Redbridge Council intends to create Our Future Fairlop, an inspiring vision for Fairlop Waters.

Fairlop Heritage Group will contribute by giving guided walks of Fairlop Waters, once restrictions are lifted.

Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North and patron of Fairlop Heritage Group, says: “The Fairlop Heritage Group does a wonderful job researching our local history and making it accessible to new generations, especially through their work with local schools and the annual remembrance service.

"The guided walks will enable even more people to learn about our great country park and enjoy its beauty.”

It is 80 years since Fairlop was at war and this is a story of sacrifice, as Stephen Fawkes travelled 5,500 miles from South Africa to serve, then pay the ultimate sacrifice.

F/Sgt Harold Bennett and P/O Stephen (Guye) Fawkes, were the first to fly operational from Fairlop on November 15, 1941. Their destiny became permanently linked, when both were shot down, 23 days later.

Flying as Number 2 to Guye, Harold recalled that on their way home, so low they could see people in the streets, they passed over an ack-ack battery, which fired at them. A shell passed through Guye's starboard wing, but did not explode. if it had, both aircraft could have been destroyed.

It left a massive hole in the mainplane, the metal skin bent up into the airstream. The pair managed to limp back, where Guye made a challenging, but successful landing.

Harold did not escape danger. On his first operation Harold was apprehensive. He had been allocated a Spitfire, usually flown by the Station Commander Harry Broadhurst.

Because of his status he used his initials - HB – on his aircraft. It did not escape Harold’s attention that these were his initials also. After a lengthy fight, he turned for home. Crossing the French coast, the needle kept banging on empty.

Over the white cliffs and when searching for Lympne airfield, the engine cut completely.

A field came into view and he decided to land, then he realised his mistake, for the field dipped into a hollow. He crashed into trees on the far side, breaking both wings.

Harold was lucky - with bruising to his face and back only. The RAF takes a dim view of pilots running out of fuel, then crashing, but the inquiry took no action against him.

December 8, 1941. Harold due to go on leave, reported to the Guardroom to find that all leave had been cancelled, for 603 Squadron to escort Hurricane bombers attacking targets inland from Le Touquet.

Flying at 18,000 feet, attempting to follow Guye, Harold’s Spitfire was hit. He opened the canopy, but his boots were caught in the controls. Then the wind caught in his helmet and he was out without boots.

His parachute opened just as he hit the water and Harold went down deep. Above him he could see aircraft still whirling about the sky.

As he was being picked up, the armed flakship was still firing, guns blazing, empty shell cases rolling everywhere. They threw down a rope ladder, but Harold was too weak to climb, so he was hauled out with a boat hook. Arriving on deck amongst shell cases, he passed out. When he came to, he was still on deck with a sailor standing above him holding a knife, cutting off his uniform to see if he was wounded.

They carried him below, rolled him in blankets and gave him hot coffee. Every now and then someone would rub him hard to keep his circulation going. In Harold’s own words: “So much is said about the Germans. I received first class treatment from first class fellows.”

The fate of Guye is unknown.

It is worth remembering past events, which have led to a peaceful country park we enjoy today. Six years of two world wars are a blink of an eye, Fairlop Plain has history back to c.450,000 BC.

Visit www.fairlopplaintimes.com for the complete story and to make contact if you would like a guided walk as an individual, group or school.