601 Squadron Sculpture, RAF Museum, Hendon

On Wednesday 13th May 2009 members of the 601 Squadron Old Comrades Association assembled to unveil a memorial sculpture marking both the winding up of the Association and the fifteen years that 601 (County of London) Squadron, (Royal) Auxiliary Air Force spent at Hendon pre-WW2.

The sculpture was designed by Sam Bofey and can be found on the grassed area near the ‘Milestones of Flight’ entrance.

(Above) Sir Torquil Norman (L) of the 601 Association invites Air Marshal Ian Macfadyen CB OBE (R) to unveil the sculpture

(Above) the sculpture features 601’s ‘Flying Sword’ emblem

(Above) an embedded plaque gives a brief history of 601

(Above) the ‘Bentley Blower’ once owned by American volunteer Billy Fiske, who was killed in action with 601 in 1940, was present on the day thanks to the generosity of its current owner. (For the full story of Billy Fiske click here)

(Above) the unveiling was followed by a reception where some items from the Museum’s 601 Squadron collection were on show

(Above) 601 has an enthusiastic following in the United States in the form of a ‘history recreated” group that mounts displays of uniforms etc at aviation events in the Eastern US. Three members of the group – James Ivers, Scott Rall and John Wheeler – made the journey to Hendon and here James Ivers explains their interest to the press (www.601squadron.com)