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 First Zeppelin Seen From Piccadilly Circus, 8th September 1915
(art) Made by: Gow, Andrew Carrick (RA) 1915
image: A dark and gloomy evening scene in Piccadilly Circus with a German Zeppelin airship and barrage balloons visible in the night sky illuminated by the beam of a searchlight. In the foreground Piccadilly Circus is busy with civilians and traffic,...
relic
(souvenirs and ephemera)
Fragment of the first bomb dropped on English soil during the First World War. The bomb, which landed near Dover, at 10.45 a.m. on 24th December 1914, was dropped by a single German aeroplane which then went home. Three days before a German aeroplane had...
fragment, first bomb dropped on English soil (1914)
(souvenirs and ephemera)
Fragment of the first bomb dropped on English soil during the First World War. The bomb, which landed near Dover, at 10.45 a.m. on 24th December 1914, was dropped by a single German aeroplane which then went home. Three days before a German aeroplane had...
card, commemorative
(souvenirs and ephemera) Made by: Burgess, London (printer) 1917
First World War British mourning card commemorating the civilians who were killed as a result of a German air raid on London on 13 June 1917. The raid was the first daylight air attack carried out by German Gotha aircraft on the capital. (See also EPH...
GERMAN AIR RAIDS ON BRITAIN DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
part of "THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS 1914 - 1918" (photographs) 1918-05-21
A Gotha GV crashed on the East Coast after being forced down by anti-aircraft fire at Little Wigborough, Essex. Her captain and crew were captured after they tried to set her ablaze with parachute flares.
The Raid on London July 7th 1917
(art) Made by: Reynolds, Henry Joseph 1920
image: a roof-top view of London during the 07 July 1917 German air raid. On left buildings are ablaze casting a thick pall of smoke across the vista and over St Paul's Cathedral, clearly visible on the right. The German bomber squadron can be seen...