Guest Speaker, Noel Jackling – The Montford Albury Flight Memorial: A tale of two losses but two recoveries: A story acted out over 84 years

Following the crash of the Uiver in Iraq in December 1934, Albury people raised £150 for a memorial to be given to the people of Holland by mayor Alfred Waugh. Waugh presented a bronze and marble statuette created by sculptor Paul Montford to the burgomeester of Amsterdam in Amsterdam on 15 August 1935. In September 1935. Montford sent a similar but not identical version in plaster to Albury, which remained in council chambers until 1976. The bronze and marble version could not be located in Amsterdam in 2014, and the plaster version in Albury had disappeared and was apparently irretrievable. Due to two sets of extraordinary circumstances, both of these significant sculptures have been recovered. After the meeting, you will be able to have a special viewing of the Montford plaster Uiver Flight Memorial at the Albury LibraryMuseum, across the road from the Albury Club. Because of much needed conservation, it is unlikely to be on public display for a long time. After retirement as a lawyer, Noel turned himself into an Uiver historian. His endeavours resulted in major additions to the Uiver collection at the Albury LibraryMuseum, which is now listed on the State heritage register. Earlier this year, Noel was invested by the Netherlands Ambassador as a Ridder (Knight) of the Order of Oranje-Nassau