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

General Cona
(art) Made by: Freeth, Hubert Andrew (RA) 1941
image: A head and shoulders portrait of General Ferdinando Cona wearing a hat and uniform.
Group Captain P H Hugo, DSO, DFC and Two Bars
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1943
image: A head and shoulders portrait of Group Captain Petrus H Hugo in uniform.
Major-General A A Richardson
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1943
No description available
On the Italian Front
(art) Made by: Kemeny, Kalman
image: a view across a shallow valley landscape on the Italian Front, with a grave marked by a white wooden cross and cap in the right foreground. There are a few lines of barbed wire before a stream at the centre of the valley, wooded hills rising up in...
Composition for a War Picture
(art) Made by: Kemeny, Kalman
image: a group of Austro-Hungarian infantry go over the top from a front line trench into No Man's Land. Several of the men have been wounded, with one lying dead on the ground. One man lurches back, having been hit by gunfire. Another soldier to the...
Major-General F W De Guingand, CB, CBE, DSO
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1943
No description available
Air Vice-Marshal H Broadhurst : DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, AFC
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1943
image: A portrait of Broadhurst in uniform.
Marshal Badoglio
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1944
No description available
Father Hugh J O'Flaherty
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1945
image: a head and shoulder portrait of Father Hugh J O'Flaherty, wearing a white collar and glasses.
General Sir Bernard Montgomery, KCB, DSO
(art) Made by: Morse-Brown, Sydney 1943
image: a head and shoulder portrait of General Sir Bernard Montgomery in uniform, turned to the left.