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

THE CHANNEL ISLANDS 1940-1945 [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Bryant, Gerard (Production individual) 1945
"Incidents dealing with the German Occupation are re-enacted by the Channel Islanders themselves."
FARM WORK [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Gordon, M (Production individual) 1945
"One of a film series about jobs after the war." In this case, agricultural workers.
WORKERS' WEEK END [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Elton, Ray (Production individual) 1943-10
Film record of the effort by workers in an aircraft factory to produce a Wellington bomber in 30 hours or less, working voluntarily over one weekend and donating their bonus earnings to the Red Cross Aid to Russia Fund.
MALTA GC [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Cekalski, Eugene (Production individual) 1943-01
Film about the Axis air offensive against Malta.
BEFORE THE RAID [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Cameron, Ken (Production individual) 1943
Story of how some Norwegian fishermen outwitted the Nazis occupying their village, told by a Norwegian commando to English colleagues on a ship bound for Norway.
THE FLYING SKYSCRAPER [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor) 1949
The development of the Bristol Brabazon airliner, from its first conception in 1943 to the prototype's maiden flight on September 4 1949.
WE SAIL AT MIDNIGHT [Main Title]
(film) Made by: National Film Board of Canada (Production sponsor) 1943
Drama-documentary demonstrating the way Lease-Lend helps to keep the British war machine working.
THE BROAD FOURTEENS [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Gamage, Fred (Production individual) 1945-08
A dramatised account of the first posting, and eventual first action, of a newly-trained motor torpedo boat (MTB) crew. ('The Broad Fourteens' is the name given to an area of the North Sea off the Dutch coast.)
LOFOTEN [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Macdonald, David (Production individual) 1941-03
A brief account of the raid by the Navy and British and Norwegian soldiers on German fish oil plants in the Lofoten Islands, March 3rd 1941.
MERCHANT SEAMEN [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Cameron, Ken (Production individual) 1941-06
A story acted and narrated by men of the Merchant Navy illustrates the way their war is fought.