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

Collection: Unknown
(photographs) Made by: Unknown 1945-04
Fifteen, black and white prints of images taken at Buchenwald concentration camp during the liberation by US service personnel in 1945. Scenes include clearing bodies from the various parts of the camp, the crematria, rescuing survivors some with horrfic...
Collection: Unknown
(photographs) Made by: Unknown
Eight, black and white prints depicting an RAF public information exhibition, circa 1944-1945. Images include static diplays relating to jet propulsion, aircraft construction and materials and air sea rescue, aircraft on display include a Gloster E28/29...
Collection: WHITE G E (MR)
(photographs) Made by: Unknown 1945-05
11 black and white loose prints depicting the bodies of prisoners discovered around the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the time of liberation.
Collection: Unknown
(photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer (Photographer) 1943-06-09
Loose prints, aerial photographs, depicting an armoured regiment training with Centaur or Cromwell tanks, alongside some Covenanter and Crusader tanks (and infantry) on Salisbury Plain during the Second World War. Possibly 9th Armoured Division, which...
Collection: MACKENZIE G S (MAJOR)
(photographs) Made by: Curtis (Sgt) (Photographer) 1945-01-22
A series of loose prints relating to Major G S MacKenzie's service, probably Royal Artillery, in the British Army during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. Images include: Prints of images taken by Sgt Jack Mulhany a United States Fifth Army...
Collection: UNKNOWN
(photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer (Photographer) 1944-02-15
Thirty two, loose, black and white prints of various aerial recconnaisance images taken by Royal Air Force and United States photographic reconnaisance squadrons of locations in France in the run up to and after the invasion of Normandy (D-Day) in 1944 (...
Collection: STEPHENS LAWRENCE GEOFFREY (CAPTAIN)
(photographs) Made by: Logan (Photographer)
Two prints mounted on card, head and shoulders studio portraits of Lieutenant Lawrence (Larry) Geoffrey Stephens. OC 2 Troop, 5 Commando, British Army with South East Asia Command during the Second World War. After the war Stephens went on to become a...
Collection: WRIGHT DAPHNE
(photographs) Made by: Not currently known (Photographer) 1940-08-28
Mounted, black and white print depicting a small group of girls, including 16 year old Daphne Boynett on board the RMS RANJITATA, which sailed from Liverpool to New Zealand in August 1940. 113 child evacuees were on board as part of the Children's...
Collection: ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS - ENSA COLLECTION
(photographs) Made by: Not currently known (Photographer) 1939
Ten thousand contact prints (approximately 90 x 72 mm) depicting black and white, individual studio portraits of personnel who served with ENSA during the Second World War. Professions of personnel covered include: actors, variety stars, dancers, singer...