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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A Whippet Tank at the Dollis Hill Experimental Ground
(art) Made by: Adeney, W Bernard 1918
image: an angled view of a Whippet Tank seen from behind standing on broken ground at the Experimental Depot for Tanks at Dollis Hill. This is set against a background of sight screens, used to prevent the experiments from being seen, beyond which is a...
King Henry's Walk looking to the East
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view over railway tracks to a set of points where four tracks meet and divide under a wooden sided bridge. In the near right of the image is the top of a wall enclosing rough grass. To the right of the track is the roofline of an industrial...
Mildmay Park Station looking to the North East
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view across a road to Mildmay Park railway station. The station is a Victorian brick building, with arched windows and doors, and a parapet at the top of the facade painted with the name of the station. To the left of the station is a...
Mildmay Park Station looking to the South East
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view of the corner of Mildmay Park railway station, looking from a STOP sign at the opposite side of a road junction. The station is a Victorian brick building, slightly run down with grafitti and old advertising boards on the walls. An...
King Henry's Walk looking to the South West
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view across a street corner. The road leads left across a brick bridge over a railway cutting. To the left and right of the bridge roads lead off parallel to the railway. The tops of the houses are visible beyond the railway line on the left...
King Henry's Walk looking to the West
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view from a bridge onto railway tracks below. In the immediate foreground is a gantry with signal lights hanging from it. Four railway lines stretch away under a brick bridge in the distance. To the right of this bridge is Mildmay Park Station....
Kingsbury Road looking to the West
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view from the parapet of a bridge. The bottom half of the image is the thick wooden slats of the bridge. Above is a view of five railway lines leading away under a brick bridge, with three lines then curving away to the left, and two to the...
Mildmay Grove looking to the South
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view across a road to a brick wall bordering a railway cutting. Grafitti on the wall reads 'NORTH LONDON LINE', followed by the international radiation warning symbol. On the far side of the cutting the tops of trees and houses are visible. In...
King Henry's Walk looking to the North East
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: A view of a crossroads from the left hand near corner. Ahead the road runs across a railway bridge with high brick walls and then downhill beyond. Beyond the bridge is a large building, painted with the name 'RAILWAY TAVERN'. The chimneys and...
Wallace Road looking to the East
(art) Made by: Rimmington, Eric 1985
image: View across a road to the high walled parapet of a railway bridge. The parapet wall has a newly pointed section. To the left of the bridge is a house covered in scaffolding. Over the parapet is a view into the distance past industrial buildings...