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Post by corsair67 on Mar 8, 2008 17:06:30 GMT 12
Most schoolkids only seem to be interested in what the latest Hip Hop/R 'n B/Pop stars are up to, and which way round you should wear your baseball cap this week!
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Post by vgp on Mar 8, 2008 17:29:12 GMT 12
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 8, 2008 21:22:04 GMT 12
Big hitters back plan for Kiwi hero's statue By HANK SCHOUTEN - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 08 March 2008
A campaign to have Battle of Britain leader Sir Keith Park, a New Zealander, honoured with a statue in London's Trafalgar Square has gained heavyweight British support.
The campaign to erect a statue of Sir Keith in the square was officially launched yesterday. Backers include British politicians Boris Johnson, Brian Paddick and Tony Benn, Royal Air Force leader Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, historians David Starkey and Antony Beevor, and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore.
Sir Keith commanded the RAF squadrons that defended London and the southeast from German air attack in 1940.
Royal Air Force chief Lord Tedder said of Sir Keith: "If any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did.
"I do not believe it is realised how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save not only this country but the world."
The man who started the campaign, London-based Kiwi businessman Terry Smith, has committed $240,000 for the statue of the man dubbed London's "neglected hero".
Mr Smith said Trafalgar Square commemorated Admiral Horatio Nelson, who defended Britain in its hour of need, yet there was no public memorial to Sir Keith Park.
There are plinths on each of the four corners of Trafalgar Square. Three hold statues of George IV, Henry Havelock and Sir Charles Napier.
The fourth was intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but it was never built. It is now the location for specially commissioned art works. "It is hard to imagine that the fourth plinth could serve a greater purpose than commemorating a man who did so much for this country," Mr Smith said. "Hitler's failure to beat the RAF in 1940 forced him to call off his plans for invading Britain."
A range of statues has been suggested – harmonica player Larry Adler suggested one of Moby-Dick could be called the Plinth of Whales – and five years ago there was an appeal to erect a statue of Nelson Mandela. South Africa House, outside which many anti-apartheid demonstrations were held, is on a corner of Trafalgar Square.
A bronze statue of Sir Keith is being commissioned from New Zealand sculptor Roderick Burgess. An online petition can be signed at sirkeith park.com.
-with NZPA
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Mar 8, 2008 21:38:02 GMT 12
Why a statue?,why not something useful and living such as a scholarship or award or aviation museum to acknowlege a great Kiwi.A statue in England is just another bombing range for pigeons.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 10, 2008 9:57:07 GMT 12
Statues have a lot of meaning for a lot of people. Lord Nelson may be a distant memory in the minds of most people had it not been for Nelson's Column. A statue in Trafalgar Square will certainly put the name Sir Keith Park back ionto people's minds.
As for musuems, well the Sir Keith Park Collection at Motat exists, but as pointed out even their staff seem bewildered as to who the bloke was!
What does a scholarship prove? Not much unless you're the one or two people a year who win it. It doesn't bring the memory back to mind to the masses, does it?
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Post by flycookie on Apr 19, 2008 15:01:15 GMT 12
Following excerpt from a (much longer) column in the FT. Forum members with good memories will recall that Mrs Moneypenny's previous columns almost single-handedly put the plan for a statue of Sir Keith in Trafalgar Square in the public eye and found the gazillionaire to fund said statue. Needless to say, the incumbent mayor of London, "Red Ken" Livingstone, is vehemently opposed to the idea. He prefers the Fourth Plinth to be used for "public art" and "modern, multicultural" stuff rather than "glorifying the dead empire," and so on. You get the idea. www.ft.com/cms/s/0/04808a4a-09b9-11dd-81bf-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1+++We are of course much closer to London’s mayoral election on May 1. Boris Johnson has shortened his odds of success but before voting for him – or indeed anyone else – I want to know what their position is on non-doms, or rather one non-domicile in particular. It is said that Boris supports the campaign to have a statue of Sir Keith Park, a New Zealander and hero of the first and second world wars, placed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. But does he? Boris, we want to know where you stand on where Sir Keith should stand!+++
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Post by paddy on Apr 21, 2008 10:13:01 GMT 12
I actually marched in Sir Keith's funeral parade. I was on my Armament Mechanic's course at Hobsonville at the time. None of us had been taught to slow march before so we just marched in 1/2 time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 21, 2008 13:06:37 GMT 12
That's quite something. So I guess he had a State Funeral? Where is he buried?
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Post by paddy on Apr 21, 2008 16:16:25 GMT 12
That's quite something. So I guess he had a State Funeral? Where is he buried? Sorry Dave, all I can say is somewhere in Auckland although going from memory (33 years ago) it wasn't to far from Hobsonville (The parade that is)
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Post by stu on May 5, 2008 19:08:27 GMT 12
www.tv3.co.nz/Video/LondonsnewmayorbacksKiwiwarherostatue/tabid/309/articleID/54748/cat/64/Default.aspx#video(might need to copy and paste the link) London's new mayor backs Kiwi war hero statueMon, 05 May 2008 05:54p.m. London's new mayor is backing plans to have a Kiwi war hero honoured with a statue in the centre of the city.
The campaign for a statue of Sir Keith Park has arrived in New Zealand, with its wealthy backer travelling here to meet Sir Keith's descendants.
Sir Park's leadership and bravery helped win the Battle of Britain. His nephew, who is also called Keith, says the man he is named after would want his statue to honour everyone who fought.
"He'd regard it as a tribute to his associates and the young fellows who flew the aircraft," said Dr Keith Park.
English businessman Terry Smith is funding the statue campaign and says it is a fitting way to celebrate one of the few that too few now remember.
"I occasionally get people who say, 'Well, I've never heard of him,'" says Mr Smith. "The only legitimate response is, 'Well, you should of because of what he did.'"
Smith arrived in New Zealand today to meet Sir Park's family and talk to politicians. He says there is wide support for the statue to go up in the heart of London.
"We've just had a new mayor elected in London who is committed to this so I think our chances are good."
A model of the six-metre statue was unveiled last month, showing how the mastermind of the RAF's victory would command the airspace of Trafalgar square.
With funding in place and backing from the new mayor of London, Mr Smith hopes plans for the statue will be finalised by September, in time for the 68th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
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Post by vgp on Jun 7, 2008 10:51:59 GMT 12
Kiwi war hero to get statue in central London NZPA | Saturday, 07 June 2008 A statue honouring New Zealand war hero Sir Keith Park will be erected in central London, the city's mayor Boris Johnson has confirmed. Defence Minister Phil Goff had delivered a letter to Mr Johnson on behalf of all New Zealand Parliamentarians in support of the Sir Keith Park Memorial campaign. "I expressed to the Mayor that unanimity among New Zealand parliamentarians was unusual, but in this case there was strong support across the whole House for a move to recognise and honour the critical contribution by Sir Keith Park to winning the Battle of Britain," Mr Goff said. "Boris Johnson in response was adamant that Sir Keith Park's role would be recognised. "He said he strongly supported a statue of Sir Keith Park being placed on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square in time to commemorate in 2010 the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. "Thereafter, he favoured a permanent site for a statue in a prominent place in central London and suggested Waterloo Place, next to Pall Mall." The site of the statue was a matter for London and United Kingdom authorities to decide, Mr Goff said. "However, we agreed with the Mayor that his proposal would be appropriate, given its location in the heart of London, close to New Zealand House." Mr Goff said the statue would honour a man widely recognised for the critical role he played in helping win the Battle of Britain. "This was arguably the most critical battle leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany in the second World War. "As Commander of the 11th Group of Fighter Command, responsible for the defence of London and south east England, his inspirational leadership and brilliant tactics helped achieve a vital turning point in the war," Phil Goff said. He said the statue would also honour the contribution of the 12,000 New Zealanders who served in the RAF in the second World War, more than a quarter of whom gave their lives in "defence of England in the fight against Nazi tyranny". www.stuff.co.nz/4575966a11.html
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Post by stu on Jul 3, 2008 11:33:51 GMT 12
www.theaucklander.co.nz/news/story.cfm?storyID=3777118Sir Keith Parked!Britain wants to honour one of our greatest World War II heroes with a statue next to Nelson in Trafalgar Square. Auckland remembers him with a fake plane in the middle of an old rubbish dump. On the other side of the world, lofty Brits like London Mayor Boris Johnson, RAF leaders, historians and World War II veterans' groups are campaigning for an Aucklander to be honoured with a statue in Trafalgar Square. Sir Keith Park commanded the RAF squadrons that defended London and southeast England from German air attack in 1940 - the Battle of Britain. Back in Auckland, the man widely credited with saving Britain and the Commonwealth from Hitler is remembered with a replica warplane, sitting at the end of a pot-holed driveway in a former rubbish dump. It is grandly called "the Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield" and was intended to be an airstrip for light planes. No plane has ever taken off from the boggy back paddock at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Western Springs - despite it being named after the quiet Kiwi hero who launched thousands of planes against the Luftwaffe. And even this has not been achieved without a fight. The Bomber Boys, an association of New Zealanders who served in the RAF Bomber Command during World War II, made the memorial happen - and reckon that Auckland should do more to honour Sir Keith. The Bomber Command Association spent $60,000 to $70,000 of their own money on placing a replica of Sir Keith's Hurricane warplane on the site. The only reason it didn't cost more is that Bill Simpson, the association's 85-year-old president, negotiated free freight of the plane from London. "It took the Bomber Command to make it happen. We got it here and painted it with Sir Keith's flying number." The St Heliers resident, who served from 1941-45, says if Sir Keith is good enough to be honoured in Trafalgar Square, he deserves more prominent recognition in Auckland. For Sir Keith made his mark here after the war, as a city councillor in the 1960s and 70s, on the board of the Blind Institute (now the Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind) and as patron of veterans' groups. Sir Keith's niece, Lesley Park, remembers him being involved with setting up Auckland International Airport in the 60s. "Uncle Keith loved Auckland," she says. Bob Tizard, a Bomber Boy and former Deputy Prime Minister, says Sir Keith had a huge influence on how Auckland was shaped after the war. Auckland city councillor Greg Moyle says Motat is probably the right place for any tribute to Sir Keith but believes the council would be open to other possibilities. The airport or Whenuapai Air Base could be appropriate. "Maybe it could be a suggestion for naming the new runway at the Auckland Airport," he says. Another councillor, Graeme Easte, says Sir Keith has already been recognized with the Motat site but he had a whole other life aside from the war. "An Auckland memorial may be appropriate to coincide with unveiling of the London statue." The region has one other memorial to one of history's greatest pilots Sir Keith Park School for special needs children in Mangere is named for him.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2008 12:47:57 GMT 12
That article is a bit unfair to Motat.
I never knew that the site was intended to become a runway, there surely wouldn't be room for anything other than helicopters?
I didn't know their second Hurricane replica had also come from the UK, I thought they'd made it themselves.
General Sir Bernard Freyberg has a central Auckland street named after him and also it has a life sized statue in it. Why don't they do that with Sir Keith? He already has the memorial at Motat (which involves the replica Hurricane, a memorial sotne and garden and a display in the museum itself) plus Auckland War Memorial Museum also has a very nice dispaly on him that includes his actual uniform.
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Post by Bruce on Jul 3, 2008 13:04:37 GMT 12
We could do with some additional monument to Park here in NZ (perhaps Thames?) however it needs to be remembered that as far as our NZ history goes, he didnt do that much in the big picture, whereas for the UK, he was largely responsible for saving the nation at a critical point in time. His most significant memorial should quite rightly be in the UK. I too thought the article was a bit harsh on Motat...
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Post by stu on Jul 3, 2008 16:09:32 GMT 12
Somebody with an axe to grind perhaps?
I was a bit surprised at the vitriol in places in the article.
Admittedly I haven't been to Motat for far too long (live in the city - never see the sites) but from what I've read on this forum, I thought things were starting to improve markedly.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2008 23:01:24 GMT 12
Bruce, don't forget Park was also very influencial in saving Malta and in the North African and Middle Eastern air campaign too.
I think he did enough for New Zealanders to be recognised here, if Britain had fallen, we'd not have been too far behind. If Malta had fallen the Germans could easily have won the Mediterranean campaign and we'd have lost an entire army, almost an entire generation. Plus his work in NZ postwar is notable. And don't forget he was one of our top aces in WWI.
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Post by kiwichappers on Aug 29, 2008 4:52:35 GMT 12
Dave I have lifted from the latest campaign newsletter but think in the interest of spreading the word this would be acceptable here. I will be in London for this event [by hook or by crook] and am wondering if any one else from the forum is going. PM me for a me up. RAF Museum, Hendon, Saturday 13th September 2008, Battle of Britain Weekend The RAF Museum is holding a free ‘Open Air Living History Festival’ on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of September to demonstrate the story of the ‘FEW’ who defended London in 1940 from enemy attack, both days are ‘all day’ events. The Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign is pleased to be combining with the RAF Museum at Hendon where we will host an event in conjunction with KEA, New Zealand’s Global Talent Community Organisation, on Saturday 13th September. There will be a small charge (see attached newsletter) for this event which will enable our supporters to have access to an exclusive area not available to the general public where complimentary refreshments will be provided. The Campaign is providing a series of presentations throughout the afternoon by leading figures from the RAF, New Zealand Representatives and Terry Smith. There is a unique display of Sir Keith Park and the ‘FEW’ memorabilia, including a replica of the Battle of Britain plotting (control) room at RAF Uxbridge. Alongside side these there will be many more interactive activities for children and adults of all ages on the day. We look forward to meeting many of Sir Keith Park’s fellow countrymen, and our Campaign supporters, on Saturday 13th September at Hendon, to say thank you in person for your continued support. Kind regards Karl McCartney Campaign Director Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign www.sirkeithpark.com020 7200 7332
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Post by flycookie on Sept 13, 2008 16:14:15 GMT 12
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ff65b72-7d6a-11dd-bdbd-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1At last, a place for an unsung war hero in Trafalgar SquareBy Mrs MoneypennyPublished: September 13 2008 02:00 | Last updated: September 13 2008 02:00 Anniversaries are important. I am usually good at remembering anniversaries, such as the first time I met anyone significant, the first time I did anything special (shot my first grouse, for example), the first time I got married (all right, I've only got married once, but you never know), the birthdays of my children, and the anniversary of the day that I led the management buyout of our company. We make a big fuss of anniversaries in our company; every year we present staff members with flowers (or, in the case of our very few boys, alcohol) on the anniversary of the day that they joined, and on all birthdays we have cake and read out a specially commissioned poem. With more than 20 people in the company, it is just as well that we have a few budding Tennysons or the poet laureate duties might prove rather a burden. This weekend is the first anniversary of the only column I have ever written that has started a major campaign. On September 15 2007, I noticed that it was Battle of Britain day and offered my opinion that London was the poorer for not honouring the man who many believe did more to win the battle than anyone else. Sir Keith Park has many memorials to him in his home country of New Zealand, but for his inspired labours in the control room at RAF Uxbridge he was never given a permanent memorial in London. (I had not known that the control room was in Uxbridge, but I'm not surprised. Can any of you find Uxbridge on a map? Presumably they trusted in 1940 that neither could Hitler.) After I wrote that column, a wealthy London-based businessman wrote to the FT offering to fund a statue to Sir Keith and started a campaign to have it placed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. This produced an outpouring of letters and e-mails to me, him and the paper from all over the world. Every party in the New Zealand parliament has given its support, as has the new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, the MP for Westminster, Mark Field, and RAF boss Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy. All these, together with the veterans' organisations and the Battle of Britain Historical Society, have helped the campaign (www.sirkeithpark.com). This weekend, at the RAF Museum in Hendon, many people involved with the campaign meet to celebrate its success so far, and see a mock-up of the famous Uxbridge control room. On Saturday at 2pm, the businessman who launched the campaign with that letter to the FT will set out why Sir Keith should be remembered as one of Britain's greatest war heroes. Anyone can go along, and, if you feel like nipping over later, I can assure you that Hendon is much easier to find than Uxbridge. The event is being supported by KEA, an organisation that unites New Zealanders living outside New Zealand (www.keanewzealand.com). Why do so many work overseas? After all, they have the most beautiful country in the world. Mind you, we should be grateful that New Zealanders do leave to work elsewhere – we might all be speaking German here if they didn't. Which is why it is so pleasing that, a year on from my column, the Sir Keith Park Campaign has achieved what many said was impossible. Subject to planning approval by Westminster City Council, a statue of Sir Keith will be on the fourth plinth for six months from late autumn 2009. Thereafter, a permanent site will be found in a prestigious location nearby, the hope being that this will be in Waterloo Place. Seven sculptors are submitting designs and this month a committee will choose a winner. September 15 2010 will be the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and this may be the last major anniversary where veterans of the battle still survive in any number. How nice, then, that the anniversary is expected to be marked by the dedication of the permanent statue. Thank you, everyone. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
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Post by phil82 on Apr 21, 2009 13:41:25 GMT 12
I didnt realise Cobham Drive was named after a famous pilot. There is one in Wellington too. Wasn't Cobham Drive in Wellington is named after Lord Cobham, the ninth NZ Governor General [1957-62]? When I attended the RNZAF Charm School [Officers Training Squadron] in ...err.... a while ago, you were issued with a copy of Lord Cobham's Speeches as a guide to good , clear concise writing.
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Post by flycookie on May 5, 2009 10:46:22 GMT 12
Latest from the statue plan's creative - not mention very slim - originator in Saturday's FT. Which all of you should be regularly reading, BTW. When the statue is unveiled, and so on, I think Wonzaf contributors should pass the hat around and buy a jumbo box of white choccies for La M. She likes them, and, from what I can tell vis-a-vis her figure, is in dire need of all the calories. Poor, poor lass. www.ft.com/cms/s/2/be09111c-3389-11de-8f1b-00144feabdc0.htmlLate, lamented heroes and the memorials they deserveBy Mrs MoneypennyPublished: May 2 2009 01:19 | Last updated: May 2 2009 01:19 Do you ever look back? Raised on the principle that everyone is called to be a Bible scholar,I have read Genesis 19 too often ever to want to look back. Regret, in my view, is a wasted emotion. So when I was in Tokyo recently, it was with some trepidation that I caught the metro to Aoyama Itchome and walked past the house where we lived 10 years ago. I loved Tokyo and was concerned that seeing the house would lead me to yearn for a simpler time, when I worked in a bank, my biggest challenge was trying to write up my PhD thesis, and Cost Centre #2 went to school on the back of a bicycle. I need not have worried. The house now appears to be a daycare centre for babies and toddlers, and the thought of having another baby makes me feel completely exhausted. But looking back can sometimes be instructive. I walked past the house and on to the Aoyama cemetery, ostensibly to catch the last of the cherry blossom but also to sit somewhere peaceful, surrounded by the past, and think about the future. Here, between the graves, with their sotoba (think large ice-cream stick with the name of the deceased on it in ancient script), I sat under a cherry tree and considered the life and career of one of the famous names lying here, General Nogi Maresuke (1849-1912). General Nogi led the Japanese Third Army during the Russo-Japanese war and was in charge during the siege of Port Arthur which, while it was ultimately successful, cost 56,000 lives. When reporting on this to the Emperor, he offered his suicide in atonement, which the Emperor declined, saying that it would not be acceptable in his lifetime. Accordingly, on the day that the Emperor was buried, September 13 1912, Nogi and his wife committed seppuku, or ritual suicide. While sitting there under the tree I read the first chapter of Michael Korda’s book about the Battle of Britain, With Wings Like Eagles, kindly recommended to me by a reader and published in the UK this month. It contains a photograph of Sir Keith Park that I had not seen before, in the cockpit of his Hurricane. You may recall that since September 2007 I have been supporting a campaign to erect a statue to commemorate Sir Keith, a New Zealander and the critical tactical mind during the Battle of Britain. Nogi, having no heirs (both his sons were killed in combat), spent much of his personal fortune erecting memorials to those killed during the Russo-Japanese war. He also successfully petitioned the Japanese government to erect a Russian-style memorial in Port Arthur to the Russian dead of that campaign. Looking back will be harder if there is nothing to remind us of the people, especially those in the armed forces, who have made a difference in this world. This coming week, councillors in the City of Westminster meet to consider planning applications for a temporary statue of Sir Keith in Trafalgar Square, and a permanent statue in Waterloo Place to be unveiled on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2010. Let’s hope that, like General Nogi and me, they too believe in the importance of commemorating those who have served with distinction. As well as having a brilliant tactical brain, Sir Keith was an accomplished pilot. In May 1919, he flew a twin-engine Handley Page aircraft anti-clockwise around the UK, a distance of 1,600 miles, in about 30 flying hours. This week Terry Smith, the businessman who has led the campaign to erect a statue of Sir Keith, will follow Park’s example and fly himself around the UK to raise awareness of Sir Keith’s achievements. Smith is a history scholar. Studying history means looking back but – as we are often reminded – doing so in order to make sure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
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