School visit and donation help preserve Hailsham's wartime history
A group of twelve history scholars from Langney Primary Academy recently visited the Barratt Homes’s Cuckoo Fields development in Hailsham, to pay tribute to World War II Flying Officer Percy Burton.
The visit follows the unveiling of a new memorial at the site in September, which includes a new cross, memorial bench and information lectern, commemorating Percy Burton’s bravery and sacrifice.
Percy tragically lost his life during the Battle of Britain, where it is believed he deliberately collided his Hurricane with a German aircraft, causing him to lose a wingtip and crash into an oak tree.
The students of Langney Primary Academy were accompanied by Chair of Hailsham Historical Society, Richard Goldsmith, who helped bring the story of Percy Burton’s heroism to life, as part of the schools ongoing history curriculum.
The Hailsham Historical Society was founded in 1963 to preserve the history of the town. Richard has been a member of the society since the 1960’s and recently unveiled a new exhibition at Hailsham Library, which showcases Percy Burton’s story. The exhibition is open to the public until 15th November.
As part of its ongoing commitment to the local community, The Barratt Foundation has also donated £1,500 to the society to help fund the purchase of a new laptop. This will enable the group to continue its vital work in digitalising artefacts and archives, making local history more accessible to the wider community.
Zita Giorgi, Teacher at Langney Primary Academy commented: “It was an honour to be invited to Cuckoo Fields to see the memorial for Flying Officer Percy Burton. Learning about his bravery and the sacrifice he made so local to our school has had a real impact on our young history scholars. It has brought history to life in a way that in-class learning can’t. The children have come away inspired by Percy Burton’s courage.”
Richard Goldsmith, Chair of Hailsham Historical Society and Hailsham Museum Heritage Centre commented: “It has been a privilege to work closely with Barratt Homes over the last year in support of its new memorial to Percy Burton. Installing the exhibition in our local library and inviting local schools to visit the memorial at Cuckoo Fields allows us to keep our local heritage alive for future generations. The Hailsham Historical Society and I are all incredibly grateful to Barratt Homes’ for the generous donation, which will allow us to buy a new laptop and index our large collection of photographs and documents so that more people can access Hailsham’s history.”
Mark Vanson, Sales & Marketing Director at Barratt Redrow Southern Counties, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Hailsham Historical Society and its volunteers, who do fantastic work to ensure local history is not lost. Since unveiling our memorial to Percy Burton in September, we have seen a great response from the community who continue to visit and pay their respects. Anyone interested in learning more about his story is welcome to visit the memorial at Cuckoo Fields.”