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Winged Lion Memorial


Coordinates: 50°05′27″N 14°24′37″E / 50.09083°N 14.41028°E / 50.09083; 14.41028 The Winged Lion Memorial (in Czech: Památník Okřídleného lva) was unveiled on 17 June 2014 at Klárov in Prague by the British Member of Parliament, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames MP, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill. It is dedicated to the Czechoslovak airmen who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II and who achieved acclaim for their contribution to the Battle of Britain.

The two metre high Winged Lion is the work of the contemporary British sculptor Colin Spofforth. The Lion was cast in bronze at the artistic foundry in Horní Kalná, Hradec Králové Region. The Lion is placed on a concrete plinth covered by Czech granite. When viewed from above, the circular pedestal resembles the insignia of the Czech Air Force. The plinth side coverings with rivets replicate the fuselage surface of aircraft of the day.

Inscribed on the monument is in Czech and English language: This monument is an expression of the British Community’s lasting gratitude to the 2,500 Czechoslovak airmen who served with the Royal Air Force between 1940 and 1945 for the freedom of Europe. Many were subsequently persecuted by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. It was unveiled by the right honourable Sir Nicholas Soames MP on 17th June 2014. It is a gift to the Czech and Slovak peoples from the British community living and working in the Czech and Slovak Republics.


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