SSCCS History

On a cold March evening in 2006, Flight Lieutenant Stuart Leigh-Davies and Steve Laing; respectively 459 (Windsor) Sqn ATC CO and Committee Chairman were discussing the sad state of affairs that literally nobody in Sir Sydney Camm's home town of Windsor knew who he was.  Even more importantly were not aware of his contribution to Aviation.

The brilliant RJ Mitchell, after all, had been recognised in his home town of Hanley in Staffordshire and in Southampton, where the first test flights for his Supermarine Spitfire were conducted in 1936.  Yet, 40 years after Sir Sydney's death, there was no worthy memorial to speak of in Windsor.  There was a serious danger that if the profile of Sir Sydney was not raised amongst the local population, especially the younger generation; then he would almost certainly have been completely forgotten.

Recognising the need for some urgent corrective action, 459 Sqn organised a memorial service in July 2006 where a plaque would be unveiled in Windsor, in memory of Sir Sydney.  It would be attended by the UK's leading Aerospace companies, senior Military and Naval representatives and Sir Sydney's colleagues at Hawker Siddeley Aviation (now BAe Systems plc).

The memorial service and plaque unveiling would form the basis of a project to commemorate Sir Sydney by way of a larger monument, but also to encourage young people who had an interest in Aeronautical Engineering.  After all, Sir Sydney achieved so much from such a humble background that he would be the perfect inspiration for budding young Aeronautical Engineers.

The Memorial Service held at St John the Baptist Church in Windsor High Street on the 21st July 2006, was a resounding success.  Weeks later 459Sqn handed over the baton to the present Committee, who would help deliver the original aspirations of a permanent worthy Memorial and a Bursary Scheme that could engage and inspire the new 'Brunels' of the UK Aerospace Industry.