THE newly-rekindled round of applause on a Thursday evening is designed to be a #ClapforHeroes as opposed to the previous endeavour, #ClapforCarers, which was recognising the incredible dedication of all the staff within the NHS in addition to all of the other key workers who have strived so hard during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, I realised just how many parallels there were with our last great national struggle, the dark days of the Second World War, an episode in our history that, sadly, is now losing the last of the generation with such vivid memories of those times.

For the majority of our population, as we firmly enter the Winter period of 2021 with stronger lockdown restrictions, this is certainly the most challenging period we have ever known.

Having rightly acknowledged these heroes, can we not also say that we are all heroes in one way or another?

I can clearly identify today’s perceived inequalities of ‘fame’ for heroes with the aircraft heroes of WWII.

Those heroes were seen as the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots during the Battle of Britain, with the Lancaster crews also held in such high regard.

Yet, it was only recently, some 70 years after the conflict, that a memorial to Bomber Command was unveiled.

What stands out now is that there are simply so many heroes when the going gets tough and that everyone steps up to do their bit, as best they can.

Back then, just as now, it was easy for the crews of the ‘Wooden Wonder’ De Havilland Mosquito to be overlooked (as were many others), yet, as we certainly appreciate today, all of them played such a vital part in achieving our ultimate victory.

Tiny cottage-industries combined with well-established companies; smaller carpenter workshops joining car and furniture makers, forming an instant industrial army to construct the Mosquito en-mass - a parallel we witnessed most recently with the ingenious design and production of ventilators, together with the creative issue of urgent protective face masks - some being 3D printed in people’s living rooms!

As chairman of ​‘The People’s Mosquito’ ​project, I’m proud that during such hard times, the children and grandchildren of these Mosquito heroes, together with aircraft enthusiasts from all over the world, have still been able to support our aims.

Right now, we are already 75% towards our present fundraising target, with much more to achieve to return a flying example to the skies over Britain.

Only then can we create a flying tribute to all that made such a sacrifice for our freedoms.

Like all our WWII and modern-day heroes, we have the courage and determination to fight on until we achieve our goal, having the mindset to never give in.

These are the qualities the nation (and the world) need to embrace as we face the tough challenges of Covid-19.

Only then, in the words of Sir Captain Tom Moore, demonstrating the typical stoic attitude of his generation, will “​tomorrow will be a better day!”

If your readers wish to discover more about our exciting and ground-breaking project, they can visit our website here.

 Above all, I urge everyone to keep safe and remember that no matter what we do​ - today, we are all heroes!

JOHN LILLEY
Chairman, The People’s Mosquito