June 26, 2025 - Sir George Dowty is the British industrialist who first introduced hydraulic pit props modified from the undercarriages of Lancaster bombers to support the roof in underground coal mining. This technology is today employed around the world. The memory of Sir George has recently been honored and confirmation has now been received that the second statue of Sir George Dowty will be completed later in the year.

The statue will be identical to the existing statue. The hope is that the second statue can be erected next to the Lancaster bomber aircraft at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. This is Lancaster aircraft territory and the annual visitor numbers are 2 million.

The success of the existing statue is most remarkable and can be attributed to the design - particularly Sir George’s height being 7 ft - and the iconic Lancaster wheel and undercarriage with the great attention to detail covering for example his nails, suit creases and shoe laces.

The sculptor’s magnificent skill combined with the huge publicity received both at the unveiling ceremony (which included a fly past) and subsequently by the BBC and the national press. Visitor numbers have been huge and include many from overseas.

It is widely acknowledged that the existing statue is amongst the finest statues crafted this century in the U.K.- many claiming it to be the finest. The existing statue has elevated the memory of Sir George to its place and the second statue will serve to reinforce his memory.