Memorial commemorating the construction of Dunsfold Airfield in 1942

A stone memorial, 1942, by Stephen Trenka, commemorating the construction of Dunsfold airfield.

MATERIALS: limestone.

PLAN: the monument faces south and is hexagonal in plan. It is located on the lawn in front of the Dunsfold control tower, and set into a stepped hexagonal base.

DESCRIPTION: the structure takes the form of a hexagonal stone pillar, approximately 1.3m high and 0.5m wide. The southern face has a carved image of the Royal Canadian Engineers regimental badge set within a square panel above the carved inscription: DUNSFOLD AERODROME / OPENED BY / LIEUTENANT / AGL MCNAUGHTON / GOC OF / FIRST CANADIAN ARMY / AND / HANDED OVER TO / AIR MARSHALL / H EDWARDS / AIR OFFICER / COMMANDING IN CHIEF / RCAE OVERSEAS / FOR THE USE OF / THE / ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE / 16 OCT 1942.

The south-east, south-west, and north faces have the carved image of a maple leaf. The north-east face has the carved insignia of the Canadian Forestry Corps, and the north-west face has the carved insignia of the Royal Canadian Air Force. These inscriptions are all set into square panels, located towards the top of the pillar. Below the insignia on the north-west face there is the carved inscription: THIS AERODROME / WAS BUILT BY / THE / ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS / ASSISTED BY / CANADIAN FORESTRY CORPS / R.C.A.S.C / R.C.O.C / MCMXIII.

The pillar stands upon an approximately 2m wide stepped and hexagonal base, made up of cut stone slabs.