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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The War Refugees' Camp, Earl's Court 1918
(art) Made by: Rushbury, Henry (Sir) (RA) 1918
image: In the foreground a group of refugees stand and sit underneath an archway. The group is predominantly made up of women, as well as four young children and two men, one of whom has a white beard and is lighting a pipe. In the background through the...
Don't Waste Bread!
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1917
whole: the two images occupy the majority. The title is integrated and positioned in the upper quarter, in yellow outlined black. The text is partially integrated and positioned in the lower quarter, in black and in yellow outlined black. All held within...
The Food Queue
(art) Made by: Nevinson, C R W (ARA) 1918
image: a crowd of grey-faced civilian women, children and men queue in front of a row of shop windows. In the centre, a woman looks directly at the viewer, a young boy standing in front of her. Lettering on the shop windows is visible in the background...
Soldiers' Separation Allowances
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1915-08
whole: the title is positioned across the top in red, with the text arranged over the remainder in red and blue. All are set against a plain white background and held within a narrow blue border. image: text only. text: G.R. [Royal Charter] SOLDIERS'...
New Scale of Separation Allowances
(posters) Made by: Unknown (artist) 1915
whole: the title is positioned across the top in blue, with the main text placed below, in red and in blue. All are set against a plain white background and held within a broad red border. image: text only. text: NEW SCALE OF SEPARATION ALLOWANCES FOR...
Lady Henry's Crêche, Woolwich
(art) Made by: Lavery, John (Sir) (RA) (RSA) 1919
image: The interior of a room lined with children's cots, occupied by very young children and babies. A group of nurses tend the babies in the background. A play-pen filled with toddlers stands in the foreground.
WOMEN RAILWAY WORKERS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
part of "FIRST WORLD WAR WOMENS WAR WORK COLLECTION" (photographs) 1917-05-15
A female oiler employed by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway at work at Bolton station in May 1917.
SHIPBUILDING DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, NEWCASTLE
part of "IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVE COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Nicholls Horace
A group of boys and girls wait at the gate of a shipyard with baskets and bundles of dinner for their relatives, probably at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., Newcastle.
PHOTOGRAPHY DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
part of "MINISTRY OF INFORMATION FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Lewis G P 1918
Lieutenant Armando Console, who served briefly as an official photographer on the Western Front in 1918 until he lost a leg in a shell explosion. The photograph shows him on crutches looking at an exhibition of naval photographs in London accompanied by...
WOMEN AT WORK DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1918
part of "MINISTRY OF INFORMATION FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: Lewis G P 1918
A young girl fastens wigs onto dolls in a toy factory, probably in the Midlands. There were many juvenile workers employed at this factory, and in other factories across the country.