The Royal Air Forces Association, the charity that supports the RAF family, is releasing the first ever Commemorative Medal to pay tribute not only to the airmen, but also the men and women from ground crew, operational support, logistics, communications, engineering and medical crews from the 16 countries represented amongst the ranks of the RAF air and ground crews who participated in the Battle – without whom victory may never have been possible. The medals, designed and funded by The London Mint Office and manufactured by Worcestershire Medal Service, are part of the Official Commemorative Programme launched by the Association to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The commemorative programme has been developed and created with the help and support of Terry Jervis, of Jervis Entertainment Media. The free medals are limited to one per household and are available from www.ourfinesthour.co.uk
The London Mint Office’s in-house design team for the medal comprised Dan Penney and George Wright. Dan designed the obverse (front) of the medal which features an eagle superimposed on a circlet surmounted by a crown – the Official Crest of the RAF – with a ‘75’ frosted in the background. Around the crest is the inscription ‘Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary 19-40-2015’. Dan found his inspiration for this after visiting the RAF Museum in Hendon and the RAF Club in Piccadilly where he studied the squadron badges and insignia. The striking reverse of the medal, designed by George, features in the centre the legendary RAF ‘target’ roundel in red, white and blue. This is encircled with a typographical ‘propeller sweep’ depicting the names of all the roles that make up the RAF as we know today, but which would have been instrumental in the Battle of Britain. Flying in formation across the medal are Spitfires and Hurricanes, both of which aircraft were essential to the battle. Inscribed around the edge of the medal are all 16 countries that made up the RAF for the Battle of Britain 75 years ago. George’s design blends tradition with the modern in a design that says a great deal in such as small space, but does it beautifully – making it assessable to all generations. The medal is layered in pure silver and 250,000 of the medals are being issued for free to the UK public by the RAF Association.
Speaking of his pride at being involved in the project, George Wright said: “Seventy-five years ago the skies above Britain played host to the most significant aerial battle the world had ever seen. It is a privilege to know that, seventy-five years on, I have played a part in developing a Commemorative Medal to celebrate the nations and people that contributed to the Battle of Britain. It is crucial we remember not just the sacrifice of ‘The Few’, but also the many.”
In July 1940 the Battle of Britain commenced and was one of the most crucial stages of the Second World War. As the German air force, the Luftwaffe, attempted to gain the upper hand over the RAF, 15 additional countries began supporting the RAF’s air operations by contributing aircrew and ground crew to the Battle, which ultimately led to the victory. Pilots and aircrew from Great Britain, the Commonwealth and from occupied nations such as Poland and Czechoslovakia fought heroically from July to October 1940 for control of the skies over Great Britain. The resulting victory by the RAF enabled the Western Allies to later launch the liberation of Western Europe from the UK and compel the Germans to fight on two fronts, which lead to their ultimate defeat.
The equivalent roles and functions within the modern RAF represented on the medal include:
● Aircrew
● Air Operations Support
● Communications and Intelligence
● Force protection
● Logistics
● Medical and medical support
● Technical and Engineering
The participating countries represented are:
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● Australia ● Barbados ● Belgium ● Canada ● Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic and Slovakia) ● France ● Jamaica ● Newfoundland (now part of Canada) |
● New Zealand ● Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) ● Poland ● Republic of Ireland ● South Africa ● Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) ● United Kingdom ● United States of America
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“What makes this anniversary so poignant is that it is likely to be the last opportunity for the remaining veterans to commemorate alongside us. It is right that we pay tribute to not only the countries that participated but also all the airmen, airwomen and supporting trades that played a vital role in this epic battle. The commemorative medal is a fitting tribute to all those past and present and provides an opportunity to honour these remarkable individuals. We are pleased to be able to share this medal and everything it represents with the public,” comments Air Marshal Sir Dusty Miller, President of the Royal Air Forces Association.
In addition to the free Commemorative Medal, the Association is releasing five limited edition medals (only 9,999 available), struck in solid bronze and layered in pure silver featuring Sir Winston Churchill (Wartime Prime Minister), Sir Douglas Bader (Fighter Ace), Sir Hugh Dowding (RAF Air Chief Marshal), Robert Watson Watt (Pioneer, “The Father” of Radar) and Lord Beaverbrook (Minister for Aircraft Production, and responsible for the “Saucepans for Spitfires” campaign). A percentage of the revenue from all medal sales from this programme will be donated to the Association.
The London Mint Office has launched an integrated marketing campaign to launch the medals which features DRTV, national press print advertising, digital advertising, email and affiliate marketing, social media, direct mail and outbound marketing to the company’s own customer database. This is being supported by a heavyweight PR campaign, created and implemented by Loudmouth PR in the national, local and specialist media.