‘Bill Kronfeld, a long time member of the Imperial College Gliding Club and the son of the famous gliding pioneer Robert died recently and in his will left £1,000 to the Lasham Trust. Rather than just adding this sum to our available funds I asked the CoM for permission to plant a memorial orchard of twenty fruit tress in memory of both Father and Son.
Apart from the plaque in the clubhouse this will be the only memorial in the UK to the great man. The main street in Oerlinghausen, the German gliding centre which Kronfeld identified as a future superb gliding site while on a record breaking flight in the 1930s, is named ‘Robert Kronfeld Strasse’ in his honour.
Not only will the fruit from the fifteen various variety apple, two pear, two plum and one medlar trees be available for members to pick and enjoy – hopefully a small donation to ‘The Lasham Trust’ when ever fruit is taken will ensure a future income stream, but the orchard will be a constant reminder of Kronfeld’s major contribution. He was killed in a military tailless experimental glider in 1948 having taken off from Lasham.
A naming ceremony will be held early in 2014 when Helen Kronfeld, her sons and other dignitaries hope to be present.
‘Lasham Trust helps make Lasham even better’.
This article was written by Wally Kahn
