Sir Keith Park statue

In 2008, London financier Terry Smith and others initiated a campaign to erect a permanent statue of Sir Keith Park in Trafalgar Square, in recognition of his leadership during the Battle of Britain. The campaign gained international support and in May 2009 the Westminster City Council agreed to erect a 2.78-metre (9-foot) statue of Park in Waterloo Place. This was unveiled on 15 September 2010 – the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The cast model for this statue - made by Weta Workshop in Wellington - was to go on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum as part of Battle of Britain commemorations. Unfortunately, the unveiling has been cancelled as the six-metre model cannot fit through any of the museum's entrances.

The picture above shows a temporary statue of Park which was unveiled on the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in November 2009. This fibreglass sculpture was in place until May 2010, when it was moved to the Royal Air Force Museum in London.