I appreciate this is a long post but please read to the end.
I wish to make people aware of a recent decision by the UK Minister of Defence, Anna Soubry to save £50,000 from her budget and close the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Chapel at Biggin Hill. Pilots from UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Poland, Czechoslovakia, all fought and died in the Battle of Britain. So this decision affects not only the MOD budget. I would like to know, were the Governments of these other allied nations consulted before the decision was made, and if so, how do they feel about their veterans being so publicly insulted and ignored?
Winston Churchill wrote in 1951 about what he thought should be a 'Permanent Shrine of Remembrance' - 'As a nation we have short memories, and it is well (this memorial) should bring to our remembrance the cost of victory in the days when one of our fighter pilots had to be worth ten. They died without seeing the reward of their efforts; we live to hold their reward inviolate and unfading.'
The UK Ministry of Defence closed the RAF base at Biggin Hill in 1992. The base dated back to the days of the Royal Flying Corps in WW1. Some of the surviving buildings were put on the 'buildings at risk' register by English Heritage in 2006. Anna Soubry the current Minister of Defence has gone on record about funding the Memorial Chapel, that it 'no longer provides support to an operational RAF station and as the number of serving RAF personnel using the chapel is very low, continued support to the chapel would be an inappropriate use of defence resources'
I think the UK has a moral obligation to fund and keep this Memorial Chapel open, which transcends any argument about money.
The cremated remains of deceased pilots have been scattered in the grounds of the Memorial Chapel in accordance with their wishes, so it is also a burial site for some of the veterans.
The RAF suffered serious losses of pilots from Fighter Command, Bomber Command and Coastal Command during the period of the Battle of Britain, which was having an effect on it's ability to fight. The RAF found it a lot harder to replace pilot losses, than it did aircraft losses. To any family who lost a son, brother, husband or father, the effect of their loss was devastating and the impact of their loss has come down the generations. I know, as members of my own family served as RAF aircrew and to have someone 'killed in action' is a painful, heartfelt loss tinged with pride, but devastating to the family all the same. I have to say, I am outraged by the actions of The UK Minister of Defence and the UK Government in deciding to close this war memorial. It speaks more eloquently about the odious, arrogant, greedy, self serving politicians than anyone can say. They have none of the moral fibre, bravery, courage, or selflessness of the brave men they insult.
If you feel that the decision by the UK Minister of Defence is wrong, I would urge you to sign the online petition to try to get the UK Govt to reverse their decision. The online petition can be found here:-
http://epetitions.di...petitions/73191
In the second instance, make contact with your local politicians about the decision. This is especially important in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa because you need to establish if the UK Govt consulted with other allied nations about this. The UK Govt needs to be publicly humiliated and condemned by all right thinking people for this decision. It is a shameful and dispicable act in direct contradiction of the veterans and Winston Churchill's wishes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Yours in cycling
iron legs
I wish to make people aware of a recent decision by the UK Minister of Defence, Anna Soubry to save £50,000 from her budget and close the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Chapel at Biggin Hill. Pilots from UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Poland, Czechoslovakia, all fought and died in the Battle of Britain. So this decision affects not only the MOD budget. I would like to know, were the Governments of these other allied nations consulted before the decision was made, and if so, how do they feel about their veterans being so publicly insulted and ignored?
Winston Churchill wrote in 1951 about what he thought should be a 'Permanent Shrine of Remembrance' - 'As a nation we have short memories, and it is well (this memorial) should bring to our remembrance the cost of victory in the days when one of our fighter pilots had to be worth ten. They died without seeing the reward of their efforts; we live to hold their reward inviolate and unfading.'
The UK Ministry of Defence closed the RAF base at Biggin Hill in 1992. The base dated back to the days of the Royal Flying Corps in WW1. Some of the surviving buildings were put on the 'buildings at risk' register by English Heritage in 2006. Anna Soubry the current Minister of Defence has gone on record about funding the Memorial Chapel, that it 'no longer provides support to an operational RAF station and as the number of serving RAF personnel using the chapel is very low, continued support to the chapel would be an inappropriate use of defence resources'
I think the UK has a moral obligation to fund and keep this Memorial Chapel open, which transcends any argument about money.
The cremated remains of deceased pilots have been scattered in the grounds of the Memorial Chapel in accordance with their wishes, so it is also a burial site for some of the veterans.
The RAF suffered serious losses of pilots from Fighter Command, Bomber Command and Coastal Command during the period of the Battle of Britain, which was having an effect on it's ability to fight. The RAF found it a lot harder to replace pilot losses, than it did aircraft losses. To any family who lost a son, brother, husband or father, the effect of their loss was devastating and the impact of their loss has come down the generations. I know, as members of my own family served as RAF aircrew and to have someone 'killed in action' is a painful, heartfelt loss tinged with pride, but devastating to the family all the same. I have to say, I am outraged by the actions of The UK Minister of Defence and the UK Government in deciding to close this war memorial. It speaks more eloquently about the odious, arrogant, greedy, self serving politicians than anyone can say. They have none of the moral fibre, bravery, courage, or selflessness of the brave men they insult.
If you feel that the decision by the UK Minister of Defence is wrong, I would urge you to sign the online petition to try to get the UK Govt to reverse their decision. The online petition can be found here:-
http://epetitions.di...petitions/73191
In the second instance, make contact with your local politicians about the decision. This is especially important in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa because you need to establish if the UK Govt consulted with other allied nations about this. The UK Govt needs to be publicly humiliated and condemned by all right thinking people for this decision. It is a shameful and dispicable act in direct contradiction of the veterans and Winston Churchill's wishes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Yours in cycling
iron legs
