• Heroes of the Battle
• Aircraft
• Archaeology
• Books, Art and Films
• History of the Battle
• Logbook of an Ace

 

Email BOB TV for queries about Film footage and interviews below. Excerpts and screenshots from:

"A Place for Park" - Sir Keith Park - Defender of London  Battle of Britain . TV

 

'Never in the history of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'

(Winston Churchill - First uttered 16th August 1940 - after spending a few hours watching Park lead the Air Defence defence of Great Britain from one room in Uxbridge)

Statue of Sir Keith Park, 4th Plinth Trafalgar  square , 4th November 2009 Trafalgar Square is in the heart of London – the tourist focal point of the city.  The Square is Guarded by Admiral Nelson, watching over each corner –keeping an eye on the royal family, the government, the businesses and the people of London.  All of these were nearly lost in the summer of 1940. Those four corners have space for 4 other works of art. 3 are occupied. One stood empty for almost 160 years.  Now it is a space for the country's greatest artists. Most recently the imagination of the capital has been captured by Anthony Gormley's One and Other  - where 2500 living sculptures and works have brought colour to the capital.  On the 4th of November this exciting art will be replaced by a 5 metre statue of a calm, modest man looking to the skies, who did his job quietly.  Sir Keith Park.    What will London's locals and visitors make of him?  Who is this man, and how can his achievements be or interest or relevance to 'the kids of today'...? Battle of Britain TV travelled to Keith Park's native country of New Zealand to uncover the story behind the statue.

The Battle of Britain - The Air Defence against Hitler's planned invasion of Britain. July to October 1940.  There are four key names to remember in the context of the Battle of Britain. The Queen Mother, Dowding, Churchill & Park.     The Queen Mother lifted the spirits of a nation as she walked through the ruins of the city that was almost lost, and gave everyone the spirit and confidence to carry on. It would have been lost were it not for the RAF, their strategists and leaders, and 'The Few'  - the young pilots who took to the air. Dowding was the man who devised the strategy. Churchill was the man who approved it, Park was the man who implemented it. Sir Keith Park led the Air Defence of Great Britain, as Squadrons of young fighter pilots (Churchill's "Few" from around the Commonwealth) defended the island against the odds.  Through Park's leadership, the fighters pushed back wave upon wave of fighters and bombers until the invasion plans were dropped. His name and story has been unsung for almost 70 years. On the 4th of November he will be joining Nelson, and taking his position on the 4th Plinth. If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don't believe it is recognised how much this one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world," Sir Arthur Tedder - Royal Air Force - Chief of Air staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Vincent Orange

In September Battle of Britain TV travelled to Christchurch to interview Park’s Biographer, Professor Vincent Orange.  A full transcript is available from this revealing interview. In the words of statue Sculptor, Les Johnson, Vincent Orange's words inspired him in arriving at the final pose.  Personality:  Vincent Orange’s biography of Park ‘reveals a man whose unfailing energy, courage and cool resourcefulness won not only supreme praise from Churchill but the lasting respect and admiration of all who served under him.’  ‘Despite his natural reserve, Park had a compelling personality and a great charm of manner and men responded to his obvious concern to see a job sensibly done.  He was a practical, active man, shrewd and forthright, not given to brooding on the past.  He always looked ahead, looked skywards in fact, even in the last days of his life.’    Les Johnson, sculptor Sir Keith Park Memorial Statue

“He joined the army, and it was there his luck really began.  He was a gunner at Gallipoli on day one.  Then, having survived both the first day and Souvla Bay, he joined the British Army (God knows why, nobody knows!) and then transferred to France, where he served on the Somme! He was injured and his horse was killed underneath him as he was thrown into a ditch… He was so badly injured that the authorities declared him unfit for service, and that he must go home, back to New Zealand.   Well that didn’t suit Keith. And so he pulled strings, used his charm, did something or other and finally got himself into the Royal Flying Corps….” (excerpt from 11/2 hour interview with Professor Vincent Orange, Battle of Britain TV, 10th September 2009)

 

 

Sir Keith Park memorial, Haurari Aero Club, Thames

BOB TV paid a visit to Thames, Sir Keith’s home town, and located one of the few memorials to him:

“Sir Keith Park was born in 1892 here Thames, son of a Scottish Geologist, he was brought up in this mining town.  On the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain this memorial was raised in his honour. It is one of the only memorials, in New Zealand, and the UK, to Sir Keith Park.”  Battle of Britain TV, Thames 13 November 2009

 

 

"Planning permission for the statue was granted by Westminster Council on the 7th of May.  But this left only six months to create get together a five metre statue.  Who would be able to turn around such a magnificent project in such a short period of time?...

....New Zealander Peter Jackson had already expressed his support. (you may have heard of him...)   ...The decision was made to use Weta Workshops.

 

 

 

Weta Workshops

We felt it would be of interest to a wide audience, that the statue was being built by Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger, and Peter Jackson’s team, whilst working on some major films and science projects.       Weta Workshops, Miramar, New Zealand http://www.wetanz.com

On 8th September 2009 the Hobbit was finally signed off.   On 9th September Battle of Britain TV completed a visit to Weta Workshops, and filmed a half hour interview with founder and Creative Director, Richard Taylor and Terry Smith, as Richard's team put the finishing touches on the Statue of Sir Keith Park. ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ “…That we would be here today, discussing the final work on a figurative statue to remember him is incredible, because through the concerted effort of Terry and his team, an appropriate level of recognition is finally going to be given to truly one of New Zealand’s greatest war heroes – a significant player in the way that we now live our lives in the Western World.” Richard Taylor, Creative Director and Founder Weta Workshops, Miramar 9th September 2009 ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ We joined a behind the scenes tour, and caught Terry’s final thoughts before he returned to the UK. “ So Terry, the statue is finished but it’s closely under wraps, none of the public are seeing it yet..   Terry Smith, Weta Workshops, 9th September 2009, after final viewing of the statue ...That’s right.  Trying to find the right words is difficult.  It’s a very striking statue.  I think it will make a very big impact on people, not simply because of its size, although I think that is an important part of it.  Les Johnson’s sculpture, as you heard from Richard, is extra ordinary.  And what Weta have done with it, in turning it into the finished article is just about as extraordinary as well. What they can do is really quite amazing.  And everyone’s going to see it, in Trafalgar Square on the 4th of November, and I’m looking forward to seeing a member of the Park family and other veterans unveil that statue for us.”

 

 

 

Sculptor  - Les Johnson

 

"You come away from Weta thinking there isn’t anything that Weta cannot do.  If they haven’t done it before, they will find out how to do it and will do it to the highest quality. If they don’t have anybody in the house that has the expertise, they go out and they comb the world.  They have the top experts for every sort of thing.  Every day I used to walk along the corridors and see stuff that they had done in the past. It took a long time to absorb all of that and realise what had gone into it.

Battle of Britain TV– In terms of the chosen posture, which shows Keith looking resolutely to the sky, was there a particular inspiration for this? Les Johnson, Sculptor- I got some inspiration from his biographer. I read Vincent Orange’s book on Keith Park.  There were several paragraphs in that which I thought were something that I could use to try and capture the spirit of Keith Park in the sculptor.   There was a line indicating he was a man who looked to the skies and to the future, right up till the end of his life, so that was something which could be inspirational, not only to the sculptor, but also for people who would be viewing the sculpture, to see this man’s vision; this man’s confidence, his wide confidence.  Reading that, I have tried in my portrait to show a man of understated authority – a man whom other men respected and admired simply by force of his innate integrity and courage.  He was a ‘hands on’ commander, not someone comfortable sitting behind a desk. His posture and attitude to the difficult times,  defending Britain and London at a time of crisis.  And he did this with a very calm and level head apparently. He didn’t get fazed by the difficult situations which he obviously had to contend with, but dealt with them calmly and with confidence."

 

 

 

Plotter - Mabs Hoggard

 

In September we met with one of  the most unsung Battle of Britain veterans – Mabs Hoggard - a WAAF plotter, who worked in an 11 Group Control room under Sir Keith, and she now lives in Tauranga, New Zealand.

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ “This signifies just one plot of that particular raid.  It could signifiy a whole number of planes. They gave us the estimated number in the raid and where they were. We would plot them straight on the table, changing the colours every 5 minutes so the controller had an up to date knowledge of how old the plots were….  We were given the details from the secret ops.  The ones who were round the coast.  “Ahhh… Whitehall intrigue… That’s where the trouble was. Bader and Mallory wanted the Big Wings. Park sent up the squadrons almost individually. You know, if you had 36 fighters all in the air at once, you’d have lost half of them, wouldn’t you!  I think the reason he’s only now being commemorated is due to a guilt complex. What do you think?......” Battle of Britain TV interview with Mabs Hoggard, Tauranga 11th September 2009 “……You might think that. I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly comment.” N Lawson Battle of Britain TV

 

 

 

Special Operator Bairstow,  Wigram

 

We also met with one of the secret radar operatives who operated round the coast, as mentioned by Mabs, above…

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ “ I was a radar operator. Secret.  I used to tell the girl on the plotting table where the planes were. With the mechanics of the RDF we could find the direction, the height and what kind of a plane it was.” Special Operator Bairstow, Wigram, Christchurch 10th September 2009

 

 

Terry Smith, Motat

Interview with Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign financer Terry Smith, at is final presentation before the unveiling,  to the Park Family and supporters, Motat Auckland 8th September 2009 “A 5 metre high statue will be a very significant feature in Trafalgar Square. I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction of everybody in the campaign, of the family, of Londoners and visitors when they see this massive statue of Sir Keith on the 4th Plinth.  It will be a great culmination to our campaign, seeing it unveiled, seeing the Flypast, and seeing how people react to finally seeing a memorial.”

Terry Smith, Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign   ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™

 

 

Les Munro, the last Dambuster Pilot

 

In May Battle of Britain TV met the last surviving Dambuster pilot, Les Munro,  who had very positive comments about Sir Keith:     ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ Excerpt from 2 ½ hour interview with Les Munro

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ “ There was a move afoot a while ago to put Leonard Cheshire on the 4th plinth. Obviously I was a great fan of Leonard. But I think, from an international point of view, Sir Keith Park would be the best person to be represented on that 4th corner”   Les Munro the last of the Dambuster pilots ,Battle of Britain TV, May 2009

 

 

John Pattision DSO, DFC, Legion D'Honneur.  Last of the Few

In May Battle of Britain TV met with John Pattison, one of New Zealand's last surviving Battle of Britain Pilots, sadly no longer with us. John Pattison, DSO DFC Legion D’Honneur, 485 Sqn

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ “It was days of tremendous pressure. We used to fly out (during the Battle of Britain) 5 times a day…. 11 Group was the most important, it was in charge of the defence of London….  I believe Sir Keith was unfairly treated, but there was a lot of the ‘old boy’ situation. Keith Park was a New Zealander.  He wasn’t one of the top hierarchy Great Britain, which would have had something to do with it.  But after all, he won the Battle of Britain, so he couldn’t have been all that bad!” Excerpt from 2 hour interview with Johnny Pattison SQN Leader John Pattison, Battle of Britain TV 6th May 2009. Sadly SQN Leader John Pattison passed away on the 11th September during BOB TV's final visit to New Zealand. Our interview with him in May was his last.  Reference to Johnny’s last interview has been included with the blessing of his family.   View clip from our with John Pattison to hear his experiences first hand and learn more about Presenter Nick Lawson’s Battle of Britain connection:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Busby, Nightfighter

 

Flight Officer William Busby, 29 Sqn, 89 (NZ) Sqn, Beaufighters Excerpt from 3 days interview May - Sept   “..My name … is William Busby. I was adopted by Sam Busby, who was a Maori Chief in his own rights in what they call the rorora tribe. Northlands – North of Auckland. As you may not be aware, each district has its own tribe. …     … Just after the Battle of Britain I was put through a quick course – a new squadron – Nightfighters.  I joined 29 Squadron. Guy Gibson was my commanding officer…      During the battle of Britain, Park had limited number of fighters to face an onslaught of thousands of bombers and fighters coming over the channel. He couldn’t get all the planes up at once – they needed to refuel. He had to run all those Spits and Hurries. I think it would be a grand idea to have a nice statue of him…”

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ Including photos from Bill Busby’s album including many aerial photos from his time defending the 8th Army in Tobruk, Palestine and Egypt.  The album now in the safekeeping of BOB TV includes one of the only night time shots of the Battle of El Alamein. Work is underway to include the images and edit the 5 hours of interviews with Bill Busby in a separate film to be offered to Maori TV, however in the interim it would be fitting to include his comments in a piece on Sir Keith Park.

 

Joseph Park Gillies, and Charles Cooke, Motat

 

Sir Keith Park’s Great nephew – Joseph Park Gillies Interviewed at Motat day after planning permission given. I think that the catalyst for the Battle of Britain being won was where Dowding and Park met.  Dowding was on his own when he was on Fighter Command. He met with a great deal of obstruction through his colleagues.  When Sir Keith Park came on the scene, he had finally met a colleague, finally met an ally who knew what he was talking about. He was finding it rather difficult to get his ideas through to the air ministry.  But when he met Sir Keith Park, they could actually see things through to fruition.  Joseph Park Gillies, Great Nephew of Sir Keith Park Motat, Auckland, 8th May 2009

Joseph Park Gillies, Great Nephew of Sir Keith Park Motat, Auckland, 8th May 2009   ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™

 

 

Charles Cooke, National Chairman RNZAF, Motat

I was commissioned in the Airforce in May 1960.  In September of that year I was appointed to carry the wreath for Sir Keith at the Battle of Britain Ceremony. I was very impressed, as a junior officer with Sir Keith.  He was kindly and helpful and basically just said ‘Come with me, carry my wreath’.  So infoirmal for such a solemn ceremony.  I carried this memory for all these years of his kindness and attention to detail. Charles A.F.R. Cooke JP National Chairman RNZAF Motat, Auckland, 8th May 2009

 

Joseph Park Gillies, Great Nephew of Sir Keith Park

"Lord Dowding knew his abilities and just let the old man carry on with his strategic planning and tactical skills.  It was rather an ideal combination. Without that combination, I don’t think we would have been here today... N Lawson, Battle of Britain TV – Or, if we were here, we would have been speaking German! Indeed. I think the Battle of Britain was an interesting exercise. The fact that it was the last Island of the free world and it needed protection, because Europe was gone and Britannia, which was the Roman warrior who protected Britain, was protecting it again. And it was so important at that time in WW2.  That victory was so important and so crucial because that was the gate to the free world. Had that island fallen, the commonwealth would have fallen which was quite huge.  So you are quite right when you mention German." Joseph Park Gillies, Great Nephew of Sir Keith Park Motat, Auckland, 8th May 2009

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™

 

 

Leigh Park, Gt Gt Neice

“I think it would be wonderful if this statue goes ahead.  As a symbolic representative of all the different Commonwealth countries that helped defend Britain. That’s something I think he would appreciate as well.  In some ways he’s representing Australia, New Zealand and Canada.  There are lots of countries in the Commonwealth that have never really been appreciated for their role, in the UK, for what they did.” Leigh Park, Gt Gt Niece of Sir Keith, Classic Flyers NZ Tauranga, 5th May 2009 (two days before planning permission was given)

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™

 

 

 

 

Lesley Park. Great Neice of Sir Keith Park

Lesley Park. Gt Niece of Sir Keith Tauranga, 5th May 2009

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™     “There’s not many photos of his mum. He always told me I looked like his mother. It’s only a couple of years ago I got this photo, though I can’t see the likeness!...… He was a gentleman.  Back then, not many people were knighted.  The ones who were, were real heroes compared to those now, who are sometimes knighted for different reasons.  So it was something to be very proud of….  Very impressive, to us.  He was 6 foot 5, and always appeared even taller.  Whenever he came he would always bring gifts in a basket on his arm.  One day he had no gifts, but brought a photo of himself with Lord Mountbatten. He had close connections with such senior figures and such a bond with his men. I remember when he was portrayed in the film ‘Battle of Britain’.  He told the media he was happy with it, but he told my Dad he was sorry that his character appeared cool towards his men.  He felt he got on so much better with them.  He wouldn’t leave any squadron until all his men had come back.  He stayed in the airfield until each of them had come back, or otherwise accounted for. And that’s what his men needed.  At Motat last year, when Terry Smith first came, his men spoke so highly of Uncle Keith, and wives came to tell me he was ‘their hero’. And he clearly spoke so highly of them.”

 

Monica Gillies, Neice Sir Keith Park

 

Sir Keith Park’s wedding anniversary.  1973     “I met him a couple of times when he came back.  He lived in England for a while and had an English wife.  A little petite blonde.  They lived in Remuera.  He was such a gentleman. My Dad was very tall, but he was taller.  It was lovely to meet him as though we had known him all our lives.  That’s how easy he was to get on with. Just lovely. I’m not sure how long he lived in Auckland. He was on the council.  My Dad used to call him ‘Roy’ – a family nickname.  Keith Rodney was his real name.” Monica Gillies “I remember meeting Sir Keith when I was about 14 years old. He was so tall but when you met him he made you feel so special, so that’s a gift in itself.  Someone who can lift you and make you feel so special even after meeting you just once.   He would bend back and come down to your level.  Really warm and engaging and genuinely cared about people he met.  He carried such a dignity with him.” Julie Gillies Julie also showed the Whakapapa of her Father’s side, not for publication in detail.  However it was interesting to note her Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandfather was one of the Napier chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi

Monica Gillies. Niece of Sir Keith Park.  Rotorua, 8th May 2009.   Julie Gillies, Great Niece Sir Keith ©  Battle of Britain TV  ™

 

Flying Officer Max Collett – 485 Sqn

 

©  Battle of Britain TV  ™ I strongly support the campaign for a statue.  It’s well above my status to comment why he didn’t receive enough recognition at the time – I was just a poor Sergeant Pilot. I think it may have been easier for him had he been English. Talking to the higher-ups, like Johnny Pattison, that seems to be the impression they gave.  But I think there was more to it than that.  The ones against him wanted his job, irrespective of whether he was an Australian, New Zealander or an Englishman..... There were many nations involved in the Battle of Britain.  We won, headed by Park, and that is where he should get the recognition. Max Collett, 485 squadron, Napier 6th May 2009

 

Sqn Ldr Doug Brown – 485 Sqn

 

Excerpt from 2 hours interview, with one of The Few to have managed to shoot a V2 out of the sky…. “Keith did come down to Biggin and see us.  Then of course he had that argument with Leigh Mallory.  Mallory seemed to win out, and Keith ended up in Malta.   I got to know him when he came back to New Zealand.  He lived here in Remuera. I came to know him mainly through Rotary, we were in the same club. At one stage he said we should get a Spitfire out here.  He was really responsible for getting that Spitfire out here which is now in the Auckland museum.  He had a lot to do with it.  All I did was pay for it… Concerning the statue…. I think it’s a fitting tribute.  There’s no doubt about it, his planning saved Britain, or helped save Britain.” Remuera, 7th September, 2009

 

 

 

Sqn Ldr Harvey Sweetman – 485 Sqn

 

more info on Harvey http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=sweetmans   There was a bit of rivalry up the top. There must have been… But I knew him after the war. He was very much a commanding figure at all times.  I don’t think he could really let himself go, as we did.  He was well respected. It was generally thought he commanded really well.  He could see ahead.  With few resources.  ‘Stuffy’ Dowding was a deep thinker. Almost due to retire when the war started – on borrowed time.  But when the two of them got together? The British Empire was very very lucky to have those two.” “It’s about time they recognised him’ (Mrs Sweetman)

Sqn Leader Harvey Sweetman – New Zealand Ace, excerpt from 1 ½ hour interview

 

 

A PLACE FOR PARK - 4th Nov 2009 More Information about Keith Park

Please visit www.sirkeithpark.com for further information about the campaign. Please watch this space or email us to find out when the full length film on Keith Park will be available.                 All enquiries: Email BOB TV