Or, on the other hand, wouldn’t it be more worthwhile / easier to arrange for a commemoration on site, to record the history of those Aussies in the UK?
Taking the same idea in a different direction, the Canadian Air Force was formed in 1918 at Upper Heyford, Oxon, UK (and just up the road from me…) Not a lot of people know that, and it was funny being in the Canadian National Archives, in Ottawa, looking at pics of W.W.I ace Barker in a Fokker D.VII at U. Heyford in 1918 with a maple leaf painted on the side…
I agree about the on site commemoration.
Could one of the buildings be restored in situ?
James
My favourite Barker story is that Queen Mary banned The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) from ever flying again after she found out that Barker had flown him in a Sopwith Dove.
Why the panic??
Well Barker ‘stunted’ in the Dove with the heir to the throne as passenger. Well? His arm was still in a sling from the action where he won the V.C taking on seven D.VII’s in a Snipe.
Edward obviouly overcame the ban as he was a keen pilot himself later.
Cheers
Andy
🙂 🙂 🙂
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