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

Liberation
(art) Made by: Carr, Henry 1944
image: A view of the remains of an Italian village with soldiers and civilians moving around the ruins of the bombed houses and church.
Divisional Pigeon Loft, Italy 1944
(art) Made by: Burn, Guy 1944
image: A mobile pigeon loft stands with its doors open, the pigeons free to fly around. The interior of the loft can be seen with the birds perched on their compartments. In the left background is a ruined farmhouse; a village on a steep hillside lies in...
British Prisoners of War, Italy
(art) Made by: Bullard, Paul 1946
image: The interior of a prisoner-of-war hut. The space is filled by the receding lines of wooden framed bunk-beds. Men lie and sit on the three-tiered bunks, clothed and unclothed. A seated figure on the central bunk has a red lozenge shape on the...
Vesuvius in Eruption, March 1944
(art) Made by: Carr, Henry 1944-03-01
image: View of the eruption of Vesuvius at night. A group of soldiers watch the scene standing by a lorry
recording
(sound) Made by: Thames Television (Production company) 1972
British officer served as Chief of Intelligence to General Eisenhower and with SHAEF in North Africa, Italy and North West Europe, 1943-1945
Prisoner of War Hut, Tuturano, Italy 1943
(art) Made by: Charlton, Arthur 1943
image: The interior of a Prisoner of War hut, showing wooden bunk beds and the overcrowding. Figures occupy the beds and stand in the aisle between them.
Prisoner of War Hut, Tuturano, Italy 1943
(art) Made by: Charlton, Arthur 1943
image: A sketch of the interior of a Prisoner of War hut, showing wooden bunk beds. Three Prisoners of War lie on the upper bunks, the central figure talks to another man facing them. There are various personal belongings lying around, including a Red...
Sleeping Quarters, Tuturano Prisoner of War Camp, Italy 1943
(art) Made by: Charlton, Arthur 1943
image: A sketch of the interior of a Prisoner of War hut, with wooden bunk beds. In the left of the composition a soldier unpacks a Red Cross parcel. To his left a soldier lies on a bunk reading, and next to him another soldier sits on a pile of blankets...
The Cookhouse, Prisoner of War Camp, Bari, Italy 1943
(art) Made by: Charlton, Arthur 1943
image: A Prisoner of War camp. There are a group of white painted buidings with red tiles in the middle distance. There are several trees in front of the buildings, figures dotted around, and a donkey and cart on the left of the image.
Prisoner of War Camp, Bari, Italy, 1943
(art) Made by: Charlton, Arthur 1943
image: The interior of a building showing the Prisoner of War sleeping quarters at Bari. There is a view down the length of the building through two arched doorways. There are figures sitting on what appears to be wooden bunks, and others walking along...