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Delight as museum secures rare war medals

Hsin-Yi Lo
BBC News, South East
Kent Battle of Britain Museum Five men standing behind a six sets of military medals which are laid on a wooden bench. Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Kent Battle of Britain Museum now owns six sets of rare Battle of Britain medals which belonged to New Zealand pilots

A museum now owns six sets of rare Battle of Britain medals after the director successfully negotiated with the owner in New Zealand.

Dave Brocklehurst, who manages Kent Battle of Britain Museum in Folkestone, launched a fundraising campaign last month in an attempt to raise £58,000 within three weeks before the seller arrived in the UK.

The museum had managed to raise £29,000 and Mr Brocklehurst said he was "absolutely delighted" when the owner agreed to sell the medals and give the museum more time to raise the remaining funds.

"Since he had travelled half way round the world to meet us, we knew he was very keen to reach an agreement," he said.

Kent Battle of Britain Museum A Battle of Britain medal set on display. There is a black and white photograph of a New Zealander pilot.Kent Battle of Britain Museum
The medal sets cost £58,000 and the museum is developing ideas on how to raise the remaining £29,000

"Once he had toured the museum he was hooked on what we do.

"If we had not been able to purchase the medals, which belonged to six New Zealand pilots, they would have gone to auction and disappeared into private collections around the world."

Mr Brocklehurst added he was "extremely grateful" for supporters' help with the fundraising.

Kent Battle of Britain Museum A medal set placed on a board is resting against the grave stone of a New Zealand pilot who died in the Battle of Britain.Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Pilot officer Howard Hill, from New Zealand, was awarded the Battle of Britain medal posthumously and buried in Hawkinge Cemetery

To honour one of the soldiers, pilot officer Howard Hill, Mr Brocklehurst said he and his team travelled to Hawkinge Cemetery in Kent with one of the medal sets which was awarded to the pilot posthumously.

The pilot was shot down by Werner Mölders, one of the top Luftwaffe pilots during the Battle of Britain.

"We also took the tailwheel from the Spitfire he was killed in which crashed a few miles from the museum and RAF Hawkinge," Mr Brocklehurst added.

Mr Brocklehurst says the museum is hoping to raise the remaining £29,000 in the next three months.

"We've only received one grant since the museum first opened in 1971, so we're not really hopeful of receiving any more grants. But we are confident we can do this, and so is the seller," he added.

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