War memorial to get extra plaque to accomodate name of Bangor WWII hero
A Second World War RAF hero who was tragically killed months before VE day will have his name added to the war memorial in Bangor.
Elected representatives at the most recent meeting of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s environment committee have agreed to a request adding the name of Flight Lieutenant Brian Kenneth Levinge Fuge of 541 Squadron to the existing memorial at Ward Park.
Flight Lieutenant Fuge died on 19 March 1945, aged 28, and is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at the Runnymede Air Force Memorial in Surrey, southern England.
He joined the RAF in 1938 and was killed in action while flying daylight photographic a reconnaissance sortie over Germany.
Flt Lt Fuge was the husband of Olive Fuge and lived in Bangor.
The council committee report states: “Flight Lieutenant Fuge’s service record provides clear grounds for local commemoration.
"He served with No. 47 Squadron in Khartoum from January 1940, was involved in operations against Italian colonies in East Africa following Italy’s entry into the war.
"He was shot down on 13 June 1940 and held as a prisoner of war until spring 1941.
“He subsequently served with No 267 Squadron in Egypt before retraining as a photographic reconnaissance pilot and joining No 541 Squadron at RAF Benson in April 1944...
“The current Bangor War Memorial plaques do not have sufficient space available to accommodate an additional name.
"If permission is granted, a further plaque would therefore be required.”
DUP alderman Trevor Cummings said at the Environment Committee: “I would like to pay tribute to those who brought this information to our attention: Alex Easton MP and Louise Sandhers-Jones MP, minister for the Armed Forces, for her detailed and indeed prompt response with the required information.”
The meeting was on October 7.
In all, some 383,700 or so British soldiers, sailors and airmen were killed during WWII. Of those, an estimated 3,890 were from NI.