- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 13403
- Description
- Stone pillar with inscribed Banff Strike Wing plaque and a smaller plaque below it. The reverse of the pillar has a plaque depicting the crests of the six RAF Banff Strike Wing Squadrons. There is another small pillar alongside, also with a plaque on it. The Pillar is situated in a small Memorial Garden. Each tree is dedicated to one of the Strike Wing Squadrons. A wooden seat has a metal plaque.
See also our memorial reference 80512 for the Banff Strike Wing Book of Remembrance at St Mary's Church, Banff.
There is also a smaller stone with a plaque dedicated to the work of 10 (P) AFU
- Inscription
- THE RAF BANFF STRIKE WING/ THIS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES THE/ MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED WITH THE/ SIX MULTI-NATIONAL SQUADRONS WHICH/ FORMED THE BANFF STRIKE WING AT/ RAF BANFF BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1944/ AND MAY 1945. UNDER THE COMMAND/ OF GROUP CAPTAIN THE HON. MAX AITKEN/ THE MIXED MOSQUITO AND BEAUFIGHTER/ UNITS MOUNTED CONCENTRATED/ ATTACKS ON GERMAN SURFACE VESSELS/ AND U-BOATS IN THE NORTH SEA AND/ ALONG THE NORWEGIAN COAST./ THEIR SUCCESS IN THE CLOSING MONTHS/ OF WORLD WAR II WAS IMPORTANT/ IN THE DEFEAT OF GERMANY AND/ STRIKE WING AIRCRAFT OPERATING/ FROM THE AIRFIELD NEAR HERE/ INFLICTED HEAVY DAMAGE ON ENEMY/ SHIPPING AND SUPPLY ROUTES./ MANY THOUSANDS OF TONS OF VITAL/ IRON ORE AND OTHER SUPPLIES WERE/ LOST TO THE GERMAN FORCES AS A/ RESULT OF ROCKET AND CANNON/ ATTACKS CARRIED OUT BY THIS/ GALLANT STRIKE WING. LOSSES/ AMONGST THE RAF COMMONWEALTH/ AND NORWEGIAN SQUADRONS WERE HIGH. MORE THAN 80 AIRCREW/ GAVE THEIR LIVES FLYING WITH/ THE RAF BANFF STRIKE WING.
Small plaque below main plaque: Erected by / The RAF Banff Memorial Trust / from proceeds provided by all station personnel, / and interested parties in Britain / the Commonwealth and Norway / September 1989
Rear of main stone: Squadron badges
COASTAL COMMAND / ROYAL AIR FORCE / CONSTANT ENDEAVOUR
SQUADRON / 143 / ROYAL AIR FORCE / VINCERE EST VIVERE
SQUADRON / 144 / ROYAL AIR FORCE / WHO SHALL STOP US
SQUADRON / 235 / ROYAL AIR FORCE / JACULAMUR HUMI
SQUADRON / 248 / ROYAL AIR FORCE / IL FAUT EN FINIR
(NORWEGIAN) SQUADRON / 333 / FOR KONGE, FEDRELAND FLAGGETS HEDER
THE CRESTS OF THE SIX / RAF BANFF STRIK WING SQUADRONS
Section below:
<Silhouette of Mosquito> <Plan of RAF Banff> <Silhouette of Beaufighter>
The plan above shows RAF Banff and its aircraft during the period / when the Banff Strike Wing was active. Lying a mile to the North- / east of this memorial the airfield was opened on April 21, 1943, as a / training base. The station reached its zenith in the winter of 1944/45 / as one of Britain's Strike Wing bases at which time it had a / complement of around 3000 personnel including several hundred / WAAF. The station's life was brief. but intensely active, RAF Banff / closed in the middle of 1946.
Stone alongside main pillar:
<RAF badge> / RAF BANFF / 14 (P) AFU-May 1943 to August 1944 / This stone marks the achievements of Number 14 (Pilot) / Advanced Flying Unit which was based at RAF Banff for / 15 hectic months during World War II. In that period they / trained 2,136 pilots on twin-engine Airspeed Oxfords and / flew a staggering 149,412 hours. Because they had to make / way for the Banff Strike Wing in the autumn of 1944, / Number 14 (P) AFU were required to accelerate their / training programme to achieve the highest possible number / of trained pilots. To that end the last 10 weeks of their / existence before disbandment on August 31, 1944, saw the / unit train 620 pilots and fly a remarkable 35,516 hours. / Erected by the RAF Banff Strike Wing Memorial Trust / November 1992
Rear of stone:
R.A.F. / BANFF
Trees:
143 SQN.
248 SQN.
404 SQN. / (Canada)
333 SQN. / (Norway)
235 SQN.
144 SQN.
Wooden seat:
PRESENTED TO / THE R.A.F. BANFF ASSOCIATION / IN MEMORY OF THOSE / AIRMEN & WOMEN / WHO SERVED AT R.A.F. BANFF / BY / JIM CAMPBELL SCOTPLAY LTD / 2007
