The Battle of Britain

The battle begins, summer 1940
The battle begins, summer 1940

After defeating France in June 1940, Hitler assumed Britain would sue for peace but ordered his armed forces to prepare for invasion. Hermann Goering assured him that a sustained air assault would destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority needed.
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940

July 1940 saw German planes target shipping in the Channel, drawing the RAF into combat, before radar stations, communications centres and airfields faced round-the-clock bombing in August. The battle reached a climax with attacks on London in September.
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)

Joan 'Elizabeth' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner of the WAAF. All three received the Military Medal for courageous conduct during attacks on Biggin Hill airfield. Biggin Hill suffered a total of ten major attacks between 30 Aug and 5 Sept.
Non-British personnel in the RAF
Non-British personnel in the RAF

A group of pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF return from a sortie. The first Polish squadrons were formed in the summer of 1940. Pilots came from several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and the USA.
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford

RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. As the fighting intensified, Duxford's squadrons were called on to support 11 Group's defence of London and the south-east.
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF

Despite incessant attacks, the RAF's defences held. The Luftwaffe could not continue, and in the autumn switched to 'nuisance' raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Hitler to postpone his invasion plans indefinitely.

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Collections search

brassard, British, Animal Guard, National A R P for Animals
(uniforms and insignia)
See accession file
The Tube: October 1940
(art) Made by: Topolski, Feliks 1940-10-01
image: The interior of Leicester Square underground station with figures lying asleep on the floor of the station platform. There is a large man sitting smoking a pipe in the foreground, and several ARP wardens wearing helmets standing further down the...
The City : A fallen lift shaft
(art) Made by: Sutherland, Graham (OM) 1941
image: bomb damaged buildings and twisted girders set against smoke and an evening sky.
George Cross & GC
(decorations and awards) Made by: Royal Mint
medal, ribbon and fitted case of issue plain Greek cross (arms of equal length) in silver. On the obverse, St George (on horseback) and the dragon within a central raised roundel surrounded by a circlet bearing the text 'FOR GALLANTRY'. At the base of...
George Cross & GC
(decorations and awards) Made by: Royal Mint
Lieutenant Robert Davies RE, was awarded the GC for his part in the successful removal of an unexploded German bomb which fell close to St Paul's Cathedral on the night of 11-12 September 1940. The bomb, which had buried itself to a depth of over twenty-...
George Cross & GC
(decorations and awards) Made by: Royal Mint 1940
Biographical note (recipient): Robert Selby Armitage (28 March 1910 -1 June 1982) was awarded the George Cross for his work in bomb disposal in the Second World War, defusing unexploded bombs during the Blitz, notably a mine in Orpington, Kent which had...
George Cross & GC
(decorations and awards) Made by: Royal Mint
Temporary Lieutenant (later Lieutenant-Commander) H R Newgass RNVR was awarded the George Cross (GC) for removing the fuse, detonator and timing mechanism from a German parachute mine which fell through the top of a large gasometer at Garston Gas Works,...
HISTORY OF THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
part of "IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVE COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Imperial War Museum official photographer
Air raid damage to the Imperial War Museum's Naval Gallery in Lambeth Road, London, 31 Jan 1941.
Private Papers of Mrs E M Kup
(private papers) Made by: Kup, Edith Mary
Well-written ms memoir (99pp) of her service in the WAAF (September 1939 - December 1945) with the ultimate rank of Section Officer, covering her enrolment and training at RAF Yeadon, Yorkshire (October - November 1939), duties as an MT Driver and RDF...
Post Office Buildings
(art) Made by: Pitchforth, Roland Vivian (RA)
image: a bomb site in the foreground with steel girders sticking up out of the rubble. In the background buildings remain standing, however men can be seen at work securing the building on the right.