CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating a fundraising victory as a memorial to honour the lives of 17 airmen will soon become a reality.

Within the space of a year, the Wolvercote WWI Aerodrome Memorial Project has raised more than £10,000 for a granite pillar to commemorate those killed during the First World War in flying accidents.

Peter Smith, a driving force behind the project, said they were delighted to have been able to reach their fundraising target.

The 53-year-old who lives in West Oxford said: "I think it is amazing. We have had our funding from a cross section of organisations and some individual donations of up to £500.

"We have had a number of charitable trusts come forward donating anything from £300 to £2,500.

"Somerville College donated £500. It used to be a hospital in WWI and actually treated some of the injured airmen that crashed.

"We are very pleased because I felt that target was going to be a real challenge."

The Doris Fields Trust, Bernard Morris Trust, Greening Lamborn Trust, Barns Bury Trust and Mill Meadow Trust have all contributed to the project.

During the war, Port Meadow, which was first established as an airfield in 1911, was used as a training ground for the Royal Flying Corps, accommodating 10 large canvas hangars and several hundred personnel at its peak.

The first squadron, from Bristol, arrived in August 1916 and the 17 men who subsequently died there were a mixture of trainees, instructors and combat veterans, most of them were in their 20s and four had gallantry medals between them.

But the fundraising will continue as there are a few hurdles for the project before the memorial can be erected.

Mr Smith added: "We have some additional costs around the Common Land consent we are applying for next month, and may have to cover the cost of removing hard-core spoil from two concrete hut bases and backfilling that with topsoil, both aspects being conditions of the planning consent secured in November."

Former Oxford City Councillor Mike Gotch was heavily involved in designing the memorial and helped to secure planning consent for the project last year.

Mr Smith added: "We have memorials all over the world for our men who died overseas, yet we do not have one here where men from South Africa, Canada and America died - it is shocking.

"It is also important to highlight its place in aviation history."

It is hoped the granite pillar, which will have the names of the 17 airmen inscribed on it, will be finished by summer 2018.

For more information or to help with the fundraising appeal contact: Wolvercoteww1@btinternet.com or visit: Facebook.com/wolvercoteww1memorial