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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Land Drainage: Overtime
(art) Made by: Casson, Bernard
image: a rural scene with women of the Women's Land Army working on land drainage. Four cranes are being used to create and maintain a series of drainage ditches filled with water. One of these cranes to the left has sunk into a water-logged patch of...
Study of a Girl Milking
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: a study of a woman of the Women's Land Army sitting with her back to the viewer, shown diagonally in profile, milking a cow. She wears the typical overalls of the WLA and has her hair tied up in a scarf. Only the udders of the cow are depicted,...
Study of a Girl Hoeing
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: a full length portrait of a worker of the Women's Land Army using a hoe. She is wearing typical WLA uniform overalls and hat and there is a study of the end of the hoe to the right of the composition.
Sketch of a Girl Ploughing
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: a woman of the Women's Land Army sitting on the seat of a plough. She wears typical WLA uniform overalls and hat, with a green and red WLA armband on her left arm.
Sketch of Land Girls
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: full length depictions of two women of the Women's Land Army at work on the land with hoes. Both are wearing typical WLA uniform overalls and hats.
Study of a Land Worker
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: a full length portrait of a Women's Land Army worker in uniform, holding a hoe or rake. She bears the red and green striped insiginia of the WLA on her hat and shoulder epaulette, and wears a red and green armband on her left arm. There is a study...
In the Fields
(art) Made by: Schwabe, Randolph
image: a full length portrait of a Woman's Land Army worker carrying two bales of hay, one of them concealing her legs. She wears typical WLA uniform overalls and has a red scarf tied around her head.
WRNS Making Soup in the Galley
(art) Made by: Austin, Robert Sargent 1942
image: two Wrens making soup in large cylindrical cooking vats with a few pots on the floor next to them. The foremost Wren has a bandage around her right hand.
Untitled
(art) Made by: Léandre, Charles Lucien
image: two figures are positioned at the top of a hill in the foreground. The figure to the left stands holding a crucifix and a burning torch, fanning the raging battle that goes on beneath him, to the left. The more typically Christ-like figure to the...