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

The So-called 'Higher Race'
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist)
whole: the image occupies the whole, with the title integrated and positioned across the top edge, in brown. The text is integrated and positioned in the lower quarter, in black. image: a caricature of Adolf Hitler and a monkey stand on top of a mountain...
Let's Sock the Fascist On the Jaw and Finish Him for Evermore
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1943-01
whole: the six images occupy the majority, each set against a white background. The title is separate and positioned across the top edge, in black. The text is integrated and placed with each image, and separate and located in the lower quarter, both in...
Maneater
(posters) Made by: Ministry of Information (publisher/sponsor) 1941-02
whole: the image occupies the majority, with the title integrated and positioned at the top, in white. Further text is separate and positioned across the bottom edge, also in black. image: A caricature of Adolf Hitler as a wild beast gnawing on human...
[The Progress of Russian and German Co-operation]
(posters) Made by: Kimon Evan Marengo aka Kem (artist) 1939
whole: The image fills the majority of the design, with Arabic text in white towards the bottom contained within a black rectangular box. The design has a red and black border. image: Caricatures of Hitler and Stalin in tattered uniforms, attempt a three...
Dit is Jodewin
(posters) Made by: D C (artist) 1943
whole: the image occupies the majority, with the title partially integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in grey and in black. The text is partially integrated and placed in the lower left, in orange, and in white outlined orange, and across the...
Juden Komplott Gegen Europa! [Jewish Plot Against Europe]
(posters) Made by: Abepy (artist) 1942
whole: the image occupies the whole, with a smaller image placed in the upper centre set against a white panel. The title is integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in green, and in the lower quarter, in white. image: a depiction of a map of...
Ils Assassinent!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist)
whole: the image occupies the whole, with the title integrated and positioned in the lower third, in black. The text is integrated and placed in the lower quarter, in grey and in brown. The emblem of the 'Secrétariat Général de l'Information et de la...
[ANTI-SEMITIC POSTER]
(posters)
image: Stalin and Churchill as puppets on strings, being manipulated by a figure representing international Jewry and Freemasonry text: text in Cyrillic script, most likely Serbian
Entente Cordiale!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1941
whole: the image occupies the whole, with the title integrated and positioned in the upper left, in red cursive script. image: three oversized caricatures of the Allied leaders: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and...