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At the age of 27 Ian Muirhead had already survived a torpedo attack and two crashes - returning to the skies just hours after the second - but it was during the Battle of Britain that the Hurricane pilot's life was brought to a tragic end in a field in Hempstead.
Now, 80 years on, the spot is being marked by two local spitfire enthusiasts who hope anyone walking by will take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many during the war.
Greg Davis, who lives in Hempstead, runs The Two Seat Spitfire Page on Facebook. On October 15, one follower told Greg a pilot had crashed just a mile from his home during the Second World War.
Spurred on by curiosity, he decided to investigate and discovered the amazing life and resting place of Flt Lt Ian J. Muirhead.
Muirhead was born in 1913 in West Ham. As a young man, he loved motorbikes and tinkering with engines, sparking his interest in one day joining the RAF.
At the age of 16, he joined as an apprentice, was a Flight Sergeant just ten years later in 1939 and acting Flight Lieutenant in 1940.
In 1940, Muirhead survived two crashes.
The first was during the Battle of France when he was patrolling Dunkirk. After being shot down, he bailed out over Ostende and parachuted under enemy fire.
Muirhead escaped onto the SS Abukir bound for England, escaping death a second time after the ship was torpedoed the next morning. For this, he was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) medal on June 28, 1940.
After months of recovery, Muirhead rejoined the force on July 15. On October 7, he was shot down in combat over South London and bailed out of his plane, which crashed in Bexley. He was back up in the air that same afternoon.
But it was on October 15 that he was shot down by a Messerschmitt over Maidstone. Unable to bail out, Muirhead crashed with his Hurricane in Spekes Bottom, Hempstead, at the age of 27.
Greg said: "It's humbling because it brings home to you the price that was paid when it's right on your doorstep.
"He's not just somebody down on the coast or somebody in a different country. It's somebody a mile away from my back garden.
"I've lived in Hempstead going on 30 years and I never knew somebody had died in the Battle of Britain in that field only a mile from where I live.
"Very few other people knew. So I thought, we need to do something. We must remember and we need to mark the spot. COVID or no COVID it has to happen, even if nobody comes to the unveiling.
"Hopefully it will remind others as they walk on the foot path that these things happened, they were real and there was a price to be paid."
After getting permission from the landowner, Greg took to Facebook to ask for volunteers to fit the stone and plaque. Michael Fry, landscaping specialist at M Fry Garden Services, was more than happy to volunteer.
WATCH: The plaque is unveiled and Muirhead's story told
He said: "My belief is, as we are now coming to the end of the living memory, this history should be remembered. The sacrifices that were made should not be in vain going into the future.
"I know quite a few organisations haven't been able to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in a more fitting way because of the Covid-19 restrictions.
"So to be able to do something for the event is really humbling."
While the plaque was being organised, Greg came across Muirhead's nephew, who has been researching and collecting memorabilia to keep his uncle's memory alive.
David Carruthers, a fine artist from Lincolnshire, said: "He was my mother's older brother. She amassed an amazing amount of items and memorabilia and tried to collect the whole story about her brother who she idolised when she was a little girl.
"I appreciate the task that Greg and Mike have done to put this in place. For years, people were approaching my mum and saying we should really have a little plaque where he crashed.
"We discussed it and thought he was the type of guy that would be embarrassed by that sort of thing. But I think after 80 years it's important to remember your freedoms and how we can buy them."
The 61-year-old added: "I really want a more of a personal story to come out about him as a family member. I've heard lots of stories from my mum about what he got up to when he was a lad - he's been naughty - shinning up Church steeples looking for birds eggs and what have you.
"I would encourage other people to find out about their relatives - find out what actually happened. There's a lot of information out there, a lot of people want to help you.
"And you would be giving something to your future. I'm doing this thinking about my grandson. Hopefully he'll be interested or maybe his son will be. We're passing something down the line."
Sadly, because of lockdown restrictions, David was not able to make it to the unveiling on Sunday. Greg and Mark were also careful not to publicise the event so no gatherings formed.
The plaque, which is mounted onto an original War Department landmark stone, now stands next to the public footpath which runs from Grove Wood to Star Lane.
