Last week I had the honour of organising a dinner to celebrate my predecessor Dr Alan Whitehead. Alan first came into my life when I was 18, and it all started with a birthday card. I received the card from my local MP, which not only wished me a happy birthday, but reminded me that I was old enough to vote.
Satvir Kaur, Member of Parliament for Southampton Test, has joined the campaign to commemorate the brave pilots and navigators of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units (PRU), who served during the Second World War, and looking to find the living relatives of these local war heroes.
The PRU, which was tasked to provide up-to-date intelligence to strategically plan the Allied actions in the war, was formed on the 24th of September 1939 and throughout the Second World War it operated highly dangerous, clandestine photographic reconnaissance operations over all theatres of operation, and captured more than 26 million images of enemy operations and installations during the war.
The ‘Spitfire AA810 Project’ has therefore led the campaign to establish such a memorial in central London. Among those who served, and died, in the PRU were Southampton born Leonard Grieb and John Merrifield.
I have written to the the Chief Executive of Lloyds to share my concerns and have launched a petition in opposition to the closure.