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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Barrow, Harold Guy (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1984
British private served as driver with 1st East Lancashire Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and Gallipoli, 1913-1916; sapper served with Royal Engineers in Egypt, Palestine and on Western Front, 1916-1919.
Hughes, Henry 'Spike' (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 2000-07-29
British NCO served as wireless operator/air gunner with 98 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1943-1945
Morton, John (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 2007-11
British NCO trained as observer with No 8 Air Observers School in Canada, 1944-1945
THE LEND LEASE PROGRAMME
part of "MINISTRY OF FOOD SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Ministry of Food official photographer
Elizabeth Rothwell of Bolton, Lancashire, sitting on a table drinking from a mug containing orange juice. The orange juice was supplied from America under the Lend Lease Programme from a mug. In the foreground next to her is a bottle of Ministry of...
BRITISH FOOD STOCKS FOR LIBERATED EUROPE, 1945
part of "MINISTRY OF FOOD SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Ministry of Food official photographer
The Falcon Spinning Mill, Bolton, Lancashire. After being closed early in the war under the government scheme for centralizing cotton spinning, the mill was used for storing emergency food stuffs. Owing to the world shortage of cotton goods, the mill...
BRITISH FOOD STOCKS FOR LIBERATED EUROPE, 1945
part of "MINISTRY OF FOOD SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Ministry of Food official photographer
Italian prisoners load sacks of sugar stored in the Falcon Spinning Mill, Bolton, onto a truck for dispatch to liberated Europe. They are pushing the sacks to the truck on barrows and are using a pulley to hoist the 'Sankey Sugar' onto the truck.
BRITISH FOOD STOCKS FOR LIBERATED EUROPE, 1945
part of "MINISTRY OF FOOD SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Ministry of Food official photographer
Italian prisoners re-pack boxes of foodstuffs in a farm house, somewhere in Britain, (probably near Bolton, Lancashire), for dispatch to civilians in Liberated Europe.
Eckersall, Albert 'Happy (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1990-11-26
British stoker served aboard submarine HMS Seal in Red Sea, Atlantic and North Sea, 1939-1940 including sinking 5/1940; POW in Stalag XXA, Thorn and Marlag Nord in Germany, 1940-1945
Hanley, Thomas (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1992-10-26
British sick berth attendant served aboard HMS Onslow in GB coastal waters, during Vaagso Raid in Norway, in Mediterranean and Arctic, 1941-1943
recording
(sound) Made by: Gift (Production company) 1942
Message record sent by British airman at No.3 Air Gunners Training School in Canada to fiancée in Bolton, Lancashire, GB, 1942. Recorded in New York, USA.