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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Wade, James Dorrofield (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1987
British private served with 11th Bn Royal Fusiliers on Western Front, 1917-1918; served with 2nd Bn Suffolk Regt in Shanghai, China, 1927-1928; served as NCO with 5th Bn Suffolk Regt in Singapore, Malaya, 1941; POW in Thailand, 1942-1945 including work...
Patch, James Douglas (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1987-09-10
British gunner served with Long Range Desert Group in North Africa and Greece, 1941-1943; POW escaped and served with Chetniks in Yugoslavia, 1943-1945
Osmond, Thomas Edward (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1984
British officer served with Royal Army Medical Corps in Mesopotamia, 1914-1916; captured at seige of Kut-el-Amara and POW in Turkey, 1916-1918
Morton, Frederick Samuel (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1986-07-07
British private served with 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters in GB and Norway, 1939-1940; POW in Germany, 1940-1945
Sheppard, Leslie Gaius John1 (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1985-03-19
British private and NCO served with 1/5th Bn Leicestershire Regt in GB and Norway, 1932-1940
recording
(sound) Made by: Napier, Joseph (Production company) 1985
British officer served with the 4th Bn South Wales Borderers in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, 1914-1917; POW in Turkey, 1917-1918. Officer served with Movement Control, Eastern Command in GB, 1939-1944 and with Austrian Control Commission in GB and Italy,...
Leagus, Albert Edward (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1985
British private served with 1/10th Bn London Regt and 2/5th Bn Essex Regt in GB, 1916-1917; served as driver with Army Service Corps on Western Front, 1917; POW in Germany and Poland, 1917-1918
Champion Jones, Montagu (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1987
British officer served with Royal Engineers in GB and India, 1922-1937; served with Railway Establishment Movement Control Royal Engineers and at GHQ British Expeditionary Force in France, 1939-1940; captured at Abbeville, France, 1940 and POW in Ilag...
McGeoch, Ian Lachlan Mackay (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1987-07-27
British officer served aboard submarines HMS Clyde, H43 and HMS Triumph in Atlantic and GB coastal waters, 1939-1940; commanded submarines H 43 and H 34 in GB coastal waters, 1940-1941; served with 10th Submarine Flotilla on Malta, 1941 including patrol...
Boiteux-Burdett, Robert Rene (IWM interview)
(sound) Made by: IWM (Production company) 1988-08-01
Anglo-French civilian served with F Section, SOE in Lyons and Marseilles areas of France, code-name 'Nicholas', 1942-1944 and with Force 136 in Burma and in liberation of Sumatra and Singapore 1944; release of FEPOWS. Work for Control Commission in...