In Honour of the Few.

Today, two old school chums Ron Evans and Laurie Smith, both 84, will be collecting money on Darlington High Road in aid of the annual Wings Appeal, a task they have performed with pride for many years.

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Ron, formerly a Lancaster Bomber navigator, flew 29 sorties over war-torn Germany with 90 Squadron at the end of the second World War.

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Laurie, formerly a Spitfire pilot, flew Spitfires in combat against the Japanese in the Far East during the same period.

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This site would like to pay tribute to these two fine gentlemen and their many colleagues across the country who are not only living history, but also serve as a reminder to those born after the end of the war of the sacrifices made by so many. Lest we forget, we owe so much to these gentlemen and their compatriots.

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This week The Battle of Britain was commemorated on the 15th, the day was the height of the Battle of Britain when sixty five years ago, over 1,000 German bombers attacked London over a tewnty four hour period.

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There is a regrettable trend in the psyche of modern Britain to denigrate our war heroes and belittle our military achievements. The latest trendy revisionists assertions is that the Battle of Britain, was (as if were a game of cricket) a draw.

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This is as laughable as is the nonsensical view the the Royal Navy could have saved the nation had Fighter Command ceased to exist in late August 1940 - as indeed it very nearly did.

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The failure by the Luftwaffe to secure its objective of control of the skies over southern England resulted in Hitler abandoning Operation Sealion, the land invasion of the then might of the German Army on the south coast. The achievement of RAF's fighter command under the cool leadership of Air Chief Marshall (later Lord) Dowding from July to October 1940 - the duration of the Battle of Britain - is rightly regarded as one of our nations most important military victories.

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Thus the Battle of Britain Monument, to be unveiled tomorrow (Sunday 18 September) on the Thames Embankment in London rightly celebrates and honours the courage of the few and particularly the 544 RAF Pilots (who's average age was 20) who lost their lives sixty five years ago.

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They (famiously dubbed 'the few' by Churchill in the House of Commons ) are all rightly remembered because of their dedication, courage and tenacity which, trendy thinking apart, is considered to have thwarted Hitler and his henchmen's plans for the Nazi occupation of Britain.

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Gentleman, carry on rattling your tins in continued defiance of ever present threats to our national freedoms.

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Ad astra, ad adsurdum.