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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The Ypres Salient at Night
(art) Made by: Nash, Paul (artist) 1918
image: A night scene showing three soldiers on the fire step of a trench surprised by a brilliant star shell lighting up the view over the battlefield. On the left there is a flooded shell-hole, beyond which stand three other soldiers, overlooked by a...
Gunners. Turning Out for an SOS. Battery action at night
(art) Made by: Roberts, William (RA) 1918
image: a group of gunners of the Royal Field Artillery hurriedly emerging from a dugout, still dressing as they run towards a battery firing into the distance. A Sergeant stands to the left of the composition, holding a torch in his hand shining down at...
Signallers
(art) Made by: Roberts, William (RA) 1918
image: a scene with six British signallers laying a wire in a trench. The two men in the centre appear to be shouting at one another, perhaps as a result of the noise of artillery fire, and the others look on, transfixed in their pose. A wounded man lies...
The Menin Road
(art) Made by: Roberts, William (RA) 1917
image: a view down the Menin Road in the Ypres sector of the Western Front. Two small columns of British troops march along the road, the foremost comprised of men of the Royal Field Artillery. Two ambulance trucks drive ahead of them. Alongside the road...
Souscrivez pour la Victoire [Subscribe for Victory]
(posters) Made by: Richard, M (artist) 1916
whole: the image covers the majority of the poster area, with the title positioned across the top in red. Further text is positioned across the bottom, also in red. image: Victory leads the Allied armies, atop rolling clouds, across a battlefield of dead...
Near Hell-Fire Corner, Menin Road, Ypres
(art) Made by: Mackey, Haydn Reynolds (MM) 1918
image: A view along a section of the Menin Road near the notorious Hell Fire Corner, the junction of the Menin Road and the Ypres-Roulers railway kept under constant observation by German artillery. There are trees on either side of the road that have...
Hände Weg [Hands Off]
(posters) Made by: Frenzel 1923
whole: the image occupies the majority. The title is partially integrated and positioned in the upper third, in red outlined black and grey. The text is partially integrated and positioned in the centre right, in black gothic script, and in the lower...
Ypres Salient, Dawn, February 1918
(art) Made by: Ginnett, Louis John 1918
image: A view over the Ypres salient. There are several flooded shell-holes and trenches. The landscape has a devastated and surreal quality, with half recognisable debris littering the ground. In contrast, the upper half of the painting is filled with a...
Belgian Canal Boat Fund
(posters) Made by: Hassall, John (artist) 1916-10
whole: the image occupies the whole, with the title and text integrated and positioned across the lower quarter, in black. image: a Belgian peasant woman and a young girl sit by the side of a canal, both with their heads bowed, consoling each other. With...
The Battery Wagon Line
(art) Made by: Holiday, Gilbert
image: a large number of horses graze on grassy land behind the lines, wheeled artillery limbers lined up to the left. Artillery fire can be seen on the horizon.