Spirit of the Few Monument

The Spirit of the Few Monument is a memorial at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge which commemorates the 2,938 aircrew of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War.

After receiving favourable feedback on his concept from trustees of the museum, the art studio SPACER of Ramsgate was contracted to make the seven bronze statues, one for each of the pilots in the photograph.

[3] Each life-size statue was cast from a mould of a clay sculpture designed by Stephen Melton, work which took 14 months to complete.

Brocklehurst estimated from shadows cast in the photograph that it was taken at around 12:30 in the afternoon; one of the pilots is sculpted with a wristwatch showing this time.

[2] The unveiling of the monument, in the grounds of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at the former grass airfield at Hawkinge, was held on 29 July 2022, on the 82nd anniversary of the taking of the photograph that inspired it.

Pilots of 'B' Flight, No. 32 Squadron relax on the grass at Hawkinge in front of a Hawker Hurricane. This photograph is one of a series taken on 29 July 1940 which formed the inspiration for the 'Spirit of The Few' Monument, unveiled in 2022 at Hawkinge