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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SPEED UP ON STIRLINGS [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1942
The production of Stirling bombers at the Short Brothers factory in Swindon.
NAVAL OPERATIONS [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1941-12
A rough analysis of various sea battles of the early war years is combined with a description of various classes of warship to provide basic information on the character of contemporary naval combat.
NEW ACRES [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1941-08
The continuation, in the second year of the war, of the campaign to expand Britain's agricultural acreage.
RADIO IN BATTLE [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1943-06
Demonstration of the importance of radio communications in "modern" warfare.
ACK ACK [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1941-04
The rôle played by anti-aircraft fire in defeating air raids - by preventing accurate bombing, or turning the enemy away as well as by bringing him down - presented in the framework of a view of an AA gun site before and during action.
A NEW FIRE BOMB [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1942-09
An instructional Civil Defence film.
TRANSFER OF SKILL [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1940-12
Illustrates the way in which peacetime craftsmanship is used in wartime.
MOBILISING PROCEDURE [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1942
A detailed account, based first on diagrams and then on enacted scenes, of the procedure by which the National Fire Service could direct the deployment of all Britain's firefighting equipment.
WAR IN THE EAST [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1941-12
An explanation of the background to the War in the Far East and of its probable strategic development, founded entirely on a commentary illustrated by film of a large map of the Pacific on which points are demonstrated, occasionally by animation, more...
RESCUE RECONNAISSANCE [Main Title]
(film) Made by: Shell (Production company) 1944
An instructional film, in dramatised form, on techniques for rescuing people trapped in bomb-damaged buildings, stressing throughout the importance of assembling as much information as possible before deciding on any new line of action.