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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You Never Know Who's Listening - Careless Talk Costs Lives
(posters) Made by: Ministry of Information (publisher/sponsor) 1942
image: A cartoon of two women sitting on a bus having a conversation, overheard by Himmler and Goering sitting in the seat behind. text: You never know who's listening! - CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES
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...
Better Pot Luck Than Humble Pie - Don't Waste Food!
(posters) Made by: Unknown
whole: The images are positioned in the upper left and lower right, with text in black and red incorporated above, between, below and alongside the two images. image: In the upper half a caricature of the head of Churchill as a lidded casserole,...
You Never Know Who's Listening - Careless Talk Costs Lives
(posters) Made by: Fougasse (artist)
PST 0142 is the same design in a smaller format
LAISSEZ-NOUS TRANQUILLES!
(posters) Made by: Jé
image: golden landscape shaped as a map of France with sunburst overwritten 1941, upper right. A man stands, foot leaning against a spade, having just dug a hole in the ground. A woman kneels and prepares to plant a sapling in the hole. The man looks to...
A Great Place for Hamburgers but Who'd Want to Live There?
(posters) Made by: Aldridge, Alan (artist) 1971
whole: the image covers the whole, within borders of stars and stripes. The title is white against a black box at the very bottom edge below the image. image: a multicoloured kaleidoscope of caricatures of American politicians, icons, scenes and types....
HOLDING THE LINE!
(posters) Made by: Guignon, Henri 1942
image: Winston Churchill caricatured as a British Bulldog standing foursquare on a Union Flag in full colour text: HOLDING THE LINE!