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.

Main menu

IWM London
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM North
Manchester
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM Duxford
Cambridgeshire
Open daily

Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm

Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm

Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
Churchill War Rooms
London
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
HMS Belfast
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information

Collections search

recording
(sound) Made by: Baynham, Henry (Production company) 1973-01
British boy seaman served aboard HMS Minotaur on China Station, 1910-1912; leading seaman served aboard HMS Superb, 1912-1913; leading seaman and petty officer served aboard HMS Canada and HMS Sable in North Sea, 1914-1918. Boatswain served with Royal...
Holttum, Harold (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1988-10-23
British conscientious objector worked for Agricultural Division of Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, 1916-1918. Served with Home Guard in Coventry, 1939-1945
Prisoner of War Documents and Newspapers, Second World War
(private papers)
Collection of documents relating to British prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War, together with newspapers and a conscientious objection pamphlet from the First World War.
Private Papers of Misses A & R McGuire
(private papers) Made by: McGuire, A
111 ms letters and 2 telegrams written from their home in Liverpool to their sister in Boston, Massachusetts, USA (1914 - 1919 and 1941-1944) concerned mostly with domestic matters but including good comments on the first signs of mobilisation in England...
Private Papers of L Kuttner
(private papers) Made by: Kuttner, Ludwig
Extensive collection of material relating to various members of a German-Jewish family, comprising: ms transcription of Ludwig Kuttner's diary (61pp in German), made by his family shortly after the war, kept during his service as a Corporal in the German...
Heroes of the XXth Century: Stalin
(art) Made by: Mayen, Eric 1995
image: A Soviet postage stamp bearing the image of Stalin with a painted border in umber acrylic paint. This is placed just above centre within a white sheet of paper.
Heroes of the XXth Century: Petain
(art) Made by: Mayen, Eric 1995
image: A French postage stamp bearing the image of Marshal Petain with a painted border in umber acrylic paint. This is placed just above centre within a white sheet of paper.
ROYAL AIR FORCE 1939-1945: COASTAL COMMAND
part of "MINISTRY OF SUPPLY" (photographs)
The Short Rangoon, a military version of the civilian Calcutta used by Imperial Airways, circa 1936.
SCENES AT DUXFORD AIRFIELD 1914-1952

No description available
THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC 1939-1945
part of "MINISTRY OF INFORMATION FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Navy official photographer
Shipping losses: HMS ROYAL OAK torpedoed by U 47 on 14 October 1939 while at anchor in Scapa Flow. Photograph taken during the First World War at full speed showing her guns at full elevation.