Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Battle of Britain Memorial
United Kingdom
Statue of a seated pilot at the Battle of Britain Memorial
For the RAF casualties of the Battle of Britain
Unveiled	9 July 1993
Location	near  Capel-le-Ferne
Designed by	Harry Gray

The Battle of Britain Memorial is a special place. It honors the brave pilots and aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. This important monument stands proudly on the famous White Cliffs of Dover. You can find it near Capel-le-Ferne, close to Folkestone, on the coast of Kent.

Remembering Heroes: The Memorial's Story

This memorial was created by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. It was officially opened on 9 July 1993. The Queen Mother herself unveiled it.

The main part of the monument looks like a giant propeller. In the middle sits a statue of a pilot. This pilot was carved by an artist named Harry Gray. Because of its huge propeller shape, some people even call it a hill figure.

What You Can See at the Memorial

Besides the main monument, there are other cool things to see. You can find life-size models of two famous planes. These are the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire. These were the types of planes flown by the heroes of the Battle of Britain.

There is also the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall. On this wall, you can read the names of nearly 3,000 fighter aircrew. These are the brave people who flew during the Battle of Britain.

In October 2010, The Duchess of Cornwall visited the site. She unveiled a special statue there. It was a bust, or head and shoulders sculpture, of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park. This sculpture was made by Will Davies.

The Wing: A Modern Visitor Centre

A new building called The Wing opened at the memorial. It has a very cool design. It looks just like the wing of a Spitfire plane! It even has the special angle that real plane wings have.

Architects Godden Allen Lawn and engineers Crofton Consulting designed the building. Epps Construction built it. Her Majesty the Queen opened The Wing on 26 March 2015. It even won an award in 2016 for 'Project of the Year'.

Inside The Wing: The Scramble Experience

The Wing is not just a regular museum. It's designed to be an experience! Inside, there's a central area called The Scramble Experience. This area feels like a plane's cockpit.

From an open balcony, you get amazing views across the English Channel. This is the same view from where German planes would have appeared in 1940. A high-tech screen shows old film footage of German aircraft. This film is shown right over the real view outside. It helps you imagine what it was like during the battle.

Images for kids

• Battle of Britain Memorial
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  Memorial Wall

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  Spitfire Replica