Sir Keith Park statue unveiled

A statue of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, the New Zealand aviator who played a pivotal role in the Battle of Britain was unveiled in Thames on Sunday 14 September.

It marked the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Born in Thames, Sir Keith fought in First World War at Gallipoli, and the Battle of the Somme. He transferred to Royal Flying Corps and became a flying ace on the Western Front.

Following the First World War, he remained with the RAF and in 1940 was given command of the No.11 Group. Between the July and October of 1940, No.11 Group bore the brunt and ultimately withstood the German Luftwaffe's offensive and winning the Battle of Britain.

Sculptured by Joanne Sullivan, the 2.3 metre bronze statue was the culmination of years of dedicated effort by Geoff Furkert and the Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield Inc Society.

The Veterans' Affairs Commemorative Project Fund

We were able to contribute to this project through our commemorative project fund. This fund supports New Zealand-based projects that recognise veterans' sacrifice. The fund can support reunions, public memorials and statues. If you have a project that you think might fit this criteria, visit our commemorative project page.

Visit the commemorative project page