Battle of Britain

There will shortly be a fly-past overhead St Paul's by the Battle of Britain memorial flight to mark the 70th anniversary of that extraordinary struggle — a critical moment when Hitler's Germany stood poised to destroy the RAF and pave the way for a possible invasion.

Like Trafalgar 135 years before, the future of our nation seemed to pivot on a single engagement. At Trafalgar a matter of hours west of Cadiz, at the Battle of Britain an assault that see-sawed through the late summer and autumn skies of 1940.

Goering had assured Hitler that the Luftwaffe would neutralise the RAF and that was to come close to reality — on August 30-31 we lost 65 fighters and six of the seven stations in the South East Sector were out of action. 'The few', as Churchill described them, were to prevail against heavy odds.

With the battle lost, Hitler switched to bombing our cities, notably London. But there were other cities that took it. In Devon some now aged over 80 can still recall the reflection of fire in the skies above Exeter and Plymouth.

We should never forget the pilots of the Hurricanes and Spitfires of those precarious days 70 years ago. It could be said that they saved our country, that, in a sense, we owe them all that we have.

As such, I believe, it would be reasonable to borrow for 'the few' the epitaph to Sir Christopher Wren that sits within the Crypt of St Paul's above the resting place of her great architect — below the skies through which the memorial flight will plough.

Part of it reads: 'Si Monumentum Requiris Circumspice' which, with a gentle turn, would serve well for the brave men of the RAF: 'If you seek thei­r monument — then look around.'