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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Collections search

La Victoire du Droit [The Victory of Right]
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1918
whole: the six separate images are positioned down the centre, each held within a black border. The title is separate and positioned in the upper quarter, in red. The text is separate and occupies the remainder, in red and in black. Black borders divide...
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...
Burma: Japanese Prisoners-of-War in the Cookhouse, Pegu Prison
(art) Made by: Cole, Leslie 1945
image: four Japanese prisoners-of-war prepare food in the cookhouse of Pegu prison camp. Two of the men stand underneath the corrugated iron roof of a hut, one chopping something at a table. The other two men stand and crouch immediately in front of the...
General Babini
(art) Made by: Freeth, Hubert Andrew (RA) 1941
image: A head and shoulders portrait of General Valentino Babini in uniform.
General Cona
(art) Made by: Freeth, Hubert Andrew (RA) 1941
image: A head and shoulders portrait of General Ferdinando Cona wearing a hat and uniform.
The 'Black Hole', Lille, (Fort Macdonald)
(art) Made by: Martin, Edwin 1918
image: A view of part of the outside of Fort Macdonald, which has the appearance of a grass covered man-made hill. There are two huts towards the top of the hill and a dry moat at the bottom of the hill, which reveals outer walls of the fort that could...
A Russian Memorial to Some of the Men who Died at the Kitdal Camp
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: a memorial column with a red star, surrounded by decorative stone arrangements and a wooden fence in wooded area with mountains in the background.
Cable Railway built by the Germans in Kitdal
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: a view of a mountain chair lift, from the platform. The cable can be seen extending into the distance, with a row of chairs in the foreground. Two groups of German POWs can be seen standing behind the platform near a small wooden hut.
Final Stages of the German War: Twenty Thousand Prisoners in the Town of Worms
(art) Made by: Gross, Anthony (CBE) (RA) 1945
image: a view across Worms town square which is completely packed with tens of thousands of German prisoners of war, contained within a wire perimeter fence, guarded by American soldiers.
An Advanced Cage For German Prisoners, 1917
(art) Made by: Hill, Adrian 1917
image: a group of German prisoners of war stand listlessly behind a high barbed-wire fence. Most stand around in overcoats, their hands in their pockets.