A special tribute to those who took part in the Battle of Britain 80 years ago is being displayed at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

A replica instrument panel of a Hawker Hurricane fighter – which includes many original artefacts – is on loan from Heritage Centre trustee Dr. Andrew Watkin.

Andrew has re-created the panel over the past two years and the Hurricane has a special family connection for him.

“A distant relative, Squadron Leader Kenneth ‘Hawkeye’ Lee, DFC, fought through the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain flying Hurricanes with 501 Squadron until he was shot down on August 18th,” Andrew recalled. “He was later posted to North Africa and then, in 1943, as CO of 123 Squadron, he was shot down over Crete and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III – the famous PoW camp from which the ‘Great Escape’ was made.

“Ken was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, had seven confirmed air victories and died in 2008 aged 93.”

A small photo of Ken Lee is incorporated in the instrument panel. He was one of the young pilots who courageously tackled waves of Luftwaffe aircraft throughout the summer and autumn of 1940 during one of the pivotal campaigns of World War II.

Linked to the panel is an exquisite 1:24 scale model of Hurricane P3509 in 501 Squadron markings – the actual aircraft which Ken Lee was flying when he was shot down in August 1940 during the Battle of Britain.

The model was made by Heritage Centre volunteer Peter Mitchell, a member of the Penfro Model Club. Other models of Battle of Britain aircraft, both British and German, made by Penfro Modellers, are also in view.

The Heritage Centre is open Mondays to Fridays 10 am to 4 pm.