- Type of Memorial
- Serviceman / Servicewoman
- WMR Reference Number
- 25616
- Description
- Two stepped base surmounted square plinth and figure of the unknown airman. Dedicatory inscription on three tablets set into the front face of the plinth and two tablets set at the foot of the steps. The airman is in flying kit, gazing out to sea, holding his parachute in his right hand. Metal plaques with inscriptions are on the other three faces of the plinth.
- Inscription
- TABLET ONE: ROYAL AIR FORCE/ COMMONWEALTH & ALLIED AIR FORCES/ 1939 - 1945
TABLET TWO: TRIBUTE/ TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN OF GREAT BRITAIN/ AUSTRALIA, CANADA, INDIA, NEW ZEALAND,/ RHODESIA AND SOUTH AFRICA/ BELGIUM, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, DENMARK,/ FRANCE, GREECE, THE NETHERLANDS,/ NORWAY, AND POLAND./ THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA./ THE UNION OF SOVIET REPUBLICS/ & THOSE OF MANY OTHER NATIONS WHO SERVED/ IN ALL COMMANDS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE,/ COMMONWEALTH AND ALLIED AIR FORCES/ DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR./ THEIR COURAGE, SKILL AND DEVOTION TO DUTY/ WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER./ BY WINNING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, THE MEN/ AND WOMEN OF FIGHTER AND OTHER COMMANDS/ SAVED THIS COUNTRY FROM INVASION IN 1940./ "NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT HAS SO/ MUCH BEEN OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW."/ CHURCHILL/ COASTAL COMMAND PLAYED A VITAL ROLE/ IN KEEPING THE SEA LANES OPEN./ THE COMMANDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND/ THE FAR EAST MADE GREAT CONTRIBUTION/ TOWARDS FINAL VICTORY./ FROM THE OUTBREAK OF WAR THE BOMBER/ OFFENSIVE STEADILY INCREASED AND AFTER THE/ FORMATION OF THE PATHFINDER GROUP IN 1942/ VERY SEVERE DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED ON THE/ ENEMY BY THE CONSTANT NIGHT AND DAY/ OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY BOMBER COMMAND/ AND THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE./ CONTROL OF THE SKIES IN EUROPE IN 1944/ WAS A VITAL FACTOR TO THE SUCCESS OF THE/ NORMANDY LANDINGS. THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF/ TACTICAL AND BOMBER COMMANDS AND/ THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE THEN SPEARHEADED/ THE ALLIED ADVANCE ACROSS EUROPE./ THE INSPIRED LEADERSHIP OF BENNETT, DOWDING,/ HARRIS, PORTAL, SLESSOR AND TEDDER OF THE/ ROYAL AIR FORCE AND ARNOLD, BAKER AND SPAATZ/ OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PAVED THE WAY/ TO VICTORY IN 1945./ "NOW AT LAST THE BOMBER COMMANDS HAVE WON/ THE AIR BATTLE OF EUROPE OPENING THE PATH/ FOR VICTORY AND FREEDOM FOR THE ENSLAVED/ COUNTRIES OF EUROPE."/ CHURCHILL 1945/ HONOUR/ 107,000 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE/ 84,000 MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE/ 42,200 MEMBERS OF THE SOVIET AIR FORCE/ WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
TABLET THREE: THEY FLEW BY DAY AND NIGHT/ AND GAVE THEIR LIVES TO KEEP FOREVER BRIGHT/ THAT PRECIOUS LIGHT,/ FREEDOM
TABLET FOUR: ROYAL AIR FORCE COMMAND LOSSES/ 1939 - 1945/ FERRY 209/ WEST AFRICA 461/ WAAF 464/ BALLOON 499/ ARMY CO-OP 634/ MAINTENANCE 662/ TRANSPORT 1,147/ 2ND TACTICAL/ 2,828/ FLYING TRAINING 3,8563/ SEAC/ 6,162/ TECH TRAINING 7,345/ FIGHTER 7,436/ COASTAL 9,145/ MIDDLE EAST 13,225/ BOMBER 58,378/ BENEATH THIS MONUMENT ARE THE NAMES OF/ MANY AIRMEN AND WOMEN WHOSE RELATIVES/ WISH THEIR NAMES TO REMAIN IN PERPETUITY/ HERE ALSO REST THE ASHES OF/ AIR VICE MARSHAL D.C.T. BENNETT C.B. C.B.E. D.S.O./ COMMANDER OF THE PATHFINDER FORCE NO. 8 GROUP BOMBER COMMAND/ REQUIESCANT IN PACE
TABLET FIVE: IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO/ SINCE 1945/ HAVE CONTINUED/ THE FIGHT/ FOR FREEDOM
Plaque 1: ALMIGHT AND ALL PRESENT POWER/ SHORT IS THE PRAYER I MAKE TO THEE/ I DO NOT ASK, IN BATTLE HOUR, FOR ANY SHIELD TO COVER ME./ THE VAST UNALTERABLE WAY/ FROM WHICH THE STARS DO NOT DEPART/ MAY NOT BE TURNED ASIDE TO STAY/ THE BULLET FLYING TO MY HEART./ I ASK NO HELP TO STRIKE MY FOE,/ I SEEK NO PETTY VICTORY HERE./ THE ENEMY I HATE, I KNOW/ TO THEE, O GOD, IS ALSO DEAR./ BUT THIS I PRAY, BE AT MY SIDE/ WHEN DEATH IS DRAWING THROUGH THE SKY./ ALMIGHT GOD, WHO ALSO DIED,/ TEACH ME THE WAY THAT I SHOULD DIE./ H.R.BRODIE
Plaque 2: THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL AIR MONUMENT/ THIS PROJECT WAS FOUNDED IN 1981 BY JAMES DAVIS/ AND BUILT BY HIS COMMITTEE OF VL DAVIS, E. JAMES, D. TAYLOR,/ C. FLATT, L. SCOTT, D. TEAGUE., W. FLYNN., R. McSWEENY, & D. DAWSON IN 1989/ SCULPTRESS Mrs PAM TAYLOR/ STONEMASON MARTIN & SONS/ WE WISH TO THANK ALL PEOPLE CONCERNED WHO MADE DONATIONS/ ALSO PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL, TARMAC Co, ECCI, ARC Ltd, DML,/ PILGRIM PLANT HIRE Ltd, A&A FINISHERS Ltd & MAYO DEV Co/ P. HARRISON, V.D. JONES, B. DAVIS, G.E. TRICKEY & K. JEFFERY./ THEY ALL COMBINED TO MAKE THIS MONUMENT A REALITY./ UNVEILED BY/ AIR MARSHALL SIR JOHN CURTISS KCB KBE FRAcS/ 3rd SEPTEMBER 1989/ COUNCILLOR DENNIS H. DICKER LORD MAYOR
Plaque 3: HIGH IN THE BLACK MANTLE OF THE NIGHT/ ALONE WITH JUST THE MOONLIGHT ON THEIR WINGS/ THE VASTNESS OF THE ENDLESS UNIVERSE/ MADE THEM FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE KING OF KINGS/ THE NIGHT SEEMED LONG AS ENDLESS AS THE SKY/ NIGHT AFTER NIGHT THEIR NERVES WERE TIGHTLY DRAWN/ AND QUIETLY THEY PRAYED HE'D GUIDE THEIR/ HOMEWARD FLIGHT/ THAT THEY MAY LIVE TO SEE THE BEAUTY/ OF ANOTHER DAWN/ Jim Davis/ RAF Bomber Command
