Runnymede Air Forces Memorial — Attraction in Borough of Runnymede

We parked at the Runnymede carpark on the main road from Windsor and cut across the fields following the footpath up into the woods. After a pleasant walk up through the woods at Coopers Hill we arrived at the Air Forces Memorial. It was a beautiful building in white stone, a truly fitting memorial to all those lost men and (a few) women who served in the Air Force, from all around the Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia and India. Around a covered colonnade which enclosed a central square the walls were covered with the carved names of over 20,000 Air Force Personnel who were lost in action and did not have a permanent resting place. So sad and sombre seeing all those names. Even more poignant were the photos of the lost loved ones from all those years ago and messages and tokens from visiting families. The memorial really brought it home to us the sheer scale of those unfound numbers of young men and women. Not just numbers but real people with names and bereaved families. A very sobering visit. The centre of the memorial overlooked the surrounding countryside from its great vantagepoint and a couple of flights of stairs up to the top of the memorial and to really splendid views of the nearby areas, including over to Windsor Castle, towards Heathrow Airport and towards the taller buildings of London. A really interesting, if a little poignant, visit. Such a memorial will hopefully bring comfort to those visiting from afar to see the names of their long missing forebears carved in stone on a beautiful...

High on Cooper’s Hill, overlooking the gentle bends of the River Thames and the ancient meadows of Runnymede, stands one of Britain’s most poignant monuments: the Air Forces Memorial. From this height, the land stretches into blue distance — Windsor Castle visible on clear days, and beyond that, the faint shimmer of London’s skyline.

At first sight, it’s breathtaking — a serene cloistered structure of Portland stone, framed by lawns and towering pines. But it’s when you step inside that the weight of history truly sinks in.

This memorial is unique. It doesn’t hold the remains of the fallen — it holds their names. Over 20,000 men and women of the Commonwealth air forces are remembered here — those who died in World War II and who have no known grave. Their names are inscribed on the walls and pillars of the cloisters, arranged by year and rank.

The names span nations — British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander, South African, Indian — united in the same fight for freedom of the skies. There’s a haunting beauty in reading the endless lists, each line representing a life lost somewhere over the sea or in enemy territory, never recovered.

Unseen by many visitors, the memorial’s architecture carries deep symbolism: the open tower that frames the sky reminds you that these were people who served in the sky, and whose final resting place is, in a sense,...

What a fantastic tribute to the Air Force.

The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 men and women of the air forces, who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They served in Bomber, Fighter, Coastal, Transport, Flying Training and Maintenance Commands, and came from all parts of the Commonwealth. Some were from countries in continental Europe which had been overrun but whose airmen continued to fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force.

The memorial was designed by Sir Edward Maufe with sculpture by Vernon Hill. The engraved glass and painted ceilings were designed by John Hutton and the poem engraved on the gallery window was written by Paul H Scott. The Memorial was unveiled by The Queen on 17 October 1953.

Total identified casualties 20275 from the second world war.

Free parking around the area. There are other places of interest. Writ in Water. Cooper's Hill. Magna Carter. JFK memorial and other places of interest in the area making it a 4...