Husband and Wife Couple Triumph At Battle of Britain

Wildernesse Club, based in Sevenoaks, Kent, is proud to announce that husband and wife, Nigel Shields and Hilary Shields triumphed in its latest Battle of Britain competition.

Nigel competed against 68 golfers to win the men’s event on 27 September and Hilary maintained the family’s winning streak at the ladies’ event, held on 6 October. The Club members will share the trophy for the next six months.

First played in 2008, the 18-hole competition commemorates the life of Flight Lieutenant Lionel Harold Schwind whose Hurricane aircraft was shot down in 1940, during the Battle of Britain and crashed onto the golf course at the Club. The wreckage was only discovered in the 1970s and for many years the remainder of the plane was displayed in the Shoreham Air Museum. The Club has since used one of the plane’s pistons to create the competition’s trophy.

Simon Neathercoat, Chairman of Wildernesse Club, said:

“As a Club, we are proud of our heritage and this is a fantastic way to remember Flight L Schwind and the other pilots who fought and lost their lives during the Battle of Britain. Our members really enjoyed the competitions and a big congratulations to Nigel and Hilary for winning their individual categories.”

In 1980, the Club marked the spot where the plane crashed with a memorial plaque, which is still proudly on display. This competition also has great significance to the Shields, as Nigel’s father was a fighter pilot who flew both Hurricanes and Spitfires from 1941, just after the Battle of Britain.

Wildernesse Club, a Regional Qualifying course for The Open Championship, also had reason to celebrate having recently been ranked 6th in Kent by Top 100 Golf Courses golf ranking.