Lord Dowding is probably Moffat’s most famous son as, during the Second World War, he led RAF Fighter Command in its defeat of the Luftwaffe, saving the UK from a Nazi invasion. Wartime prime minister Winston Churchill dubbed him the ‘architect of deliverance’.
Dowding was born in Moffat at St Ninian’s Preparatory School. He was the son of Maud and the Rev Arthur Dowding, who founded St Ninian’s and was headmaster. Now known as Dowding House, the building has been a home for retired service personnel and their dependants since 1988.
There are two tributes to Dowding in Moffat: the memorial in Station Park and the replica Spitfire and bust in the gardens of Dowding House.
The memorial was unveiled in 1972. It features a bronze plaque which was made by Scott Sutherland, who sculpted the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge in the Scottish Highlands. Every year since 1972, there has been a memorial service to Dowding and a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is scheduled to fly over the memorial.
In 2025, Hamish MacLeod, a devoted Dowding enthusiast and retired GP, generously donated his much-loved Spitfire to the people of Moffat. It was moved from his garden to Dowding House. There, it is accompanied by a plinth supporting a bust of Lord Dowding. Together, they create an inspirational place for reflection.
