Charles Sydney Memorial

Audio Transcript

This memorial commemorates Flight Sergeant Charles Sydney, a Royal Air Force pilot who lost his life during the Battle of Britain.

Charles Sydney was a pre-war RAF pilot who had trained as an aircraft apprentice before volunteering for pilot training. During the summer of 1940, he served with several fighter squadrons before joining 92 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill.

On the morning of 27 September 1940, during the Battle of Britain, the 25-year-old pilot was flying his Spitfire over Walton when his aircraft was shot down. It crashed close to this spot, near what was then the Birds Eye building on Station Avenue.

Local witnesses recalled seeing the aircraft come down suddenly, leaving the pilot with little chance of survival.

In 2000, a memorial was placed here to ensure that Flight Sergeant Sydney’s sacrifice would not be forgotten. Following vandalism in 2010, local residents and volunteers formed the Friends of Charles Sydney RAF and created this peaceful place for reflection, complete with a commemorative bench and flower displays.

Each September, around the anniversary of his death, a memorial service is held here to remember Charles Sydney and all those who lost their lives during times of conflict.

As you stand here today, it is remarkable to think that during the Battle of Britain, the skies above Walton became part of one of the defining moments of the Second World War.

When you’re ready, simply look around you. The modern Walton Court Gardens apartments now occupy the site of the former Birds Eye Building, your next stop on the trail.

Did you know?

• Flight Sergeant Charles Sydney was only 25 years old when he was killed on 27 September 1940.
• He joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice before volunteering to become a pilot.
• Charles flew with several fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain before joining 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill.
• His Spitfire, R6767, crashed close to this spot during combat over Walton.
• One eyewitness recalled that the aircraft “came screaming down and crashed nose first into the front garden of a large house.“
• Charles is buried at St Mary Cray Cemetery in Kent, alongside many other RAF airmen from Biggin Hill.
  His headstone reads: “He gave his all for his country’s call. God rest his soul in peace.“
• The memorial was installed in 2000, and local volunteers continue to care for the site today.