KEY POINTS:
A New Zealander who became one of the great heroes of World War II is being nominated to get a lasting tribute in London's Trafalgar Square.
A campaign was launched overnight in Britain to put up a statue of Sir Keith Park, whose leadership during the Battle of Britain helped stave off the German Air Force.
Some historians refer to Sir Keith _ air commander over London and Southeast England _ as London's neglected hero.
Businessman and historian Terry Smith wants the statue to join those of King George VI and 19th-century British generals Sir Henry Havelock and Sir Charles James Napier at Trafalgar Square to remedy that neglect.
The Battle of Britain victory in 1940 is regarded by many as a turning point in the war. "Hitler's failure to beat the RAF in 1940 forced him to call off his plans for invading Britain," said Mr Smith, who has committed $240,000 to the project.
"Had Park lost, think what our future might have been."
The campaign, officially launched at 11.30 last night (NZT), has won support among historians and politicians, including Boris Johnson MP, General Lord Guthrie and Dr Stephen Bungay.
His statue would stand on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth, empty of a permanent fixture since it was built in 1841.
A spokesman for the New Zealand High Commission said the statue would help to tell people about Sir Keith's "vital contribution".
Sir Keith was born in Thames in 1892. He fought in World War I but was wounded and deemed unfit to ride a horse.
He joined the Air Force and led the aerial defence of Britain. After the war, Lord Tedder, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, said of Sir Keith: "If any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I do not believe it is realised how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save, not only this country, but the world.www.sirkeithpark.com
SIR KEITH PARK
* Born in Thames in 1892.
* Fought in World War I but was wounded and declared "unfit to ride a horse".
* Joined the British Royal Flying Corps and led the Air Force Squadron that defended British skies during World War II.
* Awarded the Military Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.
* Considered one of the greatest commanders in the history of aerial warfare.
* Returned to New Zealand after the war and had several terms on the Auckland City Council until his death in 1975, aged 82.
