Battle of Britain Memorial Westminster Abbey Has 732 Names of Bomber Command Pilots and Aircrew

[Observer1940]

The sister of a Bomber Command Whitley Captain informed me that she was invited to the Battle of Britain Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey on the 10th July 1947 as her brother Alan, a Whitley bomber Captain Flying Officer W. A. Stenhouse had been killed during the Battle of Britain air conflict and she showed me the Order of Service and Memorial Brochure to indicate that she had indeed been invited.

Until that point, I was unaware that Bomber Command Pilots and Aircrew killed during the Battle were recognised in any Battle of Britain Memorial.

However, the Battle of Britain Memorial in Westminster Abbey, Roll of Honour contains the names of 1,497 Pilots and Aircrew killed during the Battle of Britain conflict. The names in the Battle of Britain Memorial Roll of Honour are made up of:-

732 from Bomber Command
449 from Fighter Command
268 from Coastal Command
34 from the Fleet Air Arm
14 from Other RAF Commands

Also a 1940 77 Squadron Bomber Pilot informs me that they were also awarded the Defence Medal for defending our shores and the UK during the Battle of Britain whilst on operations and did we also receive the medal.

Mark