A beacon of hope is remembered

Waipapakauri may have played a small part in World War 2 in that it was home to an RNZAF base at a time when the prospect of invasion by Japanese forces was real, but it is as far as one could get from the skies above England where the Battle of Britain was waged more than 70 years ago.

Every September, that battle and the men who came to be immortalised by Winston Churchill as "The Few" are remembered there however, parade marshal Jim Summerfield telling Sunday's commemoration that New Zealand had contributed to the valour displayed during that dramatic four months.

A total of 127 New Zealanders had flown in the Battle of Britain as pilots, gunners or observers, 20 of them losing their lives, he said, others returning home with wounds, seen and unseen, that changed their lives for ever.

Mr Summerfield was not a veteran. He had never joined the armed forces under the pressure of an emergency, but he had known many veterans over the years.

He had heard their stories, he had been excited by and admiring of their courage, and he knew now of the grieving of the parents, siblings and families of those who died.

The Battle of Britain, he said, had been a pivotal engagement over the English summer and autumn of July 10 to October 31, 1940. France had capitulated to the Nazi invaders and England expected to be next, although the extraordinary evacuation of 330,000 troops from Dunkirk gave some hope of continued resistance.

It was the Battle of Britain that was to deny German forces the opportunity to cross the English Channel, however, the German Luftwaffe failing to achieve the dominance needed to pave the way for invasion.

"That battle, which lasted four months, was the first real setback for Hitler," Mr Summerfield said.

"Britain became a beacon of hope for the nations of Europe."

Numerous New Zealanders served in the RAF at that time, he added, many of them career officers.

The man credited with saving London, Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park, born in Thames, was among them. And New Zealand gave Britain a bomber squadron that served with distinction throughout the war.

As a teenager he had been excited by the valour of the airmen, soldiers and sailors who served throughout the war, uncomprehending of the pain suffered by those who lost loved ones, but as a man he had come to recognise and give thanks for their dedication and courage, not least of the young men who flew so valiantly in 1940 to give hope to the free world.

"I acknowledge the sanctity of human life, the joy of peace and liberty that we so take for granted these days," Mr Summerfield said.

"We should be grateful to the veterans of all wars, those who are with us today and those who have gone."