Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, three months that now military strategists and historians have defined as one of the most important turning points in the second world war.
Yesterday at the Air Force Association of Canada's anniversary ceremony here in Ottawa, my father-in-law, Peter O'Brian, provided his observations based on his role as a Spitfire pilot serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was among many Canadians who heroically helped fight this vital victory for freedom.
During World War II, Winston Churchill's valiant and inspirational speeches brought people together to fight a common cause. It was 60 years ago that during the Battle of Britain, Churchill left a moving motto for humanity “to value freedom far above their lives”. In Churchill's words “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.
The 60th anniversary provides an opportunity to thank the 99 Canadian pilots who took part in this historic air defensive and particular the less than a dozen who are still with us again—