The logo of the Fleet Air Arm
FLEET AIR ARM

[on the round part]
TO THE EVERLASTING MEMORY OF ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND THE MANY ALLIED NATIONS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES WHILST SERVING IN THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE AND THE FLEET AIR ARM.
HE RODE UPON A CHERUB AND DID FLY YEA HE DID FLY UPON THE WINGS OF THE WIND.

[on the right side of the pillar]
BELGIAN COAST 1914-18 . SUEZ CANAL 1915 . DARDANELLES 1915-16 . MESOPOTAMIA 1915-17 . JUTLAND 1916 . ATLANTIC 1939-45 . ENGLISH CHANNEL 1939-45 . NORTH SEA 1939-45 . RIVER PLATE 1939 . MEDITERRANEAN 1940-45 . NORWAY 1940-44-45 . NARVIK 1940 . DUNKIRK 1940 . CALABRIA 1940 . LIBYA 1940-42 . TARANTO 1940 . SPARTIVENTO 1940 . MALTA CONVOYS 19401-42 . ARCTIC 1941-45 . MATAPAN 1941.

[on the left side of the pillar]
CRETE 1941 . BISMARCK 1941 . DIEGO SUAREZ 1942 . NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 . SICILY 1943 . SALERNO 1943 . AEGEAN 1944 . NORMANDY 1944 . SABANG 1944 . SOUTH FRANCE 1944 . BURMA 1944-45 . PALEMBANG 1945 . MALAYA 1945 . OKINAWA 1945 . JAPAN 1945 . KOREA 1950-53 . FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982 . KUWAIT 1991.

The memorial, also known as "Daedalus", commemorates the actions of the air service and Fleet Air Arm of the British Royal Navy. On the pillar of the monument are listed the places where they operated in the various wars, starting with the First World War.
The statue above the stone pillar shows Daedalus, the mythological figure who built the Labyrinth of Minos, and to escape he invented wings which he and his son Icarus girded to escape from the Labyrinth in Crete. According to the legend, Icarus flew too high, until the sun melted the connection of the wings to his body and he fell to his death.

The statue was created by James Butler, the monument was designed by Tim Kempster.

The monument was photographed that day Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

The following photographs show the text on the monument enlarged:
The round part Click for a larger image
Right side of page Click for a larger image
Left side of page Click for a larger image