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

Survivors from the Railway of Death
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1943
image: A crowded, chaotic scene in a flat, water-logged landscape with hills in the distance. In the foreground prisoners sit on the ground between stretchers holding sick or dead men. Standing amongst the prisoners are uniformed soldiers and men with...
Doreen Thrale
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1944
image: An imagined head and shoulders portrait of the artist's daughter, who he had not yet seen at the time.
A Korean Guard
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1943
image: A three quarter length portrait of a Korean prison guard wearing Japanese uniform and holding a rifle. He stands in front of a tree and parts of the prison camp are visible behind him.
The Building of the Main Bridge over the Salween River
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1942
image: A view from afar of a large bridge being constructed across a river. Both river banks are covered in jungle vegetation with a few buildings visible immediately on both banks. Many people are also visible though only as tiny dots in the distance....
The Burning of the Cholera Dead
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1942
image: A grim scene in a clearing in the jungle. There is a large fire in the centre of the composition with several naked corpses on the ground in the foreground. Able bodied prisoners, only wearing shorts, lift corpses towards the fire and maintain the...
'F' and 'H' Force Hospital, Canchanburi, Siam
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1943
image: A view across 'F' and 'H' Force Hospital camp in Kanburi in Thailand. There is a line of several large bamboo huts to the left, with a more rudimentary hut beside three tall palm trees in the centre. The wooden fence of the camp is to the right.
Main Highway, Siam, the Salween River
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1943
image: A view from the bank of the Salween River in Thailand. In the foreground are various people, including a man carrying two fully laden baskets suspended from a branch he carries on his shoulder. There are several boats on the water and a hut on the...
The Foliage at the Jungle Edge
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1942
image: A jungle landscape with two hawks flying above the trees.
Continuing the March
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1943
image: A column of British and Australian Far East prisoners-of-war on the march along a track through the jungle. They are accompanied by bullock trucks, one of which has fallen down the steep face of a river bank in the foreground. Several prisoners...
Transport in Changi, Singapore
(art) Made by: Thrale, Charles 1942
image: A team of bare-chested prisoners struggle to pull a wagon loaded with wood, just visible at the top of the page, along a track through the jungle. They are supervised by an officer walking alongside. In the background two military policemen salute...