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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[Arabic text] [The Downfall of the Dictators is Assured]
(posters) Made by: Unknown
whole: the image is positioned in the upper three-quarters. The title and text are separate and placed in the lower quarter, in black. All set against a yellow background. image: a depiction a raid by British heavy bomber aircraft on a northern Italian...
Back Them Up!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist)
whole: the image is positioned in the upper three-quarters. The title and text are separate and placed in the lower quarter, in black. All set against a yellow background. image: a depiction a raid by British heavy bomber aircraft on a northern Italian...
[Persian Text]
(posters) Made by: Unknown
whole: the image is positioned in the upper three-quarters. The title and text are separate and placed in the lower quarter, in black. All set against a yellow background. image: a depiction a raid by British heavy bomber aircraft on a northern Italian...
Tough Tactics
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1942-10
whole: the image occupies the whole. The title is integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in black. The text is integrated and placed in the lower quarter, also in black. image: full-length depictions of a British and German soldier engaged in...
Un Seul Combat pour une Seule Patrie [A Single Battle for a Single Country]
(posters) Made by: Knopf (artist)
whole: the image occupies the majority. The title is separate and positioned in the lower quarter, in white, set against a black background. The text is integrated and placed in the upper right, in black. All set against a white background. image:...
Un Seul Combat pour une Seule Patrie [A Single Battle for a Single Country]
(posters) Made by: Knopf (artist)
whole: the image occupies the majority. The title is separate and positioned in the lower quarter, in white, set against a black background. The text is separate and placed across the top edge, in black. All set against a white background. image: three-...
Milk, Hides and Skins of Nigeria
(posters) Made by: Okoye, Frederick
whole: the image occupies the majority, held within a black border. The title is separate and positioned along the bottom edge left, in black. image: a scene set in a Nigerian village. In the centre, a man milks a cow; several women then carry the milk...
Dick Whittington
(posters) Made by: Cary, Arthur L F 1918
whole: the image is positioned in the upper four-fifths. The title is integrated and located along the top edge, in black. The text is separate and placed in the lower fifth, in black held within a yellow inset, and in yellow outlined black, set against...
Cultivation on a Slope
(posters) Made by: Brosky 1945-09
whole: the image is positioned in the lower three-quarters. The title is separate and placed in the upper quarter, in red, held within a yellow and green scroll design. The text is separate and located in the lower third, in green and black, held within...
Animals Need Enough Food
(posters) Made by: Brosky 1945-09
whole: the image occupies the upper three-quarters, set against a white background. The title is integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in brown. The main text is separate and placed in the lower quarter, in black held within a white inset, and...