Secret Spitfire Charity awarded grant for new memorial installation
A replica of the iconic aircraft is due to go on display next year.
Last updated 11th Nov 2020
The Secret Spitfire Charity has been given £3,000 by Salisbury City Council for installation of the new memorial.
The statue will be erected near Salisbury Rugby Club and the money will be used to put it up and maintain it.
It commemorates the hundreds of men and women of the city who helped build over 2,000 Spitfires in total secrecy.
The Castle Road site was chosen as the location for the memorial because it's the site of one of the factories where hundreds of locals worked.
Spitfires were used by the British military during World War Two, 10% of which were made in Salisbury.
Chairman and Trustee, Chris Whalley said
"On behalf of the Charity, I would like to extend our thanks to the City Council for their generous donation. These funds will help us to create a lasting tribute to hundreds of unsung heroes who lived and worked in our City - and raise awareness of this extraordinary part of our history.
I was particularly pleased that it was a unanimous decision and there were so many supportive comments; it is very reassuring to know that Salisbury City Council is completely behind our project."
It's set to be installed in the summer of next year and will look like this:
The statue will stand at 7 metres tall, with a concrete base and a steel pole that the aircraft will sit upon.
The plane itself was delivered just a couple of months ago in August and is currently being stored at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection until installation date.
Councillor Sven Hocking, Chair of the Salisbury City Council Services Committee, said
"The new memorial will be an exciting new attraction in the city highlighting the great efforts from the secret workforce of the Spitfire aircraft. I am delighted that they have been awarded the grant and I am looking forward to seeing the end result of the unique memorial next year."
You can find out more or donate to the charity by visiting the 'Secret Spitfires' website.