For one of the few

AS HAROLD Starr shot into the sky on August 31, 1940, he never guessed that it would be his final flight as he headed to his death.

The 25-year-old fighter pilot, who had a young bride waiting for him on the ground, was fighting for his country.

But after being gunned down in his Hurricane by the German Luftwaffe the former Clarence School pupil met his death.

The squadron leader's body was flown back to Swindon and he is now buried at the Radnor Street cemetery.

His neglected grave was unrecognisable and in near obscurity until 1983 when Bob Gurney, of Headlands Grove cleaned the moss covered stone and encrusted inscription.

The RAF Lyneham fireman, who is an amateur historian, embarked on a painstaking search until he found the grave which he has vowed to maintain until he dies.

And on top of this, now, after 65 years the war hero's courage has been at last nationally recognised.

His name has been carved into a bronze monument on London's embankment, to ensure he will never be forgotten.

Seventy surviving pilots, and delegates from a total of 14 countries whose citizens flew alongside British airmen, looked on as the Prince of Wales unveiled the monument.

The idea for the monument came from the Battle of Britain Historical Society and it was funded partly by the Prince's Trust and partly by public donations.

Sqn Ldr Harold Starr was born in Swindon on September 8, 1914.

His parents owned the Central Hotel, Regent Street.

He joined the RAF as a 21-year-old in 1934.

But he almost never made it to the battle he nearly died after crashing a Hawker Audax two-seater fighter into a field in South Marston on June 5, 1936.

Luckily, local farmers dashed to his rescue and he was rushed to the Swindon Victoria Hospital with severe injuries to the skull, legs and chest.

A resilient man, Harold recovered and was soon fighting in the bloody Battle of Britain.

Between July 10 and October 31, 1940, the RAF and the German Luftwaffe fought for air supremacy over Britain during the Second World War.

During the battle 515 airmen, some as young as 19, were killed.

"I don't think these men were ever aware just how much danger they were actually in," said Allen Syms, the south west representative for the Battle of Britain Historical Society.

"The airmen were so young, some were still teenagers.

"They were proud to be fighting for their country but they saw it just as a job.

"It wasn't out of the ordinary to them.

"The only thing that marked out a difference to ordinary life was that some days pilots would arrive in the morning and they wouldn't be seen again."

During the battle, Harold Starr had been attached to the 253 Squadron, based at Kenley, South London.

When Harold's fighter plane crashed to the ground in Canter-bury he had been married for just eight months.

"London was the epicentre of the battle, which is why it is so important that a monument is there to remember the men who fought," said Mr Syms.

Many men who survived the mighty struggle to victory suffered horrendous injuries. "The society is trying to educate people about the battle so that the few will never be forgotten," said Mr Syms.

Eyes on the skies as battle raged over Britain

Between July 10 and October 31, 1940, the RAF and the German Luftwaffe fought for air supremacy over Britain during the Second World War.

On 15 September 1940, RAF Fighter Command claimed victory over the Luftwaffe after a day of bombing raids ended in heavy losses for Germany.

It is widely believed that had the RAF outnumbered four-to-one failed to beat them off, the Germans would easily have been able to invade the UK.

Of the RAF fighter pilots, 515 were killed.

Shortly after the RAF claimed victory, Hitler postponed and then cancelled plans to invade the UK, turning his attention to the invasion of Russia.

A tribute to our heroes

The £1.65m London monument, pictured right, was commissioned by the Battle of Britain Historical Society and funded by public subscription

It is made up of two bronze friezes set in an 82ft-long granite structure, originally designed as a smoke outlet for underground trains when they were powered by steam engines.

One frieze depicts all the achievements of Fighter Command, while the other focuses on the people of London, featuring St Paul's Cathedral and an Anderson air-raid shelter.

Accompanying them is a plaque inscribed with the names of the 2,936 pilots and ground crew from Britain and 14 other countries.

The plinth beneath the relief is engraved with Sir Winston Churchill's famous phrase: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Squadron Leader Starr's name is one of the names inscribed. His gravestone at Radnor Street cemetery is pictured below.

Lyndsay Scanlan