Battle of Britain Monument

  • Home
  • The Battle
    • The Battle
      • Nazi Plans
    • Battle Key Facts
  • The Monument
    • The Monument
    • Monument Key Facts
    • Description of Monument Scenes
    • Background to the Monument
      • The sculptor’s vision
    • The Project
      • The Project
      • Monument Site
      • History
      • The Story of the Unveiling
  • The Airmen
    • The Airmen
      • British Airmen
      • Australian Airmen
      • Barbadian Airmen
      • Belgian Airmen
      • Canadian Airmen
      • Czechoslovakian Airmen
      • French Airmen
      • Irish Airmen
      • Jamaican Airmen
      • Polish Airmen
      • Newfoundland Airmen
      • New Zealand Airmen
      • Rhodesian Airmen
      • South African Airmen
      • United States Airmen
    • Compiling the list
  • Of Interest
    • Of Interest
    • Places of Interest
    • Art and Literature
    • Research Topics
  • Visiting
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Thanksgiving Service
      • Thanksgiving Service 2022
You are here: Home / The Monument / Background to the Monument

Background to the Monument

Background to The Monument

The initial idea for the monument came from the Battle of Britain Historical Society who felt it was important to recognise one of the key battles of World War II. If we had lost that battle there was a good chance that we would have lost the war. The Society believed that such a tremendous achievement had not been properly recognised and wanted to address the lack of awareness of the battle and its importance amongst subsequent generations.

We are extremely grateful to Westminster Council who donated a superb site on the Victoria Embankment. The location is on the north side of the river Thames between the RAF Memorial and Westminster bridge.

The site is based on an existing panelled granite structure 25 metres long. This structure was originally designed as a smoke outlet for underground trains when they were powered by steam engines and had been filled up and blocked for many years.

A walkway was cut obliquely through the middle of the existing structure and bronze reliefs, depicting aspects of the Battle in the air and the back-up on the ground, are positioned along either side. Bronze plaques holding in raised relief the names and ranks of the airmen who took part in the battle are mounted around the outside of the monument, the airmen's names being grouped under their respective countries.

Read about the sculptor's original vision for the monument
Battle of Britain Monument

About The Monument

  • History of the Project
  • The Monument Now
  • Visitor Information

The Battle of Britain


The Airmen who flew in the Battle

The Battle Thanksgiving Service

© 2008–2022 Friends of the Battle Of Britain Monument. All Rights Reserved.