Talks take off in style

The first of our autumn series of Sunday talks at The Wing proved a great success, with Geoff Piper, who served for 33 years in the RAF Volunteer Reserve (training branch) before retiring as a wing commander, presenting an illustrated talk on the amazing story of world war two Hurricane pilot Jim Hayter DFC*

Squadron Leader Hayter, who was born in New Zealand, flew with No 605 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, having learned to fly with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Geoff told the story of how Sqn Ldr Hayter was shot down and parachuted into Cranbrook. "Jim had an amazing story; he had 19 'lives' due to shoot-ups, crashes and an incredible escape from an encounter with the German army," he explained.

Geoff was just the first of a series of great speakers lined up throughout October. On Sunday 12 October, Dr Helen Doe will be at The Wing to tell the incredible story of her father, Wing Commander Bob Doe DSO DFC*, celebrated as one of the highest scoring Aces in the Battle of Britain.

The following Sunday, 19 October, Adrian Phillips will join us to entertain a limited, first come-first served audience with his talk entitled “Winston's Bandits: Churchill's maverick friends, shaping the RAF in history and legend”.

And last but certainly not least in this impressive line-up of top-quality speakers will be Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards CBE AFC, who, on Sunday 26 October, will be telling the remarkable story of his father, Squadron Leader Spencer Ritchie Peacock-Edwards, one of ‘the Few’.

All the talks take place in The Wing here at the Battle of Britain Memorial and begin at 2pm. These events are free, although we suggest a donation of £5 per person to help us preserve the legacy of the Few and continue the Trust’s work. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of visitors for the Trust’s existence. Every purchase in our shop or café also helps!

We would also like you to let us know if you book a space and find you are unable to use it. It’s disappointing for us and for the speakers if we have empty seats set aside for people who don’t turn up. There are limited seats available in The Wing, and if you let us know you can’t make it, we can make your place available for someone on the waiting list.

To book your place, call 01303 249292 or email enquiries@battleofbritainmemorial.org.