The Runnymede Air Forces Memorial is enormous, with names carved into panels around a sort of cloister. It is located off a quiet residential lane overlooking the River Thames, Runnymede Meadow, and Heathrow Airport’s flight path. The air forces memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 airmen and women who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They served in Bomber, Fighter, Coastal, Transport, Flying Training and Maintenance Commands, and came from all parts of the Commonwealth. Some were from countries in continental Europe which had been overrun but whose airmen continued to fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force.
The memorial is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.