History Briefs: Keith Park - The Man who won the Battle of Britain

[@oldpossum4860]

He is also honoured here in his native New Zealand with a recent statue in Thames, his home town, which the locals fought tirelessly to have erected. The entrance to Thames aerodrome is also marked by a Hurricane, in his honour. Great man !

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It is well recognised that New Zealand have done him proud. The UK less so.

[@samthomas9389]

Great Britain had no greater friend & ally than that of New Zealand. Every Kiwi who visits the UK should be treated like a long lost cousin.

[@berniefynn6623]

The guy who invented the radar won the Battle of Britain, gave plenty of warning of incoming enemy

[@philipdenner8504]

@@samthomas9389 Agreed but that also goes for Australia.

[@addrock7695]

If I had never been interested in history in wars and in peaceful times. I would of never of heard of him!. The New Zealand school curriculum doesn’t want to teach about our war participation. A very very skim on Anzac Day and that is it. From aged 5 to leaving school in the 7th form aged 17, nothing was taught to us about him or anyone else. It’s a BLOODY DISGRACE!!

[@JohnnyRocker2162]

Along with Hugh Dowding we owe Keith Park a huge regard in ensuring the success of the RAF in the Battle of Britain.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Absolutely. It should also be remembered that this was the first time that Hitler had failed to won a battle. Thanks for watching; we are working on more stories about the Battle of Britain.

[@alisdairmclean8605]

Spot on!

[@robertbruce1887]

Jonathan Steadman: You are absolutely spot on!

[@Demun1649]

Park did not do as much as Dowding did. Park was driven by his own ego, rather than the good of Britain. I consider you are mistreating HISTORY. And don't understand why you've done it.

[@TheKira699]

Those Big Wingers Leigh-Mallory and Douglas Bader were useless and corrupt. Trying to assemble a big wing was doomed from the idea. Goering wanted a full on big wing dogfight.

[@robinpearn6736]

Thank you for the KZbin Video. I am a retired Train Driver and Royal Airforce Supporter. The preserved Steam engine that carries the name of Sir Keith Park is a great honour to him. Respect.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

There are more images on the internet of that train than there are of Park himself! But, yes a great honour to him.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Keith Park saved England and the RAF. I'm American and I have the utmost respect for him.

[@Henry-vu5sg]

England? I think you do a great disservice to Scotland Wales and N Ireland

[@iancurtis1152]

@@Henry-vu5sg I think we all know what he meant.

[@beagle7622]

It was a close run thing. & even closer when you realise that Leigh Mallory of 12 group was trying to Sabotage Park & Dowding

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

At Great Stories from the Past, we understand and fully sympathise with national sensitivities. Therefore we are always very careful to use the correct name - Britain, UK, Engand, Wales etc as appropriate. However, some territories often use England as the generic name for the UK but, at the same time, many British people use the name Holland for the Netherlands!

[@alisdairmclean8605]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Well they should know better.

[@raypurchase801]

The depiction of Park in the movie "Battle of Britain" is accurate. Park paid unexpected visits to his squadrons, flying a Hurricane and wearing a prewar RAF white flying suit. Having originally joined the Army as a private, Park saw the importance of every airman of every rank. Having served at Gallipoli and elsewhere, he was concerned about casualties. Having been an ace in WW1, Park could speak with aircrew as an equal. Unlike native Brits, colonial Kiwis, Aussies, Canucks and South Africans disregarded class distinction and viewed merit as as more important. A great man.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Agree

[@seanperrings8460]

Don't forget Rhodesians

[@jeremymorrall6750]

I remember an old WW2 vet, who had been a fighter pilot in Britain. He well remembered Sir Keith Park there and I asked him 'Was Trevor Howard in the movie "The Battle Of Britain' like Sir Keith Park as you remembered him?' and he said to me 'He was rather!'

[@SPQRTempus]

@@jeremymorrall6750 The difference is that Trevor Howard was about a foot shorter than Park.

[@jeremymorrall6750]

@@SPQRTempus I'm not surprised he was considerably shorter than Park, who, I seem to remember, was 6'4". Nevertheless, I think Howard did a wonderful, believable job in his depiction of him.

[@jonathanscripps917]

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and this man had many hours. Gallipoli, The Somme, BoB, Malta, Chain Home, Burma. Thank you Sir.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for watching

[@DomingoDeSantaClara]

Keith Park and Charles Upham, arguably the two greatest heroes produced by New Zealand in WW2, thank you for highlighting this man's achievements. I've always known about Parks role in the battle of Britain but had no knowledge of his WW1 record, never knew he was at Gallipoli.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It always strikes me that Park was a born soldier/airman. He appears to have had a natural military instinct and the mentality (dare I say, bravery) to go with it.

[@prof_kaos9341]

Park was a true unsung hero. You missed out Freyberg and Kippenberger. Against character Monty wanted to share the credit for Alamein with Freyberg who authored Alamein phase 2, Op. Supercharge. Kippenberger was his best Battalion then Brigade commander who championed Maori rights and post war ran the RSA and very early on opposed racially selected NZ teams to play South Africa, saying if it was good enough to pick Maori to die in battle we should pick them to play sport.

[@abstragic6336]

Can we do a 'reverse Phar Lap' and also claim Nancy Wake back off the Aussies?

[@richardteua3429]

Good book published a few years ago . Park. Worthy read for anyone interested in real historical events and heroic achievements by New Zealanders such as Park

[@richardscanlan3419]

@@abstragic6336 everyone knows she's a kiwi.

[@nerdyali4154]

Bader was one of the conspirators who helped oust Dowding. Big Wing was really unsuited to the BoB given the waste of time involved in assembling the aircraft. They would not be able to respond immediately to raids and so would need to maintain wings as patrols. Leigh-Mallory's group was frequently called on to support Park but often arrived way too late due to their insistence on assembling a Big Wing. There was much friction there. The success of the Big Wing tactic was wildly overstated and that helped Leigh-Mallory with his coup. Bader, by all accounts, was one of those ruthlessly narcissistic types, some would even say borderline sociopathic, who do well in wartime but you don't really want to be around otherwise. He was as happy as Larry with the fighter sweeps conducted over France after Dowding was dumped even though they resulted in the massacre of RAF fighters. It gave him the opportunity to indulge himself.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Bader wad invited by Sholto Douglas Bd Leigh-Mallory to the meeting in the Air Ministry when Dowding was sacked. You have to ask the question as to why a reletativly junior officer was present at a meeting that decided the future leadership of one of the most important commands in the British armed forces?

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

The big wing was a waste time fuel. The concept completely disregarded the loss of and the destruction on the ground cold blooded stupidity.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

My mother as a nurse took care of burned RAF pilots. Many of them terribly disfigured.the design of the Spitfire placed an unprotected fuel tank directly in front of the pilot. When it was hit, it burst into flames. The flames blowing back into the pilots face.

[@thethirdman225]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Bader was a Wing Commander at the time. It was pretty clear that the powers that be had made up their collective mind to get rid of him.

[@thethirdman225]

@freebeerfordworkers Yeah, I've read that too but I can't remember where.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Dowding and Park were a formidable team

[@thethirdman225]

And Churchill sacked them. Unbelievable. *NOTE:* _before responding to this post - which is incorrect - please read the rest of this thread._

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Churchill did not sack them! On the 25th October 1940, there was coup inside the Air Ministry. It was perpetrated by Sholto Douglas, one of the most senior staff officers inside the Air Ministry. He called a meeting (that turned out to be be Kangaroo Court) to discuss the impasse between Dowding and Park on the one side, and Leigh-Mallory on the other side. Of course, Sholto Douglas was an ally of Leigh-Mallory and to add further weight to their argument he invited Douglas Bader, a relatively junior officer to also attend the meeting. This meeting was supposed to have been chaired by Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Newall who was the Chief of the Air Staff but for some reason he absented himself at the last moment. Also present was Charles Portal, at the time head of Bomber Command. The upshot of the meeting was that Cyril Newall was forced to resign and he was replaced by Charles Portal; Dowding was accused of not having prosecuted the Battle of Britain effectively enough and was removed from head of Fighter Command to be replaced by Sholto Douglas. Douglas then a few weeks later, now as head of Fighter Command, sacks Park and replaces him with Leigh-Mallory.

[@raypurchase801]

@@thethirdman225 Not Churchill. Dowding had overseen the establishment of the chain home RDF system and the introduction of R/T ground control, but by 1939 he had already passed the RAF's retirement age. He was asked to stay on into 1940 because, having implemented the systems himself, nobody understood their working better than Dowding himself. Dowding was overdue for retirement anyway.

[@thethirdman225]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Okay but it was a fine reward!

[@thethirdman225]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 *_"Churchill did not sack them! "_* No, of course. You're right. But it's my contention, however foolish it might look, that Churchill created an environment where something like the was not only possible but likely and he did nothing to stop it. The obvious successor to Dowding was Park. Churchill always had his finger on the pulse and was always on the lookout for misfits to replace with people from the old boys network. As far as his relationships with the two men was concerned, it wasn't likely to have been very familiar. Park was, of course, a New Zealander and Churchill was known to despise colonials. Dowding was simply the complete opposite to Churchill and the two would likely have had little to say to each other. Leigh Mallory was from a famous family - his brother, George, was lost trying to climb Mt Everest in the 1920s. Douglas was from fairly aristocratic stock and went to Oxford prior to WWI. The theme is consistent. Churchill replaced Wavell with Montgomery, another of the old boy network. Churchill gave him troops and equipment, something he denied Wavell. The first thing Montgomery did was to announce his plan to defeat the Germans. which was Wavell's plan! Then he got bogged down for five days But Wavell was a recluse and not overly chummy with Churchill. Auckinlech was a Scot and a recluse, which was even worse! Harris was another Churchill man. He was appointed from within the RAF but Churchill supported him. His only philosophy was to bash our heads against the wall until we break through and if Jerry builds a bigger wall we'll continue to bash our heads against it until we prevail. In 1944, when the RAF came under the command of SHAEF, Harris refused to play ball, preferring, instead to conduct his own war. Portal should have sacked him but didn't and the old boy's network prevailed. All these Churchill backed types had two things in common: they were all establishment types (though Harris was more in the Douglas Haig category) and not one of them had any imagination. And the proof - if any were needed - that Park should have been given Dowding's job was that the others had no idea how to use radar. They didn't understand the system. Churchill, himself, didn't understand it though he was perfectly prepared to take the credit for it. Dr Stephen Bungay even credits Churchill with having the foresight to use radar, when it had nothing to do with him! Sorry, I know this isn't 'real history' but it's my contention that Churchill could have easily stepped in and made sure the best man - Park - got the job. That he didn't speaks as loudly.

[@kevinallsop1628]

He's not forgotten. I took a squadron of Air Cadets to the bunker at Uxbridge where Dowding controlled the RAF squadrons from. I sat each of them in Dowding's seat and told them to look down at the air map and said to them "Imagine him sitting here day after day. If he had made one mistake you would be talking in German now - if you were lucky."

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

I am sure that the name Keith Park is well-known to Air Cadets and within RAF circles. However, there is no doubt that he is not, unfortunately, a household name in the wider community. Thanks for watching.

[@Bjornontour]

I’ve never heard of him until now watching this brilliant video! Happy Easter ol’ chaps!

[@samrodian919]

@@Bjornontourin that case if you are an aviation and especially WW2 buff then you really should be ashamed of yourself sir!( I'm pulling your leg a bit) but his roll was pivotal before WW2, and through to the end of 1940 for the RAF and more importantly why we in Britain still speak English thankfully not German!

[@kenstanway7625]

RAF Uxbridge was HQ 11 Group, not Dowding's Fighter Command headquarters, which was located at Bentley Priory.

[@graememorris7820]

Thank you, Keith Park

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Hope you enjoyed the video; thanks for watching.

[@roconnor01]

Wonderful tribute.Cometh the hour,cometh the man.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Indeed! Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed the video.

[@stevenklein3195]

Great tribute, great man and leader.

[@peghead]

And a very fine hour at that, as was said, the "FINEST".

[@horsebee1]

He is not a forgotten hero here in New Zealand with a plinth erected in his honor at the Airfield in his home town of Thames. On the plinth is a replica of his personal Hurrican.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

All power to the Kiwis!

[@rogerpattube]

That’s nice what’s the population of Thames?

[@christownley2497]

I cant wait for that statue to go up of him. My mum and Dad lived as teenagers through the 1940s. When Dad died in 2020 , i donated $1000 in Dads memory to the Keith Park statue. Its a shame that yhe young generation are NOT taught about REAL HEROES of our country in school.

[@christownley2497]

​@@rogerpattube Thames is a small town in the coromandel Roger, in the north island, about 1 hour from Auckland. Population would be around a few thousands .

[@clintonbowerman3143]

Sir Keith is mentioned and depicted in a career summary and a beautiful bronze statue greeting people in front of the war memorial hall in Thames. My ATC unit commander in Waihi, the early 1970s, (next town along from Thames) served under Sir Keith in the battle of Britain as a Spitfire mechanic. An impressive individual to a 10-year-old. Sir Keith saved us from tyranny !!!

[@gren509]

I walked past his statue in The Mall today and wondered who he was; then YT selected this video for me to watch, I wish they had done it a day earlier.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad to be of assistance!!

[@margaretreid2153]

Sir Keith Park,s statue is placed outside the Civic Center in Mary St Thames NZ,I used to live there until recently, and I went to the Comemarative Opening when his statue was unveiled.It was wonderful, and a great turnout from the town folk.Someone asked the population of Thames,it's a small town, I'm not sure, but possibly around 8,000 I think, gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula,a beautiful part of NZ,but suffered badly with the recent Cyclone 😢

[@stco2426]

Astonishing. I have a reasonable graps of history and much of this was new. Thank you Sir Keith Park and many thanks for making and sharing this video. The issues and complications with high leadership are not new. I'm so glad he rose to the top and met the challenges he faced within and against his Service.

[@johncox2865]

Despite over 60 years of interest in WW II, I had never been aware of this man before now. Thank you.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Park was never a self-publicist unlike certain other commanders from WW II; Paton and Montgomery to name but two. Consequently, credit is not always fairly distributed. This is typical of the types of stories that we wish to tell. Thanks for watching.

[@johncox2865]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Not a hero for the sake of being called a hero 👍

[@fiachramaccana280]

You can thank the Big wing liars for that.......they stole all the thunder

[@robertmiller2173]

As a 5th Generation Pakeha New Zealander and I am sure my Maori brothers would be too, I am seriously proud of this man. And to this day as push comes shove the old ties still exists....now it is called the 5 Eyes! Dowding and Park saved our beloved Mother Country! And as for Sholto Douglas and Leigh Mallory... what dirt boxes they were. I would have liked them to be at the bottom of a good old Fashioned Otago/Canterbury Ruck. Just weak privileged Pom Prats! And Liars to boot! Well done Winston!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Your reference to the Five Eyes is profound and entirely correct. As an organisation it goes under the radar but is vitally important.

[@marksimpkin1242]

The influence of New Zealand in ww2 is always underestimated by the British and American historians. Park was not part of the Oxbridge Sandhurst class who crave all glory for themselves in retrospect. American historians are blind to the contribution of Ernest Rutherford without whom the Atom Bomb would only have been a dream . They are also silent concerning the major role played in the assassination of Yamamoto .American codebreakers took full credit for this major war changing feat , accidentally omitting how the bravery of two New Zealand ' Bird Class ' Mine Sweepers patrolling Guadalcanal , by ramming Japanese submarine E1 thus capturing a cargo of the latest guidebooks.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

This is something that we are trying to do at Great Stories from the Past, to make people aware of unsung heroes and events. Something that frequently happens is that Headlines get written at the time for the consumption of a certain audience and they then cement people's understanding irrespective as to whether it is right or not. We are working on quite a lot of material that includes New Zealanders, Australians and Canadians as well as Americans and British. We will try to give everyone a fair hearing.

[@petergreenwald9639]

A good start would be a brief history of the coast watchers from NZ and other parts of your world. I have only found two books on the topic in four or five years. I am glad to have read about these folks. Many of them civilians from the mining industry.

[@bazd884]

British historians tend to tell Britains story. Americans tend to tell Americas story. Surly it’s up to NZ historians to tell their own story.

[@robertbruce1887]

Mark Simpkins: Thank you for that history lesson on just some of New Zealand's contribution to Allied Victory.

[@robertbruce1887]

Great Stories From The Past: l commend you on aiming to bring out stories from smaller countries that are.often overlooked.

[@tropmaj]

Excellent tribute to the man.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@paulx7540]

Thanks very much for an excellent video, I loved the note from Churchill. It is interesting to think that if there had not been a war, Keith Park would have continued working as an obscure bank clerk in New Zealand. I read somewhere that the young Bristol Fighter pilots of 48 Squadron regarded him as a god, he was the second-highest scoring NZ ace of the Great War. Some years ago I met a frail elderly British man living in New Zealand, who I learnt had been one of the RAF ground staff on Malta during the war. I asked him if he knew Keith Park, not thinking that he would have. He replied that one time there had been an air raid alert . As he was running across the airfield to reach a shelter, Keith Park raced up in his red MG sports car and said " Hop in laddie" , driving him to the shelter. He said not many officers would have done that. It was great to see the look in his eyes as he recounted this.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

That's a wonderful story about Keith Park .. thanks for sharing. You mention his red MG sports car. There is a really good image (one of the best we have ever found of Park) in our video of him very sun-tanned in Malta driving that very same car. What we don't show is that in the passenger seat was Air Marshal Arthur Coningham (his RAF nickname was "Maori"), the commander of the Desert Air Force. Coningham was born in Brisbane but grew up in New Zealand before being educated in Britain. Like Park he initially saw service in the New Zealand army before being invalided out. So he took himself off to Britain in 1916 and joined the Royal Flying Corps.

[@wadeconnell1493]

Most likely the best comment of all....

[@robertbruce1887]

Paulx: thank you for that story about Park giving the chap a ride to the air raid shelter.

[@raypurchase801]

Great man. Impressive to see how closely the actor Trevor Howard resembled Park.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Trevor Howard only met Park once before making the film. He said he did not want to get to know him too well otherwise he would end up just being a caricature of Park.

[@raypurchase801]

@@GreatStoriesNow933Are you planning a video about Dowding? Very nice story about him in the book about the making of the movie. The film makers arranged a pre-release showing for invited people. Dowding was very elderly and frail, and was taken into the cinema in a wheelchair. You'll recall the final scene, where Olivier (Dowding) walks out onto his patio and gazes skyward. As the lights came up at the end of the movie, Dowding was seen to be weeping. Dowding was finally getting the respect he'd earned.

[@bungee7503]

After the Poles, New Zealanders were the most numerous of the RAF foreign pilots in the Battle of Britain. Not bad for a little country on the far side of the world.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

No argument, the Kiwis did a fine job in the war.

[@Pokafalva]

Given the pre-war recruitment in New Zealand, not only for pilots, but for the whole 'backroom' personnel, the New Zealanders were the most numerous country after the UK to take part in the Battle. A simple matter almost always missed...

[@garymoore2535]

The Kiwi's ........ Great Allies, fantastic people, punch way above their weight. Keith Park exemplifies their character, loyal, dependable and modest. Hugh Dowding knew exactly what he was doing when he gave him 11 Group, the key fighter group in the BoB ❤ 🇳🇿🇬🇧

[@charlesmullen9729]

Keith Park(name gives the game away) was born in Scotland, no' a lo' of people know that. Just another McKiwi....

[@nowhereman6540]

@@charlesmullen9729 born In Thames NZ

[@EdMcF1]

8:55 Dowding's words; there is no higher praise. Both Dowding and Park were, to adapt Newton, 'treading on the toes of dwarves'.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Nice quote

[@evanpenny348]

I don't know about the quote of Park, about Mallory, etc . The quote attributed to Newton is to the effect that "if I see further than others it is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants". It is supposedly a bit of piss take about one of his principle detractors, who was very short.

[@Ubique2927]

Why do we, the ignorant plebs, not know more about this man. Surely he deserves a film as did the others that got one. .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Good question. It is probable that his story would not be focused enough for Hollywood. So that leaves channels like Great Stories from the Past to tell the story. Park will be making an appearance in quite a number of further productions that we are making.

[@evilstorm5954]

He got one, it’s called the Battle of Britain. Leave yourself in the pleb basket, I’ve never been in there.

[@paulmcewen]

So true they also should have made another movie on New Zealander Charles Upham the only Fighting soldier to win 2 Victoria Crosses.​@@GreatStoriesNow933

[@MadnSad]

@@evilstorm5954 you are the lucky one in the non-pleb group. I watched the Battle of Britain scores of times and missed any mention that Sir Park was from Thames. And I missed paying homage to him on my few visits to that beautiful town. I feel the misery of having been a pleb. Thanks for this post now I know and I will pay respects soon.

[@davidsauls9542]

Please include us the USA (and the rest of the free world) among those who owe him and his team. Great man !!! Thank You sir for teaching us about him.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It is a pleasure to bring such stories. We have plenty more including about some great Americans.

[@krismurphy7711]

Great that After the Fact Infighting he got the Rank, Recognition and in the End Financial Reward he was due....over due. It is amazing how sometimes a battle, a campaign or even a war can come down to one leader's performance...or lack thereof. RIP Skipper Park

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Not just in the Battle of Britain. In 1942, Malta was the keystone to British strategy for winning the war because if Malta had been lost there was little to no chance of defeating Rommel in the Desert. Over a period of two years, various RAF Commanders in Malta had failed to protect the island from severe bombing. They provided inadequate air defence so the Germans were ready to invade. Within just 17 days of Park's arrival in Malta he had given the Luftwaffe such a bloody-nose that they called off the bombing and dropped their invasion plans. Three months later the Luftwaffe had another go and they received exactly the same punishment. It can be argued that this performance (and not Alamein) was the turning point for the western allies because without what he did on Malta it would have been much more difficult to have won that battle and almost impossible to expel him from North Africa altogether. Doubts in anyone's mind over his contribution in the Battle of Britain were entirely dispelled by what he did in Malta. We have a video on this subject coming soon. Thanks for watching.

[@1961Tuber]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Talk about rocking the boat...El Alamein & Monty NOT the reason for Rommel's retreat/withdrawal...wow. I'm a big fan of the unsung but key people getting the credit they deserve. WHEN you do this Episode, toss in a bit a Alternate History and project what might have happened if Park had NOT been put in charge. Great Video....keep them coming!!

[@Lechaim11]

One of the unsung heroes that the freeworld owes so much to! New Zealand should be very proud of this man. His was a life well lived.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

I believe New Zealand is very proud of him.

[@landsea7332]

Slightly off topic , but an interesting quote from another Kiwi , Allan ( Nine Lives ) Deere . " We had Gloster Gladiators then - in 1938. The Germans had ME 109's . Chamberlain gave us a year to get most of our squadrons equipped with Hurricanes and Spitfires , a year we badly needed . " .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

The Gloster Gladiator's moment of fame was as Faith, Hope and Charity in Malta! As a comparison, the ME109s and Spitfires had a top speed of around 370 mph but the poor Gladiators just 250 mph.

[@Pokafalva]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 They were shot out of the sky in no time!

[@robertbruce1887]

A good point about Chamberlain who normally is frowned upon

[@landsea7332]

@@robertbruce1887 - Yes , IMO the key to the Munich agreement is to look at the numbers and military budgets . People will argue about how many Czech divisions there were ( I've read anywhere from 20 to 46 (?) ) , and how may French , British and German divisions there were . But the Czech 's had about 450 bi wing fighters , the RAF was mostly equipped with bi wing fighters . Against , the seasoned Luftwaffe ME109 pilots , who gained experience in Spain , the Luftwaffe would have gained air superiority within days . ... or less . Plus , after the slaughter of WW I , there were very strong peace movements in Britain . The public was not interested in another war . .

[@stewartforgie8511]

@@robertbruce1887 \\\chamberlain is often vilified for supposedly believing Hitler's lies but the truth is that Chamberlain knew He could not trust Hitler further than he could throw him. But he also knew how unprepared Britain was for war and that he had to buy time for Britain to build up her forces. His "Peace in our time" statement was merely intended to prevent widespread panic and possible insurrection and to be honest , it worked and gave Dowding the time he and park needed to strengthen our air defences and radar capabilities.

[@andrewshaughnessy5828]

A great account of a great man - thank you!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

You're very welcome! Hope you will keep watching as we have plenty more to come.

[@alansutton9388]

Downing was the genius of the battle. Not the big wing

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Yes, and Park was his right-hand man.

[@himoffthequakeroatbox4320]

He got a street named after him. Where the PM lives. 🤡

[@robertvalence7899]

@@himoffthequakeroatbox4320 Hey - that's Downing St. NOT Dowding St!!

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@robertvalence7899 Whoosh! The satire went right over your head there Sherlock?!

[@bastogne315]

@@robertvalence7899 It's Dowding Street..

[@bobbythompson3544]

I was hoping to see something about the Polish Flyers, their contribution was immense!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

This video is merely about Keith Park. We have another one that we are working on at the moment about the Battle of Britain and yet another one about the Battle of Malta. We will be covering theses battles in much more detail including the Polish pilots, the Big Wing, Radar, his Forward Interception Plan in Malta etc etc.

[@Pokafalva]

Their contribution was no different to ALL of the other Fighter Command squadrons that took part in the Battle of Britain. The most famous one, 303, was only in the main daylight battle for just over 5 weeks, having entered it officially on 31st August. Many squadrons had been in action from the start of July, a full two months earlier. The 7th October was the last major daylight incursion by Luftwaffe bombers in any force; after that, it was mostly Bf 109 fighter-bombers at high altitude, while the standard bombers reverted to night bombing. I admire and praise every single pilot who climbed into a fightet and took off to intercept the German formations, but I do not place any one above any other.

[@Pokafalva]

@@landsea7332 '...A question was 303 Squadron the cream of the Polish Pilots ? They had a lot more experience than Commonwealth Pilots...' By the time 303 Squadron entered the Battle on 31st August 1940, there were many RAF fighter squadrons that had been in action since the Western Campaign started/Dunkirk, so I would question the assertion that Polish pilots had a lot more experience. That simply was not the case...

[@bobsakamanos4469]

They joined the fight late, about the time that Goering ordered his fighters to stay with the bombers, putting them at a serious disadvantage. They were not as disciplined as Group Leaders would have liked.

[@landsea7332]

Correction to my previous comment : 303 Squadron were stationed in Northolt , which is part of 11 Group , not 12 Group as I previously stated . As to series of events why the Polish Pilots did not participate in the 1946 Victory Parade , here is the explanation that was provided to me . " Don;t believe that "Attlee didn't want to upset Stalin" BS of this film [ Mission of Honour ] . With regard to the non-appearance of Polish forces during the "1946 Victory parade" the problem lay SQUARELY with POLAND. The first invites sent out by the UK Labour Govt of Clement Attlee to ALL the nations who had fought for the Allied cause during WW2 (INCLUDING Poland, USSR & Yugoslavia) were sent out weeks in advance of the parade. The Polish invite in particular was quite understandably delivered to the Polish "Provisional Government of National Unity" ( the "TRJN" or Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej) based in Warsaw, which was the OFFICIAL Polish govt as recognised by the international community in the form of the "United Nations", and NOT just by Britain alone, the TRJN was the same govt that it was intended the London based Polish nationalist Govt in exile would become an intrinsic part of, as agreed to by ALL sides at the Yalta conference in Feb 1945.... (although the soviets subsequently saw to it that this never actually happened). This invite sent to Warsaw immediately raised a storm of protest with the Polish nationalist govt in exile based in London who, with some justification, felt they had been sidelined in this matter, their anger was supported by many British MPs and members of the British public. With only days left before the parade was due to take place, and with no reply or even acknowledgement of the British invite from the OFFICIAL Polish TRJN govt in Warsaw, the British govt then belatedly sent out a SECOND INVITE to the Polish Govt in Exile in London, (as well as directly to individual senior Polish service personnel), but as one united group they CHOSE to shun the invites to register their anger and disgust at being treated as "second fiddle" to the Warsaw govt. And the final Ignominy? The Warsaw TRJN govt never answered or even acknowledged the original invite from the UK (as neither did the USSR or Yugoslavia) and never attended the parade either. As you can see the Polish "non appearance" was solely down to a poisonous bitter mix of political hatred (from Warsaw) and hubris (from the London Poles), and NOTHING to do with this imaginary "Poles weren't invited to the parade" BS. As I've described above the Polish nation was actually the ONLY allied nation to receive TWO invites to the parade. " .

[@beagle7622]

I don’t know who he was fighting harder , the Luftwaffe or Leigh Mallory & other elements in the RAF.

[@thethirdman225]

Remember too, that Leigh-Mallory and Douglas were more ‘establishment’ types, which put them in good with Churchill.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Your "establishment" comment certainly carries weight. However, Churchill did recognised Park's contribution to the cause with his comments on the official report on the Battle.

[@thethirdman225]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 I’d have said Churchill paid lip service to Park’s contribution. I just find it incongruous that Park and Dowding were both let go as soon as the battle was won and replaced by ‘establishment types’. The same thing happened after Park had finished with the battle of Malta. He was promoted but he was still being given dirty jobs nobody else would have wanted. That’s how it seems to me, anyway.

[@eze8970]

@@thethirdman225 Churchill put on official documents (which we are still reading now) his feelings. It was as near to a broadside as Churchill, ever the politician, using understatement, would get. Dowding & Park were let go as they weren't seen the 'right' type of skills for the next stage of the war, which was offensive, as Dowding & Park were defensive masters. Whether Douglas or Leigh Mallory were the best men for the coming Fighter & Bomber offensive is another matter, but they were the senior officers available. They were very ambitious, & who honestly believed that 'Big Wings' were far more effective than squadrons scrambled piecemeal, & struggling for height. Unfortunately, it was proved the Big Wings took too long to get to the right place, but this was also due to a lack of experience. We have to remember that the RAF were still taking heavy losses using Dowding & Park's tactics. Also, Dowding had wanted more fighters to be kept back for UK defence, but Dowding got over ruled by Churchill, so they were sent to France & mostly lost. Perhaps if the Big Wings had been practiced pre war, more of its problems may have been ironed out? The RAF had wanted to get rid of Dowding before the Battle of Britain, as he was seen as old & 'stuffy'. They realised his skillset was required just before & during the BoB. The Fall of France had taken everyone by surprise. He became a political pawn, & sacrificed during the night Blitz. Park & Dowding were treated shamefully during & after the BoB, but Park, who wasn't part of the Establishment, did go on to be Knighted & be a Air Chief Marshal, no mean feat.

[@thethirdman225]

@@eze8970 Yes, that’s my read of it too.

[@stevebelcher667]

When I visited the RAF Chapel in Westminster Abbey, I spoke to the ex RAF person who provides information on the Chapel and the Roll of Honour. He had no idea who Keith Park was. He said that during his time in the RAF no mention of him was made and was surprised to hear how pivotal he was in the Battle of Britain and Malta. So unfortunately there are many people that have forgotten Park in UK. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHi7eoSXeLime6c

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

That is slightly worrying ....

[@spitfiremark1a768]

I have admired Sir Keith Park all my life. I read about him first at infant school and recalled Trevor Howard's representation of him in the Battke of Britain film. That made a big impact on me. I read about Park later on and his genius really impressed me. He and Dowding helped save this country. Luckily they had RDF, modern fighters, the pilots aand the backing of the country that had their back to the wall.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

RDF and modern fighters only arrived just in time!!

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

None of the factors you mention was due to "luck", but were instead all determinedly FOUGHT for in the run up to WW2, by those who had the foresight to see what was necessary for the defence of the country. The fact that they had to "bang heads" and "step on toes" to get what was needed in place as well as being proved correct in their assesments, also ensured that they were consigned to the dustbin of history after the event.

[@ingerlander]

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. How fortunate freedom is, that he lived to give it to us.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Fortunate for the free world

[@timdench2583]

Good tribute to a brilliant man. Thank you

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@secretagent86]

RESPECT. thank you for this wonderful video. i have subscribed now

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for subscribing. Hope we can keep you entertained and interested with many more videos that are on the way.

[@robinwhite3988]

What an excellent production. My father was a young tank driver in Burma and his future brother in law was air crew supplying his column. They were both aware of Parks command.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

I think it is a story that needs exploring more.

[@GARDENER42]

I don't think Park is in any way forgotten by anyone with an interest in the RAF's role in WW2 & the many books regarding this time invariably describe him as the lynch pin of the RAF's successful counter to the Luftwaffe.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Park has probably not received wider recognition because of the difficulties with Leigh-Mallory in the Battle of Britain, and because his efforts in Malta and Burma were not in the mainstream of headline news at the time.

[@GARDENER42]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Indeed. The whole Burma campaign ("Forgotten Army" etc) is far less well known than it should be. Slim's _Defeat into Victory_ covers it in a very clear manner, including highlighting the vital part played by air transport & supply.

[@rednaughtstudios]

Keith Park was played by Trevor Howard in the film Battle of Britain. The film shows one of Park's habits of, at the end of each day, flying out to some of the airfields under his command in his personal Hurricane to see for himself how things were going. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mp7WiayAnN-eY5o

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

That is absolutely correct! He also had the habit of wearing white flying overalls but no idea why. There is also a lovely story about him arriving at one airfield and being told by a young pilot that he can't park his plane there. Park taxis his plane to the dispersal area before returning to the squadron hut to speak with the pilots. Much to his embarrassment, the young pilot suddenly realises who he had ordered to park elsewhere but Keith Park was not someone to stand-on-ceremony about such matters.

[@robertvalence7899]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 nice anecdote - thanks

[@Zxcbr267]

Total respect ✊ Sir

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

glad you enjoyed.

[@StevenKeery]

Very interesting, thanks for uploading.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@mikewilson4847]

Alleluia. Thank God for this gentleman. I can still hear those Junkers throbbing overhead as we cowered in the cellar.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

All clear now!

[@landsea7332]

Mike - My parents always talked about the droning sound of the Luftwaffe bombers from the night when Coventry was bombed. As total speculation on my behalf , the reason might be hetrodyning . If one engine has a slightly higher RPM than the other , a 3rd frequency will be created which is the difference in the two speeds of the engines . So f3 = absolute value | f1 - f2 | .

[@avipatable]

What a great presentation, thank you. I watched the Battle of Britain film practically on repeat as a child and have read so many wartime autobiographies of pilots. I certainly new of the shameful treatment of Park and Dowding and have watched documentaries on the latter, however I didn't know the rest of Park's career and didn't know of Churchill's stern words regarding the treacherous official report of the Battle of Britain by Douglas and Leigh Mallory. I am happy that those two must have heard this and I hope they felt shame at the time.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thank you for your comments. I understand that Trevor Howard promised Park that he would play him honestly in the film. I was always amused at his wearing of a white, pre-war, flying suit! But apparently that is exactly what Park did wear when flying himself around his various airfields during the battle.

[@avipatable]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Yes, I read the same, while reading extra stuff after watching your video. I also heard an amusing story where he parked his Hurricane in the COs spot (or something similar) and the fitter got very excited about it and was shouting that he couldn't park there while Park calmly took off his overalls revealing his rank, without saying a word.

[@christophernewman5027]

I always admired this man and was angry at the way that he and Dowding were treated. Subbed. 😊

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for the sub!

[@christophernewman5027]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 You're welcome. I thought Bader's comments a bit rich seeing as how he was a friend of Leigh-Mallory and one of the anti-Park gang...

[@keithad6485]

I agree with you. for both men.

[@keithtonkin6959]

Never a forgotten hero in New Zealand. In later life he was a central figure in the establishment of the Auckland International Airport at Mangere. A question though. Who was that lone woman in the line up in the Royal flying Corps? There is a book entitled "The Only Woman" which features photographs of such group photos with only one woman in each. It's really interesting and that photo in this video should be in it. Most of the women in the book in spite of odds against them did very well. The woman in this photo was really in a very male world so I'd love to know how she fared.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Fascinating question! Would love to know the answer.

[@garymoore2535]

I don't know who she was, but she was sure busy ! 😘😂😂😂

[@Beauloqs]

​@@jcrosby4804 You have obviously never been there.

[@raymondyee2008]

They did show how much problems Park faced during the BoB in the 1969 movie. Also showed how much Park didn’t like Leigh-Mallory.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

The relationship between Leigh-Mallory and Park was not helped when in 1939 Dowding carried out an exercise involving all Fighter Command Groups defending the UK. Leigh-Mallory and 12 Group performed poorly and Dowding left it to Park to oversee improvements at 12 Group. Park at the time was the Senior Staff Officer, Fighter Command and held the rank of air Commodore, a rank below Leigh-Mallory's. It seems that Leigh-Mallory resented this and it became a point of friction between the two.

[@robertbruce1887]

Great Stories From the Past: yes it seems that Leigh-Mallory was a jealous, resentful character.

[@auldflyer]

Excellent presentation.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thank you kindly!

[@philipdenner8504]

What an amazing incredible leader of men.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

War is inclined to bring these sort of men to he fore.

[@ahartify]

I used to see Keith Park wandering along in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand in the 1960s and 1970s when I was 10- 14 years old. I thought he was just an 'old godger' until my father and uncle pointed out how important he had been. He became a local councillor.

[@nigellawson8610]

Thank Sholto Douglas and Lee Mallory were not in charge during the Battle of Britain. Their use of big wing tactics would have played into the Luftwaffe's hands. The British would have lost the battle for sure,

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Very true. Neither Trafford Leigh-Mallory or Sholto Douglas were fighter experts unlike Dowding, Park and Tedder. Leigh-Mallory (his expertise was in RAF / Army liaison) replaced Park at 11 Group after the Battle of Britain and instigated the Big Wing mode of operation. Over the next twelve months he lost 5 RAF planes for every one German plane shot down!! Of course, the Big Wing theory had been around for a while but it would appear that it was exploited by Douglas Bader who, as the senior squadron leader at Duxford, could subjugate the four other squadrons to his wishes giving him, by default, a Big Wing to command in battle. It was Bader who persuaded Leigh-Mallory as to the merits of the Big Wing. Meanwhile Leigh-Mallory had been slighted by Dowding and so he had sworn that it was his ambition to get Dowding the sack. He lobbied Sholto Douglas in the Air Ministry who was after Dowding's job, and a number of MPs, none of whom would have had any idea as to fighter tactics. The upshot was a tremendous uproar within the Air Ministry where the outnumbered Fighter Commanders were purged by Bomber Commanders from senior positions. Tedder managed to escape the fallout because he had already sought and gained a senior position in the Middle East due to unpleasantness within the Air Ministry. After the war Bader became a big friend of Adolf Galland, the famous Luftwaffe commander who fought in the Battle of Britain. From Galland, Bader was to realise that Park's tactics had completely flummoxed the Germans because they were never able to work out what they were actually up against. This is an interesting story that we are actually working on at the moment. So please keep watching as we intend to bring this story to light in due course.

[@PaulLMF]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 The Galland comment is new to me. Look forward to hearing more. Cheers

[@allansbullet]

Have to agree - Leigh-Mallory was a self-serivng idiot. If Park hadn't been there, the Luftwaffe would have smashed the RAF with sheer weight of numbers, and Leigh-Mallory's BIG WING tactics would have lost the Battle of Britain, making way for the Nazis to invade!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

@@PaulLMF Adolf Galland was an interesting character. He is viewed by those on the Allied side as being one of the "good" guys in the Luftwaffe; a professional pilot rather than a political ideologue. Interestingly, he lost the sight in one eye but managed to hide this fact from the medics in the Luftwaffe otherwise he would not have been allowed to fly. Irrespective he became an air-ace before working his way up to a General rank within the Luftwaffe. After the war he contributed considerably to the understanding of the battle from the German point-of-view including the point that Park's tactics left the Germans totally bewildered as to the strengths and weaknesses of the RAF.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

The fact that 11 Group lost five planes to every one plane they shut down after Leigh-Mallory took over proves the point.

[@jamestamu83]

I'm a WW2 history buff but had never heard of this man. Ashamed to say so. Intend to research him and learn more. Great video.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for your comments. I hope you enjoyed the video.

[@PiercingSwitchkick]

Thank you for sharing his story! Makes me proud to be a Park.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed the story. Any relation by chance?

[@cramersclassics]

An amazing mans story... only damaged by the overly loud music which competes some of his major accomplishments. Subscribed.

[@jeremymorrall6750]

My grandfather went to Otago Boys High School with Park; indeed he was in the same class where Park played a prank on him by putting six white mice in his desk!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

From what is known about Keith Park's character, he was certainly full of spirit and adventure.

[@rogerpattube]

From memory he had a year at OBHS but mainly went to Kings College.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

His steady hand also guided the air defence of Malta at crucial point and the air preparation for the landings on Sicily and Italy

[@richardscanlan3419]

And people shouldn't dismiss that defence.People conveniently forget that one of the reasons for German defeat in North Africa came down to their inability to neutraliee Malta. It wasn't the main reason,but it was a serious contributing factor.

[@garyquinlan4075]

As happens so often in military events, those who are the heroes like Park and Dowding don't get the recognition they deserve whereas substantially inferior persons like Mallory get the kudos and credits!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Later in the war Leigh-Mallory managed to get the job of Allied Air Commander for D-Day. This was probably partially because he was an army-air force liaison specialist. However, it is understood that Arthur Tedder, who was Eisenhower's Deputy, got so frustrated with him that he took the job over and did it himself!

[@robertbruce1887]

Great Stories from the Past: Ha, ha, l'm wondering if Leigh-Mallory actually had any good points!

[@whiteonggoy7009]

This channel is just my cup of tea..subscribed

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks. There's lots more in the pipeline

[@hitime2405]

The reason why the RAF won the Battle of Britain was because Britain had the Worlds first Radar based integrated air defence system, if it hadn’t, the RAF would have to mount line patrols all along the south coast of England and would have been an impossible drain on resources, aircraft and more importantly, pilots, and the RAF fighters would have only spotted the enemy aircraft by luck, as it was the RAF fighters could be scrambled when and were they were needed and were able to do it in force and be directed to where the enemy were, no one man or unit won the Battle of Britain, the whole Radar based integrated air defence system DID! Edit; and the Germans did not fully understand it either, as proven when demoralised German bomber crews were told the RAF was down to its last few fighters only to be intercepted by around 50 RAF fighters on their next mission.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It was Robert Watson-Watt who sold the idea of Radar to Dowding and it was he who worked on its development in the few years before the war started. Due to this, Park was able to fight a battle without showing his hand to the enemy! We have another video coming in due course that looks more closely at this and other aspects of the Battle of Britain. Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed the story about Keith Park.

[@hitime2405]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 I look forward to seeing it, and I have to thank you for this excellent work in which you point out that the Radar based integrated air defence system was improved by Kieth Park, and I have to admit you are right that IF any one man was responsible for winning the Battle of Britain it was him, thank you.

[@raypurchase801]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Nice to find a channel where its creator actually knows his stuff. Some channels are barely better than click-bait.

[@howardsimpson489]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Yes please, various forms of radar and the proximity fuse. My electronics engineer father worked on long range radar development during WW2 in NZ, the idea was that no one would pick up the experimental transmissions.

[@kiwitrainguy]

The Observer Corps (as mentioned in this video) played an important part as well.

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

Great man; great post - thank you.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@landsea7332]

In 1938, Shoto Douglas wrote " It is immaterial in the long view whether the enemy bomber is shot down before or after he has dropped his bombs on his objective. Our object is not to prevent bombers from reaching their objectives, though it would be nice if we could, but to cause a high casualty rate among enemy bombers, with the result that the scale of the will dwindle rapidly to bearable proportions. " Its clear from another writing on December 17th, 1940 that Douglas did not change his view. Leigh Mallory supported this view because he thought the objective was to knock out enemy planes " en mass. " Dowding dictated in August 1941 " The destruction or paralysis of Fighter Command was therefore an essential prerequisite to the invasion of these Islands. Their immediate objective might be convoys, radio - location stations, fighter aerodromes, seaports, aircraft factories, or London itself. Always the underlying object was to bring Fighter Command continuously into battle, and to weaken its material resources and intelligence facilities. " Add to this , Park emphasized the importance of stopping the Luftwaffe before bombers reached their targets. So Shoto Douglas thought the objective was to cause such a high casualty rate amoung enemy bombers that it will reduce the Luftwaffe 's will to fight . Where as Dowding and Park understood the objective was for Fighter Command to continue to exist , in order to stop the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority which was a prerequisite for an invasion . Furthur , to bring fighter command continuously into battle ... and to stop the bombers before they reached their targets . .

[@landsea7332]

Maybe it would be good to find the official doctrine of the RAF at this time . However , its very clear Leigh - Mallory and Sholto Douglas , never did the basic arithmetic to add up the time from when a Luftwaffe formation was detected by RDF , to when a "Big Wing " in 11 Group could be formed and then intercept the Luftwaffe formation . Further , did Leigh - Mallory and Shotlo Douglas consider the possibly that a mass formation of RAF fighters would have to refuel and then get caught on the ground ? Or the disaster that would occur if large numbers of RAF fighters were bounced from above ? .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for your comments. You raise a number of very interesting points. We are working on a video about the Battle of Britain where there are all sorts of elements that (in our opinion) require some re-assessment. Much of this revolves around the military degradation by one side over the other. Indeed the statistics that the RAF were working on during the Battle of Britain were actually completely misunderstood by the RAF and this, together with other factors, has led to (perhaps) a distorted view of the Battle. I don't think Park would have disagreed with Douglas over the objective of causing such a high casualty rate amongst enemy bombers that it reduced the Luftwaffe's will to fight. This is exactly what Park did with his Forward Interception Plan in Malta. However - and this is where he differed from Douglas - as the title suggests, he was specific about taking out the Bombers before they reached their targets. Again, he did this by rejecting the Big Wing tactic that his predecessor in Malta had unsuccessfully used and instead he deployed squadrons independently in sequences (normally of three) so no time was wasted forming up. Each squadron in that sequence would have a specific role with the aim of leaving the Bombers exposed and thus open to attack.

[@step4024]

We thank him and Sir Hugh Dowding for....well, let's face it....everything. God bless Sir Keith Park and Sir Hugh Dowding and all our brave boys and the girls who guided them. From all the nations, in particular the "crazy Poles" who did so much for victory.

[@evilstorm5954]

Never before in the history of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It was on the steps leading to the Uxbridge bunker where Churchill came up with that line.

[@maurices5259]

The actual quote should read - "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"

[@fritsmosselman4597]

Very insightful, great video!

[@brettharrison2237]

Park, a man who could have lost WW2 in an afternoon. Thankfully he was smarter than that.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Loosing the war in an afternoon is a quote from Britain's most successfully flying ace of WW2, Johnny Johnson. In turn he was paraphrasing Churchill's remark in WW1 about Admiral Jellicoe, the commander of the Home Fleet.

[@samrodian919]

Trafford Leigh-Mallory certainly would have lost it in a single day had he been in charge of 11 group during the BOB. His squandering of RAF crews in 1941 and '42 on the "Rhubarb raids" shows us that.

[@seanmmccarthy]

Outstanding. Thank you.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@andrewjohnson388]

People then, attitude and sense of reality and intelligence, with the stiff upper lip and no nonsense all went in to defeat total evil. My grandad was in first world war age 15 and as a Naval officer in the Second world war, I continue to have and interest in the war, with stories of the brave.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@andrewjohnson388]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Yes it was great...Ive Subscribed !

[@muzza881]

Allowing Bader to speak at the memorial service was an insult to Park's memory. Bader and Leigh-Mallory spent most of the Battle of Britain sabotaging Park's work.

[@stevphenrose7820]

What does history think of Leigh Mallory?

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Unfortunately for Trafford Leigh-Mallory, it appears that he is now most remembered for intrigue. Even his own Wikipedia entry says, "He worked energetically in political circles to bring about the removal of Park from command of 11 Group; the false claims for the Duxford Big Wing successes played a part in this. Throughout the Battle of Britain, his lack of support for Park's 11 Group contributed materially to the damage that the Luftwaffe was able to inflict on 11 Group's airfields." It then goes on to say about his performance as 11 Group commander, "Leigh-Mallory came in for criticism as these raids over enemy territory caused heavy RAF casualties with over 500 pilots lost in 1941 alone, losing four aircraft for each German aircraft destroyed." It appears that many people today wonder how such a divisive character who was an ineffective Fighter Group Commander achieved dizzy heights within the RAF!

[@Pokafalva]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 You do know Wiki entries can be written by anybody. To rely on that source is simply crazy...

[@TheSgtbk]

In 2010 I was a member of a New Zealand Pipe Band staying at RAF Uxbridge while we took part in at Tattoo at Windsor Castle. We were approached by a gentleman who had the keys to the underground bunker. He said he was allowed to give selective groups access to the bunker and if a group from New Zealand did not qualify, then nobody did. His view was that without doubt, our fellow New Zealander Keith Park, won the Battle of Britain

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Park did NOT "win the battle of Britain". He was a major player in operations, but equally important were the pilots themselves and MORE important was his boss ACM Hugh Dowding. Don't fall for ridiculous and demeaning soundbites on YT channels.

[@TheSgtbk]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 I think we all accept you are correct, however the leader of an origination gets the blame when things go wrong so equally should get the credit when things go right. Especially when it is their management skills that largely mean the origination as a whole achieved its intended goal. You could say "the buck stops there" in both directions.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@TheSgtbk Please understand that I have NOTHING but the highest respect for AVM Park. To use General Patton's tenet "Untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets", the pilots of RAF Fighter Command could, in 1940, have had no finer tutors than AVM Park and ACM Dowding.... but clickbait YT thumbnails and video titles do rankle with me sometimes. All the best.

[@EdMcF1]

Would it be wrong to say that Britain did not 'win' in the Battles of Britain and Malta so much as prevent the enemy from prevailing, which was all that was needed? A crude analogy would be the need for an away goal if there is a draw in some European football tournaments. The Luftwaffe remained extant in late 1940, but gave up trying to destroy the RAF, knowing it would have cost too much. And imagine if that shell had landed a few yards closer, the whole history of WW2 and the World might have been very different.

[@thethirdman225]

That would be true of Malta but the Battle of Britain was a clear victory.

[@tvgerbil1984]

Those were strategic victories by retaining control of the sky to areas which mattered to the course of the war. They didn't need the enemies to be decimated, merely repulsed.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Your reply is entirely correct. The concept of Air Defence was new in WW2. In all previous wars rival armies slugged it without too much thought of the air above. Now, suddenly, there was a situation where it was unadvisable to commit an army to battle without air support. This was an element of warfare that the RAF had put on the back-burner after John Salmon and only really started to do something about it in 1936 when they formed Fighter Command. The Spanish Civil War should / may have concentrated minds. It is also possible that the Royal Navy was ahead of he RAF in its thinking on this.

[@eze8970]

In each case, I'd say the Axis Strategic War Aim failed, so a win on both counts, i.e to gain air superiority & prepare the ground for invasion (although for Malta, the Axis would have won smaller tactical battles at times).

[@thethirdman225]

@@eze8970 The advantage of the Royal Navy was more obvious in the Mediterranean than in the Battle of Britain - though it’s my contention that the Royal Navy would have made mincemeat of any German invasion force that came across the Channel.

[@peterhuxley8181]

It is often the case that someone who doesn't show well in peacetime or in theoretical exercises finds his place in actual operations. Keith Park is just such a man. He proved himself in the Battle of Britain, in the Battle of Malta and in the Far East. One can never be sure if any one person will make a difference but Keth Park certainly did.

[@landsea7332]

Concerning the disgraceful treatment of Park and Dowding - here is short version of what I've pieced together . Please make any corrections - WW I , RFC pilots were exhausted , Dowding and Trenchard disagree , and Dowding is sent back to Britain - The Interwar years , Trenchard becomes the father of the RAF and adopts " The Bomber must always get through . " - Salmond follows in Trenchard's foot steps - - Dowding sets up the worlds first National Air Defense Communication Network. - WW II , Dowding promotes Park to 11 Group and Leigh Mallory to 12 group . Leigh Mallory is resentful. - Churchill appoints Lindemann as his scientific advisor and appoints Sinclair - Sinclair becomes influenced by Sholto Douglas - BoB , Sinclair meets with Churchill and suggests that Dowding be replaced - Churchill is a great supporter of Dowding and takes a strip off of Sinclair - Newall is exhausted . Trenchard and Salmond push him out , then replace him with Portal , blocking Dowding from being promoted to Chief Air Marshall of the RAF . - Leigh Mallory and Sholto Douglas are "careerists " and want Dowding and Park out - Lindemann wants a bomber campaign - So Trenchard , Salmond , Sinclair , Douglas , Leigh Mallory want Dowding out - As total speculation , Churchill goes along to keep the peace and wants a bomber campaign . - Churchill sends Dowding to America on a diplomatic mission - but its a disaster - Churchill wants to appoint Dowding to other positions , but this is blocked by the Air Ministry .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Your summary just about sums it up. You are probably correct that Churchill, being a politician, felt that he had to let Dowding and Park go because there were too many knives out for them even though Churchill was a supporter of both. Leigh-Mallory and Douglas had both lobbied numerous politicians about Dowding amongst both Conservative and Labour MPs. Here again Bader's influence came in. The Adjutant of his Squadron (242) was the Conservative MP Peter Macdonald who Bader got to make representations to Churchill about the Big Wing. Trenchard was definitely still an influence in all of this. He was still dressing up in his Marshal of the Air Force uniform and inspecting troops during this stage of the war! But you have to question his judgement by this stage; he appears to have little understanding of Aerial Defence and remained, to the end, a Bomber man.

[@Pokafalva]

To correct the above in a sentence. Dowding got his (three times) deferred retirement, Park got another appointment.

[@landsea7332]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 " Yes - Sinclair 's military experience was from a machine gun regiment during WW I . Here is the Secretary of State for Air , with no experience in aviation tactics or strategy . So Sinclair was heavily reliant and influenced by Sholto Douglas and the Air Ministry , as such wanted to hold Dowding to his retirement date . In response, Churchill wrote to Sinclair that " he [ Dowding ] has my complete confidence " " his appointment should be in-defiantly prolonged while the war lasts , [ which ] would not of course exclude his being moved to a higher position , if that were thought necessary . " When Trenchard and Salmond found out about Churchill's letter , their response was " He [ Dowding ] must be stopped . " . So as you've mentioned , the political knives were out - and this went up as high as Trenchard in the House of Lords. Please remind me never to go into politics . .

[@stephenholmes1036]

The battle of the beams actually did a hell of a lot to defeat Knickerbein. Our scientists lead by R.V Jones and radio oprators in Avro Ansons. Its a rarely told story and vital to combating night raids

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

I recommend the 1970's BBC series "The Secret War" which includes RV Jones throughout, as well as many other first hand accounts of the technology war from various British boffins. The TV series is available to download if you know where to look online.

[@charleslyster1681]

Artificial voices really don’t work; they diminish an otherwise excellent presentation.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Sorry

[@nigelbaldwin1038]

Would urge everyone to visit the Battle of Britain bunker at Uxbridge. Absolutely fascinating.

[@richardw64]

The right man , at the right time !

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

The man for the job!

[@SillyMoustache]

Well done.a fine tribute to "the Skipper"

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it.

[@LewisSkeeter]

It's 2023, and Zelensky is rising to the occasion, just as Park did. Thank God for such people.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Unfortunately for Zelensky he is still in Chuchill's 1940-41 period.

[@LewisSkeeter]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 True. But American aid is on the way, just as it was then.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@LewisSkeeter And late as usual! But hopefully enough in time to tip the balance - and improve the balance of the books for the armaments profiteers. 🙄

[@XenonJohnD]

@@LewisSkeeter Indeed, this aid is under the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act passed by Congress in 2022. The US will probably be assisting the Ukraine with their economy (natural resources) as they say, for decades to come. The UK finally repaid their WW2 debt in 2006.

[@ava1234ish]

Great documentary thank you - pity the background music was often too loud

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Sorry about that

[@landsea7332]

One of the things that stands out is the shear volume of decisions Park , Dowding , Churchill and Paul Reynaud had to make under incredible pressure , during the Battle of France and then BoB . During the BoB , Park was actually directing a form of aerial gorilla warfare . Stay clear of the ME109 's. Instead , attack the bombers from above , shoot for 15 seconds . Get in and get out . . Hope its OK to link this , but this shows the sequence of how squadrons were deployed on " The Hardest Day " kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWWuqYOmpNZqn7c .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for your post

[@jamestwilkins875]

Rommel said the factors that led to his defeat in Africa were 1. the R.A.F that were shooting up everything 2. Supply lines 3.the versatility of British artillery and 4. Aussie and NZ infantry. While Park changed the RAF at Malta and dramatically reduced Rommel's supplies, it was Arthur Cunningham who changed things in the desert. In fact, British historian Sir Antony Beevor ranks Cunningham to be just as important as Montgomery in that victory.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham who commanded the desert air force was a very interesting character. Born in Australia, grew up of in NZ, and (like Park) volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps in WW1 having been invalided out of the NZ army in Egypt. He was certainly significantly important in the desert as well as in Tunisia and Sicily (as was Park with whom it would appear he got on with very well), and thereafter in Normandy. His expertise was air support of ground troops whereas Park was aerial defence.

[@ronemtae3468]

Britain also completely dropped the ball as far as Jet engines were concerned

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

I am not entirely sure as to your reference to Jen engines. Did you actually mean Jet engines? If you did there is an interesting story here. It surrounds a brilliant aero-engine engineer called Robin Jamieson who worked for both Rolls-Royce and Hawker Siddeley (now part of BAE Systems). Before the war he was working on the concept of turbo-charged ("Jet") engines and reporting to Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle. However, it was considered that this project would not reach fruition in time for the war and therefore he was switched by Rolls-Royce to working on increasing power on their existing engines amongst which was the Merlin. He returned to jet engines, successfully, after the war and later went on to design the engine in Concorde as well as those in many of Britain's missiles used in air-defence.

[@himoffthequakeroatbox4320]

Wrong.

[@prof_kaos9341]

The biggest issue was heat resistant metal alloys were not readily available. The Me262 used axial flow (as modern jets do) but the engine, using steel fans, had to be totally rebuilt every 15hrs. The British jet first flew in May 1941, but with nearly losing after Dunkirk meant Britain stuck with what worked, propellers. Whittle used radial flow jets, Whittle saying he built his engine to last, shown by todays surviving Comets using their original engines.

[@itsjohndell]

Simply superb, new Sub. Cheers!

[@willhovell9019]

Park, Dowding, Tedder and Harris, all worthy of admiration. Leigh Mallory was contemptable

[@kiwifruit27]

An excellent video on a fascinating person. Thanks

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tedthesailor172]

It's his statue that should be in Parliament Square, not Winston Churchill's - and certainly not Nelson Mandela's...

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Alternatively it should be in Whitehall along with Alan Brooke, Montgomery etc

[@myfanwyeaves3602]

Excellent review. The RAF gave him a Spitfire when he returned to Auckland - he gave it to the museum and it’s still there, along with a Mitsubishi Zero captured in Rabaul.

[@fus149hammer5]

Park and Dowding got none of the respect they were due, both shuffled off sideways after the battle, given token titles and Leigh-Mallory the self serving big head gets the prime promotion yet if he were in Dowdings place in the summer of 1940 we would now be speaking german. How typically british.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Yup

[@Pokafalva]

Absolute rubbish from start to finish! Dowding got his retirement, and Park, having served his time in one Command, moved to another. There was no chance of L-M taking Dowding's place from the ooutset of the Battle of Britain to its end on 31st October 1940.

[@fus149hammer5]

@Pokafalva Rubbish? After the battle Dowding was accused of having no idea on how to deal with the night blitz which was hardly his fault as due to prewar funding cutbacks, aircraft suitable for such operations were simply not there. Dowding was packed off to America and eventually Leigh Mallory got his job. He eventually went on to become allied commander for the air forces on D-Day. His tactics in the battle of Britain, sending up almost every fighter we had was EXACTLY what the germans wanted from the outset. Mass air battles over the southern England where the germans would dictate the action, well within the range of their fighters and with the tactical height advantage large numbers of RAF fighters still struggling for altitude would be shot down. Goerings boasts of knocking out the RAF in two weeks would have come true. Park being closely connected with Dowding was also moved sideways and then out on spurious health grounds. Dowding and Parks tactics were sound the result of the battle of Britain and the fact I'm not referring to you as "mein herr" proves the fact.

[@Pokafalva]

@@fus149hammer5 Yep, absolute rubbish re Dowding. And here's why: '...In August 1938 he was told that he would retire in June 1939. After some confusion caused by a newspaper report in February 1939 about his impending retirement, Newall wrote to him on 20th March asking him to stay on until March 1940. One day before this latest expiry date, Newall extended it to 14th July. His patience at an end after all this messing about, Dowding began an irritated exchange of correspondence on the subject with Newall and his political boss, the Secretary of State for Air, Archibald Sinclair. Sinclair finally wrote to him on 10th July 1940, the day on which the Battle of Britain 'officially' began, and a new date of 31st October was agreed...' (cf: 'The most dangerous enemy' by Stephen Bungay, Aurum Press, 2000). Stephen drew this information from official records held at the then PRO, now the National Archive. Dowding wasn't 'shuffled sideways', he got his retirement! If you are going to discuss with me, do try to get your facts right!

[@Pokafalva]

@@fus149hammer5 '...His tactics in the battle of Britain, sending up almost every fighter we had was EXACTLY what the germans wanted from the outset...' Wrong again. 12 Group could send up a maximum of 5 squadrons. The whole point of 12 Group was to supplement 11 Group in countering the raids coming in over Kent. 11 Group made enough 'balls-up' in directing fighter squadrons. If you don't believe me, go take a look at some of the raids that got through unmolested, and only challenged after the raid. So go look at RDF stations - morning of 12th August (given as an 'X' raid!); Croydon - 15th August; Croydon-31st August; North Weald - 3rd September, for starters. When the 12 Group squadrons were scrambled in time, they were able to hit the German formations - check out 15th September, when they engaged both times, while some of 11 Groups squadrons failed to engage.

[@jbower8056]

Interesting that he served in the army first before becoming a pilot. He is perhaps the first officer who really personally understood what is now called 'combined arms' although he is famous for his command of pure aerial combat in attaining air superiority.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

WW2 was perhaps the dawn of combined arms. The British army was still using separate armoured and Infantry divisions well into the war even after the success of the Panzer Division which was an all arms unit.

[@mikemyers8064]

May his soul be with God .

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Glad you enjoyed

[@mikemyers8064]

👍🏻🇬🇧

[@maryholder3795]

A brave and gifted commander who deserved more recognition than he got.

[@PhilMacVee]

Thanks for this documentary. Just one point to raise in my confusion at 04:36 in the video when discussing 1st World War medals, I noticed that the medal is marked as EIIR which was the cypher for HM Queeen Elisabeth II who did not ascend to the throne until the sad passing of her father in 1952. Is this an error or am I missing something?

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

You are entirely right. It is an error on our behalf; we could not find an image with GVR at the time. Hope it did not spoil your enjoyment of the video.

[@PhilMacVee]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 Thanks for your honesty and no, it did not spoil my enjoyment too much.

[@ARF-on9jv]

He has also now been acknowledged as one of "The Few" who fought in the Battle of Britain and his name has been added to the list of all the pilots who flew in the battle at the Battle of Britain Memorial at CAPEL-LE-FERNE .

[@BeachcomberNZ]

If you search using these words: 'Sir Keith Park memorial airfield Thames NZ' you will be able to learn about his memorial there, as well as pictures of the full size replica of his Hawker Hurricane they installed.

[@carrickrichards2457]

Leigh-Mallory died in an air crash while flying out to take over from Parks as C-in-C Air Command SE Asia. A bitter irony. Thank you for this wonderful biography.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

It's amazing how things turn out sometimes.

[@samrodian919]

Pity the bastard wasn't killed in the blitz

[@skyerider7007]

My father, a group captain, was supposed to be on that flight but he was released back to his civilian job at the end of the war in Europe so lived to a ripe old age.

[@henrivanbemmel]

This is an important video. Please dump the unnecessary background music. I can barely hear the narrorator!!! The history is adequately fascinating without the music hype. Thank you!

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for your comments

[@Brian-om2hh]

Keith Park had a reputation of just turning up unannounced in his Hurricane, at RAF fighter airfields to carry out impromptu inspections and meet his pilots. It's also somewhat ironic that one of the RAF's highest scoring Battle of Britain pilots was also another New Zealander, Brian Carbury, a former shoe salesman. At well over 6 foot tall, he barely fit into a Spitfire cockpit.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Thanks for your comments especially about Brian Carbury

[@detch01]

Keith Park fought the battle of Britain but it was Dowding's victory. It was Dowding who designed, planned and set up the British defenses that provided that victory. Park was not the RAF's operational commander, that commander was Hugh Dowding. In the Battle of Britain, Park was commander of 11Group which faced the brunt of the Luftwaffe attack and he made a huge contribution to that victory that should under no circumstances be dismissed but he did not act as operational commander for the RAF in the battle. Air Vice Marshall Sir Quintin Brand commanded 10 Group which defended south western England and Cornwall. Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory commanded 12 Group which was based north of the Thames in eastern England. All three group commanders reported to Hugh Dowding throughout the early war, including the Battle of Britain. If in your description you had written "He was an..." or "one of the operational commanders..." I would have no real qualm with your description. If you meant to say what you wrote then I have a hard time not taking your description as an attempt to take away what is due to Hugh Dowding.

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

Of course any military operation is down to teamwork and not one single person. Indisputably Dowding did design the system for the aerial defence of Britain but in doing this he had a principal assistant who was Park. When it came to the Battle, Dowding was the Commander-in-Chief in the same way as Harold Alexander was the Commander-in-Chief for the Second Battle of Alamein with Montgomery as the Army Commander (or Operational Commander) who rightly got the largest slice of the credit. The vast majority of the Battle of Britain was fought by 11 Group under Park. (11 Group had more planes and resources than all the other Groups put together!) 12 Group's principal task was to defend 11 Group's airfields while 11 Group did the fighting. But this rarely happened because Leigh-Mallory and Dowding were not on speaking terms with Leigh-Mallory, instead, taking a lead from Sholto Douglas, a senior staff officer in the Air Ministry. Quintin Brand at 10 Group, on the other hand, was entirely in accord with Park and with Park's tactics and put his squadrons at Park's disposal when desperately needed especially around the Southampton area. Indeed at some stages Park delegated the Southampton area to Brand to defend which he did using Park's tactics. Whichever way you look at it, Park was responsible for the RAF's tactics in the Battle of Britain and for the deployment of planes and squadrons. What is also known from interviews given by both Dowding and Park after the war, they were totally in agreement on these tactics so there was never any need for orders or counter-orders from Dowding to Park. Additionally, the term "Operational Commander" is used in these interviews and is attributed to Park. This video is entirely about Park; we are working on another about the Battle of Britain about which there are many misconceptions. There is no intent here to take away credit from Dowding; without him the RAF would not have been able to fight the battle. To quote an often used phrase about fighter Command in 1940, Dowding created the weapon, Churchill decided to use it; and Park wielded the weapon.

[@detch01]

@@GreatStoriesNow933 An operational commander of a theatre of war is an officer who is in command of that theatre of war. Park was not. Park was the operational commander of 11 Group. Leigh-Mallory and Dowding did not agree on the strategies used by Park in 11 Group - which were indisputably a very significant contributor and likely the reason the battle was won. That does not imply that they were not speaking terms. Leigh-Mallory believed that Bader's "big wing" tactics would produce better results. Also, 12 Group's primary responsibility was the protection of the east coast N of the Thames, protection of 11 Group fields was a secondary, albeit important responsibility. Leigh-Mallory's big wing showed its effectiveness on 15 Sept.'40 but it would not have saved the UK or won the Battle of Britain. At any rate, my point here is not to refight BoB in a text war. My point is that while Park was indeed an extremely good Group Commander, had a part in the design of the British air defenses prior to the war and was the front line commander in fighting the battle, he was not, as your intimation that he "won" the battle belittles the efforts of other theatre commanders and the man who designed, built and organized the defensive systems that saved Britain - Hugh Dowding. When your teaching or talking history, when you leave out the details you allow incorrect assumptions to be made. If you do this in a formal pedagogical situation you change what is known to be true about an event in history. And that is my point.

[@rayhuntley8966]

Dowding fought the battle day to day. Park fought it minute by minute. Dowding had absolute confidence in Park's abilities and let him get on with things. While it's all well and good to say it was a team effort, it was Park and his 11 Group that were facing the bulk of the Luftwaffe assaults. While 10 Group (AVM Saul) provided mu

[@Hendo1955]

Happy to say my grandfather served with him on the union steamship company prior to WW1

[@GreatStoriesNow933]

That was a long time ago!!