14 Wing Greenwood will mark the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with two events, September 17 and 21.
Mid-week commemoration September 17
September 17, at 12:15 p.m., a service of commemoration will be held at St. Mark’s Chapel, Church Street, Greenwood. Members of the Defence Team, retired military members, and the public are welcome. Military dress is Ceremonial 1A with medals.
Parade, service September 21
A formal, 14 Wing Greenwood-hosted ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. September 21, at the Greenwood Civic Field, 904 Central Avenue, Greenwood; featuring a parade of four 30-member flights of 14 Wing personnel from various squadrons and units. The colour party will include members from 404 (Long Range Patrol and Training), 405 (Long Range Patrol), 413 (Transport and Rescue) and 415 (Long Range Patrol Force Development) squadrons, all of which formed during the Second World War. This event is open to the community. Guests are welcome to arrive after 1 p.m., and should be seated by 1:20 p.m. Limited seating will be available for VIP guests and those needing a seat; others are welcome to bring a folding chair. Military dress is Ceremonial 1A with medals; all others, please wear appropriate civilian attire. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to the Annapolis Mess, 14 Wing Greenwood, with an announcement made on or after September 17. Following the parade and service, there will be a small reception with cash bar at the VP International Centre, Ward Road.
The summer of 1940 was a dark time for the Allied Forces. A large portion of continental Europe had fallen to the Nazis, and Hitler was preparing to launch a full-scale invasion of Great Britain. First, he needed to dominate the airspace over the English Channel. His Luftwaffe (air force) needed to destroy the Royal Air Force.
The Battle of Britain was the first major battle fought almost entirely between opposing air forces. Waged from July to October 1940, it pitted a small group of Allied fighter pilots against the far larger German Luftwaffe. More than 100 Canadians participated in the Battle of Britain, most flying with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, and 23 lost their lives.
August 20, 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech, praising the airmen fighting the battle: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Overseas, the RCAF formed five new day-fighter squadrons in 1941. Battle of Britain veterans provided experience and knowledge to more than half of the new RCAF fighter squadrons up to the end of 1942.
