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

Begging for Food, Italy 1944
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: A woman stands with outstretched hands, begging for food from a group of four soldiers in a war-ravaged landscape.
Children killed by a Grenade, Italy 1944
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image:A woman stands in the foreground with the covered corpse of a child at her feet. Behind her two soldiers are carrying a limp body out of a ruined building. Next to them are two shrouded corpses on the ground. A third soldier is speaking to a group...
Sicily 1944: Mad Woman, Messina
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: troops searching through rubble of a bombed house, woman screaming at them
Sicily 1944: Through the Flats at Messina
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: troops searching through rubble of a bombed apartment
Sicily 1944: Through the Flats at Messina [&] Jo
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: [upper] troops searching through rubble of a bombed apartment [lower] portrait sketch of a large, smiling man
Italy 1944: Partisan Biondi Pietro
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: portrait sketch of a smiling man in open-necked shirt
Sicily 1944: Landing at Augusta
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: troops landing and entering a town
Sicily 1944: On the Hill above Augusta
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: troops taking cover in a ditch
Italy 1944: Hill - Monte Cassino
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: view of a bombed hill with shattered trees and ruin on summit
Italy 1944: Soldiers on a Railway Track
(art) Made by: Houghton, Stanley 1944
image: soldiers walking along a railway track