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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recording
(sound) Made by: Hood, Jean (Production company) 2006
British bombadier served with Royal Artillery in Hong Kong, 1939-1941; POW in Hong Kong, 1941-1942; survived sinking of Lisbon Maru, 10/1942; POW in Japan, 1942-1945
recording
(sound) Made by: Beckett, John (Production company) 2005
Canadian NCO served as navigator and bomb aimer with 88, 55 and 14 Sqdns RAF in GB and North Africa, 1942-1943; POW in Italy and Germany, 1943-1945
recording
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-12-31
Nepalese Gurkha officer in discussion about the British government identifying and paying compensation to Gurkha POWs of the Japanese during the Second World War
Desert Island Discs: Ronald Searle
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-07-10
BBC Radio 4 programme entitled 'Desert Island Discs: Ronald Searle'. Sue Lawley travels to Provence to meet illustrator and satirist Ronald Searle who talks about his life and work, including the period he spent as a prisoner of war of the Japanese...
Weston's POWs
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-08
BBC Radio Wales four-part series entitled 'Weston's POWs'. Simon Weston talks to former prisoners of war held by the Japanese in the Far East during the Second World War. Programmes 3 & 4
Weston's POWs
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-08
BBC Radio Wales four-part series entitled 'Weston's POWs'. Simon Weston talks to former prisoners of war held by the Japanese in the Far East during the Second World War. Programmes 1 & 2
recording
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-01-24
Indian private served as signaller with 1st Bn Frontier Force Rifles, 2nd Frontier Force Regt Indian Army in Malaya, 1940-1942; POW of Japanese, 1942-1945
Barbed Wire Ballads
(sound) Made by: BBC (Production company) 2005-05-11
BBC Radio 4 programme entitled 'Barbed Wire Ballads'. Miles Kington visits Berlin to uncover a secret archive of recordings of Allied prisoners talking and singing songs, made in German prisoner of war camps during the First World War
Impressions d'Exil
(sound) Made by: Conseil General do la Somme (Production company) 1991
Music entitled 'Impressions d'Exil' composed by French soldier and composer wounded in Aisne, France, 1915 and POW in Poland and Germany, 1915-1919. Performed by Orchestre Symphonique d'Europe for Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne, France
recording
(sound) Made by: Dangerous Films/BBC (Production company) 2004
British NCO served with X Troop 10 Commando in North West Europe, 1944, including Normandy landings, 6/1944; POW in France and Germany, 1944-1945