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.

Main menu

IWM London
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM North
Manchester
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM Duxford
Cambridgeshire
Open daily

Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm

Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm

Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
Churchill War Rooms
London
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
HMS Belfast
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information

Collections search

Buy War Savings Certificates
(posters) Made by: Burton, Charles (artist) 1919
whole: the image is placed at the top, held within a black frame, with the title and text below. All set against a deep blue background. Image: Under a yellow sky a farmworker, foreground left, drives a tractor, ploughing a field. A red roofed farmhouse...
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: a British tank moves from the the background right to the foreground left, over barbed-wire and with its guns firing. In the...
The Tank Tour
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-06
whole: the main title is placed across the top in blue and held within a scroll design which also provides a blank area for additional text. The text and image are positioned below, all held within a black border. image: a British tank moves from the the...
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: two British soldiers operate a Vickers heavy machine-gun from a sand-bagged position in the foreground right. The first...
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: a rear view of a biplane flying away from the viewer. The plane carries the insignia of the RFC and flies over the coastline....
War Weapons Week April 8th to 13th
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918-03
whole: the main title is placed across the top in yellow, with the text and image below. All held within a black border. image: a seaplane flying towards the viewer and bearing the insignia of the RFC. The plane flies over the coastline away from four...
Plan Your Future - Save With a Plan
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1945
whole: the six images occupy the majority. The title is separate and positioned in the upper quarter, in black. The main text is partially integrated and placed with each image as a caption, in red held within white insets, and separate and located in...
Their Future - Worth Fighting For - Worth Saving For!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1944
whole: the image is positioned in the upper three-quarters. The title is integrated and located in the upper left and upper centre, in yellow. The text is separate and placed in the lower third, in blue cursive script, in red, and in brown held within a...
Worth Fighting For - Worth Saving For!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1944
whole: the ten images occupy the majority, held within white insets. The title and text are separate and placed at the centre, in dark red, and along the bottom edge, in red and in black. Further text is integrated and placed beneath each image as a...
For Britain - Keep on Saving
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1945
whole: the nine images occupy the majority, held within white and grey borders. The title and text are separate and placed in the upper centre, centre and along the bottom edge, in red cursive script. Further text is partially integrated and placed...