The Strongest Link

A publication retelling the stories of the RAF Biggin Hill

book design // awarded membership to ISTD →

‘The Strongest Link’ is a publication I created retelling the incredible stories of the people who lived and worked at RAF Biggin Hill through the words of RAF fighter pilot Geoffrey Wellum. I worked with primary sources and archive imagery from the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum which opened in February 2019. This project was designed as a response to the ‘Lost’ ISTD student brief which I was awarded membership to The International Society of Typographic Designers for the design of the publication and typographic skills I demonstrated.

From working on the archives at The Biggin Hill Memorial Museum I wanted to create a publication retelling the incredible stories of the people who lived and worked at RAF Biggin Hill during the Battle of Britain and share them with the audience of the museum.

This publication is dedicated to all those who served at Biggin Hill and fought during the Battle of Britain. We should continue to remember their bravery and hear their heroic stories. Many lost their lives fighting for their country, and it is important these stories and memories are never lost. Biggin Hill was extremely important during the Battle of Britain resulting in the air base being known as ‘The Strongest Link’. The RAF airbase links with the theme lost; lives were lost, planes lost, houses lost, possessions lost, letters lost and places lost.

The content of this publication was inspired by the original words of Geoffrey Wellum, shared in an interview for the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum in 2017. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum was a British fighter pilot, best known for his participation in the Battle of Britain. He served in No. 92 Squadron, based at Biggin Hill. On 18th July 2018, Geoffrey Wellum – aged 96 – sadly passed away. This book tells the story of his memories, using his own words. The publication also draws upon the letters, correspondence and photography of the many others who lived and served at the famous air base; taken from the inspirational archives at the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum.

The book acts as a memorial to remember the people of RAF Biggin Hill and their bravery through the emotive voice of Geoffrey Wellum and visuals from the RAF Biggin Hill archives. If we do not continue to remember these stories they will become lost memories.

My typographic and printing choices were picked as a reflection of the voice of Geoffrey Wellum and the letters and imagery picked used to support his words. Throughout the publication the interview of Geoffrey Wellum is presented either as bold pull quotes or as body text on tip-ins reflecting the faded documents and letters I looked at at RAF Biggin Hill archives. I was expressive and playful with the layout and type spacing on the tip-in pages, which linked to Geoffrey Wellum’s emotive interview.

Along with the publication I designed and created an aluminium riveted case. The aluminium case encapsulates these memories protecting them from being lost and follows the aesthetic of the Spitfire planes.