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Sir Keith Park statue unveiling in Thames marks Battle of Britain anniversary

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has marked the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, at Thames - the birthplace of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, the New Zealand aviator who played a pivotal role in the military victory.

17 September, 2025

The famed aerial clash between Royal Air Force pilots and the German Luftwaffe was fought over several months and credited with putting a stop to the German invasion of Britain. Sir Keith Park commanded No.11 Group during the battle, which bore the brunt of the German aerial offensive.

The New Zealand contribution was significant, with more than 130 New Zealanders taking part in the Battle, representing the third greatest number of pilots behind Britain and Poland. Losses were high, with 20 New Zealand pilots and air gunners killed in the dogfights.

A statue of Sir Keith was unveiled in Thames on Sunday, in front of a crowd including Associate Minister of Defence Chris Penk, Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb and RNZAF Base Auckland Base Commander, Group Captain Brett Clayton. 

Sculptured by Joanne Sullivan, the 2.3 metre bronze statue was the culmination of years of effort by dedicated local group the Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield Inc, led by local man Geoff Furkert.

Sullivan’s work includes the bronze sculpture of athlete Sir John Walker in Auckland, a statue of the racehorse Phar Lap in Timaru, and ‘Balance’—an out-sized sculpture of a rooster toppling a chair at the entrance to the Albany public library.

RNZAF Base Auckland Base Commander, Group Captain Brett Clayton and Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb at the unveiling of the statue of Sir Keith Park in Thames 20210101 NZDF U1073704 102 Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb laying a wreath at the newly unveiled Sir Keith Park statue at Thames Airfield.

At the unveiling, Air Vice-Marshal Webb said Sir Keith was a brilliant operational-level leader. 

“The accomplishments of Sir Keith Park rate him as one of New Zealand’s finest commanders. A prominent newspaper in the 1960s cited him as one of the 10 greatest New Zealanders. 

“To many his exploits remain unknown, but thanks to the tenacity and determination of some of the people gathered here this morning, this statue will provide an opportunity to reignite interest. It is a powerful symbol of how single contributions can have disproportionate and long-lasting impact.” 

The statue stands under a full-sized replica of Sir Keith’s personal Hurricane aircraft, which was unveiled in September 2020. 

Commemorations for the Battle of Britain anniversary will continue on Sunday 21 September at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram, Christchurch, with a Commemoration Service at 10.30am and a flypast by T-6C Texan aircraft, subject to weather and operational considerations.