This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Andrew Gray (talk | contribs) at 18:04, 23 June 2006 (Reverted edits by Burnley Masher (talk) to last version by CalJW). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 18:04, 23 June 2006 by Andrew Gray (talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by Burnley Masher (talk) to last version by CalJW)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment overlooking the River Thames in central London, England which pays tribute to those who took part in the Battle of Britain during World War II. It was unveiled on 18 September 2005.
The monument was initiated by the Battle of Britain Historical Society, and was funded by private donations. The budget was £1.74 million and Lord Tebbit was chairman of the fundraising committee.
The monument utilises a panelled granite structure 25 metres long which was originally designed as a smoke outlet for underground trains when they were powered by steam engines. A walkway was cut obliquely through the middle of the structure, and is lined with panels of high relief sculpture in bronze depicting scenes from the Battle of Britain. The centrepiece is an approximately life sized sculpture of airmen scrambling for battle. The outside of the momument is lined with bronze plaques listing all the airmen who took part in the Battle on the Allied side.
The sculptor of the monument is Paul Day and the architects are Donald Insall Associates. The statute was cast by Morris Singer Ltd, which is the oldest established fine art foundry in the world and has cast many prominent statues and sculptures in London and around the world, including the lions and fountains in Trafalgar Square.