The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the 68th anniversary
of the Battle of Britain service of thanksgiving and rededication held on
Sunday, September 21, in Westminster Abbey.
The Dean of Westminster officiated, assisted by the Rev Deiniol Morgan, minor
canon and precentor.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, Chief of the Air Staff, and Flight
Lieutenant M Alcock read the lessons.
Squadron Leader Sarah Charters read the prayers.
The Ven Ray Pentland, archdeacon for the Royal Air Force preached the sermon.
The Fighter Command Silk Ensign was borne by Flight Lieutenant A Barker, 32
Sqn Royal Air Force Northolt, escorted by Flight Lieutenant A Tennant, 19(R)
Sqn RAF Valley and Flight Lieutenant N Franklin, 72 Sqn RAF Linton-on-Ouse.
The Battle of Britain Roll of Honour, led by Wing Commander J G Eaton, was
borne by Flight Lieutenant M D’Aubyn, 3 Squadron, RAF Coningsby escorted by
Wing Commander T F Niel, Wing Commander R G B Summers, Flight Lieutenant T C
Iveson, Wing Commander P C Farnes, Flying Officer K Wilkinson RAF and Flight
Lieutenant O V Burns RAF, Battle of Britain Veterans, and by Flight
Lieutenant M Parker Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Flight Lieutenant N
de Candole RAF, Flight Lieutenant J Hunkin RAF, Flight Lieutenant J J
McMeeking RAF, Flight Lieutenant R Dunnigan RAF, Flying Officer C Pearson
RAF.
The Lord Mayor of Westminster was represented by Councillor Frances Blois. The
Prime Minister was represented by Mr Des Browne, MP, Secretary of State, and
the Leader of HM Opposition by Mr Gerald Howarth, accompanied by Mrs
Howarth.
Among others present were:
Ambassadors, high commissioners and other members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Viscount Trenchard, Odette Lady Dowding, Marshal of the RAF Lord and Lady
Craig of Radley, Lord Levene, Lady Torpy, Marshal of the RAF Sir Michael
Beetham and Lady Beetham, Sir Michael and Lady Oswald, Lady Thomson, Sir
Donald and Lady Spiers, Sir Kenneth Macdonald, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael
Graydon and Lady Graydon, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns and Lady
Johns, Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire and Lady Squire, Air Chief Marshal
Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, and Lady Stirrup, Air Chief
Marshal Sir Michael and Lady Stear, Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader
(Commander in Chief, Air) and Lady Loader, Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas
Lowe and Lady Glanusk, Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas (Jock) and Lady Kennedy,
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight KCB AFC FRAeS, Air Chief Marshal Sir
David and Lady Parry-Evans, Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger and Lady Palin, Air
Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Wilson, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael and Lady
Alcock, Air Chief Marshal Sir William and Lady Wratten, Air Chief Marshal
Sir John and Lady Allison, Air Chief Marshal Sir John and Lady Day, Air
Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge, Air Chief Marshal Sir Joe and Lady French,
Air Marshal Sir Peter and Lady Norriss, Air Marshal Sir Timothy and Lady
Jenner, Air Marshal Sir Robert and Lady Wright (Controller Royal Air Force
Benevolent Fund).
Vice-Admiral Alan Massey and Mrs Massey (representing Admiral Sir Jonathon
Band and Lady Band), General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, Vice-Chief of
Defence Staff, and Lady Granville-Chapman, Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton
(Chief of Materiel) and Lady Thornton, Sir Ian Andrews (Second Permanent
Under Secretary of State) and Lady Andrews.
Air Marshal and Mrs S G G Dalton, Air Marshal P O Sturley (President, Royal
Air Forces Association) and Mrs Sturley, Air Vice-Marshal B H Newton (Hon
Inspector General Royal Auxiliary Air Force) and Mrs Newton, Air
Vice-Marshal and Mrs T M Anderson, Air Vice-Marshal and Mrs D N Williams,
Air Vice-Marshal and Mrs C W Dixon, Air Marshal I W McNicoll (deputy
Commander in Chief operations) and Mrs McNicoll, Air Marshal S W Peach
(Chief of Defence Intelligence) and Mrs Peach, Air Marshal C H Moran (Deputy
Force Commander) and Mrs Moran, Air Vice-Marshal C N Harper (Air Officer
Commanding) and Mrs Harper, Air Vice-Marshal S J Hillier (Air Officer
Commanding) and Mrs Hillier, Air Vice-Marshal and Air Commodore N D A Maddox
(Chief of Staff Operations), Air Vice-Marshal R F Garwood (AOC/Chief of
Staff Training NO 22 Training Group) and Mrs Garwood, Air Vice-Marshal R A
Charles (director, Legal Service RAF) and Mrs Charles, Air Vice-Marshal S
Bryant (Chief Of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary) and Mrs Bryant, Air
Vice-Marshal K J Leeson (Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff, Resources and
Plans) , Air Vice-Marshal C M Nickols (Assistant Chief of Defence
Staff,Operations) and Mrs Nickols, Air Vice-Marshal R I Allan (Director
General Information Systems and Services Defence Equipment Support) and Mrs
Allan, Air Vice-Marshal M J Routledge (Chief of Staff Strategy, Policy and
Plans), Air Vice-Marshal N J E Kurth (Chief of Staff, Support) and Mrs
Kurth, Air Vice-Marshal R H Lacey (Commander British Forces Cyprus) and Miss
A Lacey, Air Vice-Marshall Bollom (Director-General Combat, Air) and Mrs
Bollom, Air Vice-Marshal P W D Ruddock (Director General Saudi Arabia Armed
Forces Project) and Mrs Ruddock, Air Vice-Marshal M J G Wiles (Director
General, Joint Supply Chain) and Mrs Wiles, Air Commodore I J Harris, Air
Commodore C R Fowler, Air Commodore T E L Jarron (Secretary-General, Royal
Air Forces Association) and Mrs Jarron, Air Commodore I Stewart (Commandant
Air Cadets) and Mrs Stewart, Air Commodore Charles Clarke (chairman, RAF
Ex-Prisoners of War Association) and Mrs Clarke, Air Commodore
Peacock-Edwards (The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators and Mrs
Peacock-Edwards, Group Captain G Bunkell (Inspector, Royal Auxiliary Air
Force) and Mrs Bunkell, Group Captain P S E Tootal (secretary, Battle of
Britain Memorial Trust and Battle of Britain Fighter Association) and Mrs
Tootal, Group Captain E A I Sandison, Squadron Leader T C Iveson (chairman,
Bomber Command Association) and Mrs M Kimpton, Professor and Mrs M Welland,
Mr Henry Allingham, Mr and Mrs Dennis Goodwin, Professor and Mrs C Andrew,
Mr and Mrs N Szembel, Mr and Mrs K McCartney, Mr and Mrs T Smith, Mr Robert
Hardy, Dr the Hon Katharine Campbell and Mr Peter Campbell, Lady
Foxley-Norris and Mr N. Cobon, Miss Rosemary Harris, Mr P. J. Hudson, Mr A
Jeziorski (chairman, Polish Air Force Association) and Mrs Jeziorski, Mrs
Olivia Hughes (registrar, Pathfinder Association) with Commonwealth Senior
Air Liason officers and advisers and foreign air attachés, representatives
of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, RAF Halton Apprentices
Association, Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, BAE Systems, Thales, Boeing,
AgustaWestland, MBDA, Cobham, L3 Communications, RAF Widows Association, War
Widows Association of Great Britain, The Royal Aero Club Trust, The Royal
Aero Club, together with many other representatives of organisations having
links with the Battle of Britain.
