MEDWAY AIRCRAFT PRESERVATION SOCIETY
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PRESS RELEASE FROM MEDWAY AIRCRAFT
UNVEILING OF A MEMORIAL ON ROCHESTER AIRPORT TO COMMEMORATE THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN The Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L' Isle MBE DL laid a wreath
in memory of the fallen- military and civilian- at a memorial service
on Rochester Airfield on Monday July 19th, 2010. This was part of a county
wide tour by the Lieutenancy of Kent during the 70th anniversary year
of the Battle of Britain in which wreaths were laid at all the Battle
of Britain airfields in the county over two days. The wreath was laid
beside a memorial located in the garden near the control tower and was
built at the instigation of Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS)
Ltd. Designed and built by Gordon Newton of The Stone Shop Ltd, the Maidstone
stonemasons, it incorporates the squadron crest of No. 141 Squadron and
the Royal Air Force crest. Whilst the memorial commemorates the part played
by Rochester Airfield during the Battle of Britain and the bombing of
Short Brothers factory in particular, it also pays homage to ten aircrew
from No. 141 Squadron who lost their lives on July 19th, 1940, whilst
flying Boulton Paul Defiants from Hawkinge airfield on their first operation
since moving south from Scotland. This tragic episode became known as
'The Slaughter of the Innocents' and ended the Defiants role as a day
fighter. MAPS have in the workshop at this time the only remaining complete
Defiant which is undergoing refurbishment on behalf of the RAF Museum
at Hendon.
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