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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Victory in the West
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1945
whole: the 12 images occupy the majority. The title is separate and positioned across the top edge, in white, held within an orange inset. The text is separate and placed beneath each image as a caption, in white held within orange insets, in orange and...
Klaushofer, Otto Josef (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1990-11-13
Austrian civilian schoolchild in Vienna, Austria, 1938-1942; worker with Arbeitsdienst in Ukraine, Russia, 1942; officer served with 44th Division in Italy, 1943-1944; POW in Camps Greely and Campbell in US, 1944-1946; POW in GB, 1946; student in Vienna...
Il n'y a pas de Quoi [It’s not Worth Thanks!]
(posters) Made by: Radlov, N (artist)
whole: the image is positioned across the centre, with the title separate and positioned at the top, in black. The text is separate and positioned in the upper quarter and in the lower third, also in black. All set against a white background. image: a...
[It's not Worth Thanks]
(posters) Made by: Radlov, N (artist)
whole: the image is positioned across the centre, with the title separate and positioned at the top, in black. The text is separate and positioned in the upper quarter and in the lower third, also in black. All set against a white background. image: a...
IWM interview
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1984
British officer served with 29 Sqdn Royal Flying Corps on Western Front, 1917; POW in Germany, 1917-1918. Served as Head of Air Staff Department, Secret Intelligence Service in London, 1929-1945
Kaemmer, Heinz (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1996-03-13
German civilian involved with Hitlerjugend 1930s; electrical engineer with German naval convoys 1941-1944 primarily based in Netherlands; captured 12/1944, POW in Ostend, Belgium and in Swanwick, Market Harborough and Dunton Bassett camps 1945-1948;...
recording
(sound) Made by: Thames Television (Production company) 1972
German postal censor at British POW camp; postwar Control Commission Germany
recording
(sound) Made by: Thames Television (Production company) 1972
German officer served as adjutant to Adolf Hitler in Germany, 1941-1944
Allocution Radiodiffusée [Broadcast Speech]
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1940
whole: the image is positioned in the upper centre, held within a blue and a red border. The title is separate and placed across the top edge, in black. The text occupies the remainder, also in black. All set against a white background. image: a half-...