boris Johnson.



Until now, the New Zealand-born Park had been a little-known figure and his vital contribution to the war effort inexplicably overlooked. Historian Stephen Bungay wrote that victory in the Battle of Britain was down to three men: "The first was Winston Churchill. He decided to fight it. The second was Hugh Dowding. He built the system that made victory possible. The third was Keith Park. He wielded the weapon that Dowding had forged."

By all accounts, Park was a brilliant and decisive tactician, an inspirational leader, and a humble approachable man. Without his nous, bravery and leadership, it's likely that the Battle of Britain would have been lost. After seeing Park at work, Churchill declared that "all his arrangements and apparatus had been brought to the highest perfection". Lord Tedder said that "If any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did". The Germans themselves even referred to Park as the "Defender of London". 

The undoubtedly impressive, but understated, bronze statue was created by artist Lee Johnson to reflect Park's "quiet confidence and determination". It is to stand on the Fourth Plinth for six months before being relocated permanently to Waterloo Place, a fitting tribute to a great man, to whom we all owe so much.

www.sirkeithpark.com

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All photos: Sgt Andy Malthouse ABIPP / MOD

Tom Jeffreys