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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ROYAL AIR FORCE RADAR, 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Chain Home: radar receiver towers and bunkers at Woody Bay near St Lawrence, Isle of Wight, England. This installation was a 'Remote Reserve' station to Ventnor CH.
WOMEN ON THE HOME FRONT 1939 - 1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Goodchild (F/O)
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF): Leading Aircraftwoman M Wishart, a meteorological clerk, takes a weather reading from a thermohygrograph at RAF Pitreavie Castle, Dunfermline, Scotland.
ROYAL AIR FORCE RADAR, 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Ground Control of Interception: AMES Final Type 7 GCI Fixed radar installation at RAF Sopley, Hampshire. Interior view of the Radar Well, showing the the monitor receiver in the foreground and the transmitter behind it.
RADAR AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Aircraft Navigation and Guidance: The Operations' Room at 10 Group, Box, Colerne (Controller: Sqdn Ldr Sharpe).
ROYAL AIR FORCE RADAR, 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Chain Home: CH receiver room at an East Coast station, showing one of the two RF7 Receivers (left) and the Mark 3 Console (right) in use.
ROYAL AIR FORCE RADAR, 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Fighter Direction: AMES Type 16 Fighter Direction installation, comprising a final Ground Control of Interception (GCI) structure and a Type 24 30ft parabolic array mounted on rotation gear.
WEST INDIANS IN BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Crouch (F/O)
West Indian aid to Britain: Lord Moyne, Secretary of State for the Colonies, autographing the tail plane of an aircraft purchased by the people of Jamaica.
RADAR AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Deception Techniques: The equipment used by German speaking Royal Air Force personnel to transmit orders to enemy aircraft on their own wavelength, code named OPERATION DARTBOARD.
ROYAL AIR FORCE RADIO-COUNTERMEASURES, 1939-1945
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
CORONA operating position at the Headquarters of the RAF 'Y' Service, Hollywood Manor, West Kingsdown, Kent. A German-speaking operator is speaking into the 'ghost voice' microphone (top), while a WAAF flight-sergeant records the exchanges on a German...
THE ANGLO-SOVIET TREATY, MAY 1942
part of "AIR MINISTRY SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Royal Air Force official photographer
Winston Churchill with British and Soviet representatives, including Anthony Eden and Vyacheslav Molotov, in London following the signing of the Anglo-Soviet Treaty on 26 May 1942.