A MEMORIAL to a school’s former pupils killed fighting as pilots in the Battle of Britain has been unveiled near York.

Ampleforth College has erected the memorial plaque to honour eight ex-pupils killed as they fought the Nazis.

The plaque is the result of research done by a Holly Wilson, sixth form student at the college, and a member of its Combined Cadet Force.

She met Squadron Leader Simon Johnston, of RAF Linton-on-Ouse, York, whose company Airfield Aviation is building a Spitfire.

The replica is based on a Mark 1 Spitfire flown by Anthony Lovell, a former Ampleforth pupil, who shot down a Nazi in March 1941.

Miss Wilson also met the Lovell family and then spoke to the Battle of Britain Historical Society.

They told the youngster a memorial plaque could be erected and her research unveiled eight further former students who fought in the battle.

Miss Wilson, 18, said: "I first started thinking about it when I was on a glider scholarship at Linton-on-Ouse.

I did research and found out that there had been eight pilots from Ampleforth who fought and I wanted to erect a plaque for them.

"It’s gone really well and I’m very happy with how it went."

The pilots were wing commander Patrick Barthropp, air commodore Roderick Chisholm, flight lieutenant Brian Rafvr, wing commander Michael Constable-Maxwell, wing commander Anthony Lovell, flight officer George Moberley, flight officer Michael Staples and flight lieutenant Aidan Tucker.

Family members of the pilots were present at the unveiling at the college yesterday. (may 1) It was unveiled by the headteacher Gabriel Everitt and Lindsay Walter, 93, an ex-pupil who attended with Anthony Lovell.

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew past the college yesterday and sqn ldr Johnson flew a Hawker Fury over it too.