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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A Camp of Twins - Auschwitz
(art) Made by: Birkin, Edith 1980
image: Row upon row of imprisoned Jews stand behind a barbed wire fence in a concentration camp. The prisoners all appear as if identical twins, but are also similar to each other, mainly appearing to be hairless men with gaunt faces. Camp huts are...
St Paul's Cathedral
(art) Made by: Ware, William Edward 1941
image: A view of St Paul's Cathedral in London at night. The dome of the cathedral is barely visible in the gloom and it has the appearance of being shown during a period of blackout, so an air raid may be in progress.
Liberation Day
(art) Made by: Birkin, Edith 1980
image: A head and shoulders portrait of a male prisoner in Auschwitz concentration camp. His face appears gaunt, he is bald and he wears the striped uniform of a prisoner.
The Death Cart - Lodz Ghetto
(art) Made by: Birkin, Edith 1980
image: People carry bodies wrapped in white sheets to a horse-drawn cart in a city street. Other people look on from windows and doorways, their faces largely skull-like in appearance.
The Long Night - London Blitz 1942
(art) Made by: Harrison, A R 1942
No description available
The Village of Sorvagur, Faroe Islands
(art) Made by: Harcourt, H L 1943
image: A view along a village street with small cottages lining the right-hand side of the road and a pathway cutting diagonally across from the right to left.
Hungry Steppe 1945, Kazakhstan, Russia
(art) Made by: Kay-Krzewinski, Feliks 1945
image: A woman stands on a platform undergoing a work-related trial surrounded on all sides by men, who are sitting. Huts made of thick wool and a small fire are visible in the background.
Monte Cassino and the Tent of the Military Police HQ
(art) Made by: Kay-Krzewinski, Feliks 1944
image: A view across a field towards the monastery sitting on the top of Monte Cassino. In the immediate foreground is a grassy landscape with colourful poppies and three trees beside a mule track. There is also a small signpost bearing the emblem of the...
Monte Cassino One Month after the Battle
(art) Made by: Kay-Krzewinski, Feliks 1945
image: A view across the summit of Monte Cassino and the bomb-damaged ruins of the monastery. There are numerous shell- splintered tree trunks in the foreground with the roofless monastery beyond, which has many of the walls still intact but is...
Portrait of a Man
(art) Made by: Ximming, Elio 1940
image: A head and shoulder portrait of an unknown sitter in a navy suit and dark tie. He sits against a plain background with his head turned towards his left shoulder.