An army of plane spotters

Could you spot the difference between a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and a Spitfire? Just under 3,000 RAF aircrew risked their lives to face the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, yet on the ground, around 30,000 volunteers formed a highly-trained network of aircraft observers working around the clock to support the men in the air. Curator Adrian Kerrison tells us about the vital role of the Observer Corps during the Battle of Britain.

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Two members of the Observer Corps chart the movements of aircraft in their sector with a plotting instrument, 29 February 1940.
© IWM HU 104541
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© IWM CH 1550
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Sir Hugh Dowding in red superimposed onto a radar station
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