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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An English and French Soldier Meet
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image:A French soldier and a British soldier, both in uniform, stand facing each other, chatting.
Military Police
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image: A German military policeman wearing a large overcoat, cap and clogs, standing with his hands in his pocket.
A Franco British Snowball Fight
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image: A snowball fight between two small groups of soldiers in front of some ruined buildings,
Callone, Ricouart
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo 1916-03-24
image: A view of a farm yard with chickens scratching about. Three soldiers stand cautiously with their riffles ready at a doorway on the left. A fourth soldier can be seen keeping watch through an open doorway that leads out of the yard.
Day Break
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo 1916-01-01
image: A view of three British soldiers on watch in a trench. One stands with his back to the viewer, leaning against the trench wall, looking over the top. A second sits to his left, warming himself next to a brazier. A third lies at his feet, sleeping...
Three Portraits
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image: Three portraits: the first shows the profile of a scowling, balding man in uniform, facing left, labelled 'Navvies Batt'. The second shows a British soldier wearing a hat, in profile facing left. The third portrait shows a uniformed French soldier...
When Oxenbould and Clark Held the Islands
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo 1916-02-01
image: Two officers sit on the floor facing each other, tightly squeezed in to a recess in a cellar wall. A rat sits on the lintel above them.
Our Dug-out
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo 1916-02-01
image: Inside a dug-out, lit only by a candle in a wine bottle, two soldiers sit on a bench creating dramatic shadows on the wall behind them. Two others stand next to a low table, bowing to avoid the low ceiling.
Rum Issue Stand Too
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image: One soldier sits on a wall of sandbags in a trench. He is holding a mess tin and turning away sulkily from the two soldiers who stand in front of him gesturing.
The Stretcher Bearers
(art) Made by: Clark, John Cosmo
image: A stretcher bearer supports a wounded soldier while a second helps an officer examine the wounded man's stomach. They are in a trench and a bayoneted gun can be seen leaning against a wall of sandbags behind the soldiers. At their feet is a...