The Runnymede Memorial
The Runnymede Memorial
Photographs by David Lawrence (Plane Talk
Forum)
During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and
women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than
17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with
the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of
these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at
Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometres by road west of London.
The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's
Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which
rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing
towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead
are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the
lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen.
Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal
Air Force motto, "Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:
IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO
KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS
AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE
The approximate break-up of the names are as follows:
Royal Air Force |
15,309 |
Woman's Auxiliary Air Force |
14 |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
3,041 |
Royal Australian Air Force |
1,393 |
Royal New Zealand Air Force |
576 |
South African Air Force |
17 |
Royal Indian Air Force |
7 |
Air Training Corps |
4 |
Air Transport Auxiliary |
10 |
British Overseas Airways Corporation |
9 |
Ferry Command |
9 |
TOTAL |
20,389 |
The seven names from the Royal Indian Air Force that are commemorated are shown below:
Date: 11/03/2010
Owner: Webmaster
Size: 4 items
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