It has been discovered that Sir Keith Park, who helped mastermind the epic defence of London in 1940, also flew on operational sorties
The ranks of ‘The Few’ are to be bolstered 83 years after the Battle of Britain as a fighter ace has been acknowledged as taking part for the first time.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park helped mastermind the RAF’s epic defence of London and the south east from the relentless Luftwaffe assault in the summer of 1940.
Sir Keith, a New Zealander who was played by Trevor Howard in the acclaimed 1969 film The Battle of Britain, was not previously counted as a member of ‘The Few’ as he was not thought to have taken part in any qualifying sorties during the recognised dates of the battle.
After analysing his logbooks, however, historian Dilip Sarkar has discovered Sir Keith flew twice on operational sorties during the Battle of Britain.