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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Heroes of the XXth Century: Hitler and Mussolini
(art) Made by: Mayen, Eric 1995
image: An Italian postage stamp bearing the images of Hilter and Mussolini. The border is painted in umber acrylic paint and decorated with a flying flag in each upper corner. This is placed just below centre within a white sheet of paper.
Casualty of War
(art) Made by: Robb, Carole 1995
image: A night-time scene showing a dimly lit city street of dark doorways. In the middle of the road there is a naked woman lying on her side next to an unoccupied motorbike.
Museo della Battaglia del Senio - Inaugurazione 10.4.81
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1981
No description available
Sutherland - Disegni di Guerra - Palazzo Reale, Milano
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1979
No description available
Serbo-Kosovaro
(art) Made by: Unknown
image: A brown outline of a body lying on the ground with one hand raised and several holes drawn at the point of the heart. Written across the stomach area are the words 'Serbo-Kosovaro' in green.
United Colours of Benetton
(posters) Made by: Toscani, Oliveiro (artist) 1993
whole: the photographic image fills the page and is overlaid with a green rectangle containing white type, positioned running off the upper left edge. image: a large ship near land, heavily laden with Albanians, who can also be seen in the water around...
Blanco Nero [White Black]
(posters) Made by: Rausch, Andrea (artist) 1990
whole: The drawn image forms the background of the poster. In the upper left and right corners of the sheet there is a single word in a stencil type face: white on the left side and black on the right. A paragraph of grey type is positioned right of...
La Guerra é un Monstro Crudele [War Is A Cruel Monster]
(posters) Made by: GRAPHITI (artist) 1986
whole: the image is contained within an irregular line and fills the majority of the page, leaving only a thin white border. There is a black band running at an angle across the image, two thirds of the way up the page. Within the band is a line of white...
United Colours Of Benetton [incomplete]
(posters) Made by: Toscani, Oliveiro (artist) 1992
whole: the photograph fills the page. There is one green block slightly below the upper right corner, running off the right edge. It contains two lines of white, capitalised type. image: a close-up of a black soldier's hands, holding a bone behind his...