Memory in Bronze

Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, the New Zealander who led the Battle of Britain against Germany in 1940, deserves recognition from the city of London according to British politicians and senior RAF officers. Backers for a memorial of Sir Keith have launched a bid to place a statue of the pilot on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth in London. The campaign is being led by London-based New Zealand philanthropist Terry Smith, who is willing to spend £100,000 on a bronze sculpture of Sir Keith. Smith said the statue would be a more fitting use of the plinth than its current role as a showcase for contemporary art. “It is unbelievable that there is no recognition of a man who made such a massive contribution to Britain’s defence,” he said. “The Germans called him the defender of London.” An online petition can be signed at www.sirkeithpark.com.