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

'Bully'
(art) Made by: Bairnsfather, Bruce
No description available
Montgomery: "Well, why shouldn't I retire into politics too?"
(art) Made by: Cummings, Michael 1958
image: A caricature of Montgomery. He wears a bowler hat and dark overcoat, has a furled umbrella hanging on his left arm, and stands at his front door adjusting his gloves. Turned out towards the viewer, the caption reads 'Well, why shouldn't I retire...
'Degrees of Greatness - The man who has been "out". The man who hasn't. The civilian'
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1917
No description available
The Kaiserbill
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1916
No description available
The Ferdybird
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1916
No description available
The Riffraffe
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1916
No description available
The Octirpitz
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1916
No description available
Crown Prince Son: "What did you do in the Great War, Daddy?"
(art) Made by: Leete, Alfred 1917
No description available
L'allemagne prouve la sympathié et son amitié pour les neutres, en les récompensant
(art) Made by: Schluter, G
image: a caricatured Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany presents an Iron Cross to a politician of a neutral country, who holds out his top hat in front of him. The Kaiser is depicted with his typical distinctive moustache and an upturned nose, a reference to...
Justice
(art) Made by: Schluter, G
image: a representation of the scales of justice. On one side are the severed heads of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary, Wilhelm Crown Prince of Germany and Mehmed V of Turkey. On the other is a bloodied sword used to kill...