The Winged Lion Memorial - Praha, CZ
Posted by: 
Noe1
N 50° 05.454 E 014° 24.620
33U E 457820 N 5548903
The Winged Lion Memorial was opened at Klárov in Prague by the British Member of Parliament, Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill on 17 June 2014.
Waymark Code: WMNBME
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 02/07/2015
Views: 76
Text on the plaque:
"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 SUBSIQUENTLY
PERSECUTED BY THE COMMUNIST REGIME IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
IT WAS UNVIELED 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."
The Memorial:
"The Winged Lion Memorial (in Czech: Památník Okrídleného lva) 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 acclaimed British sculptor Colin Spofforth. The Lion was cast in bronze at the artistic foundry in Horní Kalná, Podkrkonoší.[2] The Lion is placed on a concrete plinth covered by Czech granite.[1] When viewed from above, the circular pedestal resembles the insignia of the Czech Air Force. "
source: (
visit link)
Sir Nicholas Soames
"Nichols Soames was born in Croydon and is a grandson of the British wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, the son of Lord and Lady Soames, a nephew of the former Defence Secretary Duncan Sandys, Diana Churchill, the journalist Randolph Churchill and the actress and dancer Sarah Churchill and a great-nephew of the founders of the Scout movement, Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell. His brother is the industrialist Rupert Soames.
He has been married twice. His first marriage (4 June 1981 – 1988) was to Catherine Weatherall [2] (the sister of Isobel Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne), by whom he has one son, Harry Soames.
He married, secondly, Serena Smith (a niece of the Duchess of Grafton) on 21 December 1993. They have one son,[who?] and a daughter called Isabella Soames."
source: (
visit link)