Various Dates
IWM Duxford
Everyone
Adults £20 | Children £10
Discover the nerve centre of Duxford’s Battle of Britain
During the Battle of Britain, aerial battles were controlled from the Duxford Sector Operations Room. This room has been recreated, as it would have looked in the summer of 1940.
On this guided tour, IWM’s experts will explain how the location and size of incoming German raids were established, and how fighters were allocated to intercept them.
You will discover how the 'Dowding System' of air defence worked, hear about the controversial 'Big Wing' strategy, and learn about some of the pilots for whom Duxford was home during the Battle of Britain. Young men like Squadron Leader Brian Lane, George Cecil "Grumpy" Unwin, Group Captain Alfred "Woody" Woodhall OBE and Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader.
The Plotting Table
After learning how the Operations Room worked, take your place around the plotting table, used during the Second World War to map out the location, size and height of aircraft formations. This space is not usually open to the public. From their viewpoint above the table, the controllers were able to see how the battles in the air were developing.
The majority of plotters were members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Discover more about their role and see, in detail, the systems and equipment used to monitor incoming raids and control the aircraft tasked with stopping them.
