Doncaster was chosen as the best northern location for the new monument because of its former RAF connections and accessible transport links.

The memorial, will be erected in the grounds of the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum which was a former base of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force whose members were among the Battle of Britain fighter pilots.

Famously described by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as “the few”, hundreds of pilots and aircrew fought a four-month campaign to thwart the planned German invasion of Britain via the English Channel in 1940. Their success turned the tide of the war and paved the way for eventual victory in Europe.

Under the slogan: “Remembering the few, reminding the many,” the Northern Battle of Britain Appeal Committee has joined forces with South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum to raise the funds needed.

“This memorial will complement the ones already in existence on the South Coast and on the Embankment and give northern people the opportunity to pay their own tributes to those who defended this country so bravely.”

Organisers expect the sculpture to attract visitors from across the UK and beyond and hope it will become a focus for educational visits to reinforce the battle’s major impact on the course of history. A model of the monument can be seen at the museum.

The committee has also applied for Gift Aid to increase the value of contributions and donations can be made to the Northern Battle of Britain Monument Appeal at South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Dakota Way, Airborne Road, Doncaster, DN4 7FB.