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

A Battery Shelled
(art) Made by: Lewis, Percy Wyndham 1919
image: Three officers stand to the left of the composition beside a pile of ammunition boxes. Each looks in a different direction. One has his back to the viewer and looks out over the scene of the painting. There are marionette-like figures moving over...
Gassed
(art) Made by: Sargent, John Singer (RA) 1919
image: A side on view of a line of soldiers being led along a duckboard by a medical orderly. Their eyes are bandaged as a result of exposure to gas and each man holds on to the shoulder of the man in front. One of the line has his leg raised in an...
Anglo Dutch
(art) Made by: Tunnard, John 1942
image: An abstract image of technological and maritime forms. There is an area of deep red colour on the left of the composition, and a dark hook shape as seen from the side in the centre. Around this there are other small, abstract details.
Heroes of the XXth Century: Hitler and Mussolini
(art) Made by: Mayen, Eric 1995
image: An Italian postage stamp bearing the images of Hilter and Mussolini. The border is painted in umber acrylic paint and decorated with a flying flag in each upper corner. This is placed just below centre within a white sheet of paper.
Heroes of the XXth Century: Hitler
(art) Made by: Mayen, Eric 1995
image: A German postage stamp bearing the image of Hitler with a painted border in umber acrylic paint. This is placed just above centre within a white sheet of paper.
Death of Achilles
(art) Made by: Robb, Carole 1996
image: Achilles lies on his back in bed with his arms behind his head. Above him, through a window we see an erupting volcano. In the foreground of the painting a naked figure with a blank face lying on her back on the floor, her feet resting against the...
"Can Spring Be Far Behind?", 1940
(art) Made by: ARMSTRONG, JOHN 1940
image: a surreal landscape. In the foreground are the ruins of bombed buildings. Behind these, in a complete contrast of scale, a white tulip towers, growing from an arid soil.
2nd and 3rd May - The Belgrano
(art) Made by: Kirkwood, John 1990
image: A large red door-bell is collaged onto the canvas. It is surrounded by a thick splattering of red paint which drips down onto a group of men at the base of the composition. Their heads and shoulders float in a dark background, their faces are...
Lama Sabachthani [Why have you forsaken me?]
(art) Made by: Kestelman, Morris (RA) 1943
image: A scene of mourning. A group of Jewish men, women and children weep and mourn over a mound of corpses. In the background are further large heaps of corpses and burning buildings. The mourning men wear prayer shawls and pillbox hats and carry Torah...
Stealth
(art) Made by: Kalkhof, Peter 1995
image: a stealth bomber flies over a desert landscape. Behind the bomber the landscape is covered by a grid, ahead of the bomber the space is full of small shining particles. The body of the bomber is semi-transparent; small broken up black and grey...