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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Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of five male Italian partisans. Two of the men wear berets and have binoculars hanging round their necks. All wear military clothing.
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of four male Italian partisans wearing uniform and a woman in civilian dress, who sits behind a desk in the right foreground. There is a doorway, a column and a piece of furniture in the background. In the lower foreground are two...
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of nine male Italian partisans wearing uniform. One of the men leans on a desk.
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of a group of Italian Partisans, standing around talking. Most of them wear military style uniform. There are two women in civilian dress standing on the right. Some handwritten text records possible colours for a finished watercolour.
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of five Italian men and one elderly Italian woman. The men, especially the one on the left who wears military style uniform, appear to be partisans. The man on the far right only has his head depicted. A classical Roman style column is...
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of five male Italian partisans.
Ravenna: Italian Partisans at their Brigade Rear-Headquarters
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward 1945
image: A sketch of the entrance hall of a large building used as an Italian partisan headquarters. The hall is full of a group of partisans, mostly dressed in military overcoats and hats.
Cyclists and an Italian Interior
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of two cyclists with another figure is drawn over the top of a second sketch that depicts a man sitting at a desk in the interior of an Italian building. The room of the interior has a classical-style column and a grand-looking piece of...
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of male Italian Partisans wearing uniform, including berets. Three of the men are shown from behind, only their heads and shoulders depicted, with handwritten text recording the colour to be used for the partisans' berets and insignia....
Italian Partisans
(art) Made by: Bawden, Edward
image: A sketch of four male Italian partisans all wearing military clothing.