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

Self Portrait in Uniform
(art) Made by: Carline, Richard C 1918
image: A head and shoulders self-portrait of the artist wearing uniform.
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: a rear view of a biplane flying away from the viewer. The plane carries the insignia of the RFC and flies over the coastline....
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: a seaplane flying towards the viewer and bearing the insignia of the RFC. The plane flies over the coastline away from four...
Buy Your War Bonds Now!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918
whole: the title is placed lower left, in grey-blue and speckled red against a black background. The image is positioned above at the upper right. image: a quarter segment of a Royal Flying Corps insignia roundel. text: BUY WAR BONDS NOW No.74.
Flight Lieut A W Beauchamp-Proctor, VC, DSO, MC, DFC, RAF
(art) Made by: Dobson, Cowan 1920
image: A half length portrait of Beauchamp-Proctor in full uniform holding his cap in his left hand. All is set against a dark background.
Kut-el-Amara, 1919
(art) Made by: Carline, Sydney W 1919
image: a view across a bomb damaged quarter of the city of Kut in Mesopotamia, seen from the roof of a house. Date palms grow between the houses, and the horizon is flat with only desert beyond the city boundary.
Kut, 22 July 1919
(art) Made by: Carline, Sydney W 1919
image: a view across a walled area in Kut in Mesopotamia from the flat roof of a house. The roof of another house stands in the lower right. A grove of date palms grow behind the wall in the mid-ground, and there is a felucca moored on the bank of the...
Turkish Transport, Wadi Fara, 1919
(art) Made by: Carline, Sydney W 1919
image: a sketch of a group of empty wooden farm carts, some of the abandoned transport of Turkish forces.
Wrecked Turkish Aeroplane, Jenin, 25 February 1919
(art) Made by: Carline, Sydney W 1919
image: the wreck of a Turkish biplane crashed on the edge of the former Turkish aerodrome at Jenin, near Nablus, Palestine. A small building is visible in the background.
Wadi Fara, 15 February 1919
(art) Made by: Carline, Sydney W 1919
image: a view of the Wadi Fara seen from the side of the valley. The Nablus-Beisan road runs along the right of the composition, with the bomb damaged remains of some Turkish transport carts.