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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Heath, Charles Philip (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1986
British officer served with 1st, 2nd, 59th and 135th Siege Batteries, Royal Garrison Artillery in GB and on Western Front, 1914-1918. Served with Changi Fire Command in Singapore 1942; POW of Japanese in Singapore, 1942-1945
Wade, James Dorrofield (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1987
British private served with 11th Bn Royal Fusiliers on Western Front, 1917-1918; served with 2nd Bn Suffolk Regt in Shanghai, China, 1927-1928; served as NCO with 5th Bn Suffolk Regt in Singapore, Malaya, 1941; POW in Thailand, 1942-1945 including work...
Bouch, Eric William (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1999-07-13
British private served with 2nd Bn Cambridgeshire Regt in GB and Singapore, Malaya, 1938-1942; POW on Burma Thailand Railway and in Japan, 1942-1945
Bennington, Lloyd Bernard (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1999-07-06
British private served with 2nd Bn Cambridgeshire Regt in GB and Malaya, 1939-1942; POW on Burma-Thailand Railway and in Japan, 1942-1945
Masters, Stephen Claud (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1989-01-24
British civilian living in Portsmouth, 1940-1941; NCO served as pilot with 622 and 7 Sqdns, RAF in GB, 1942-1944; officer served with 206 Sqdn, RAF during Berlin Airlift 1948; served with 209 Sqdn, RAF in Brunei and during Indonesian Confrontation, 1961-...
Wethey, Ian Howard (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1989-08-15
British officer served with 5/12 Punjabi Regt in India and Malaya, 1938-1942
Gwillim, Richard (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1989-08-03
British gunner served with 155 Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, France and Malaya, 1940-1942; POW in Singapore, 1942 including surviving Alexandra Hospital massacre, 2/1942
Cleveland, Walter Stephen (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1997-04-02
British private served with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in France, 1939-1940; served with 1st Bn Cambridgeshire Regt in Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942; POW in Singapore and on Burma-Thailand Railway, 1942-1943; survived sinking of ship carrying POWs to Japan, 1944;...
Anckorn, Fergus Gordon (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 2002-04-16
British gunner served with 118th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB and Singapore, Malaya, 1939-1942; POW in Singapore, Malaya and on Burma-Thailand Railway, 1942-1945
Christie, Cecelia Helen Burnette (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1993-03-25
British nursing officer served with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps attached to 32nd Psychiatric Unit , 79th British General Hospital in Normandy, France, 1944; served aboard hospital ship SS Elizabethville in Far East, 1945; attached to...