Battle of Britain

During the summer of 1940, the skies over the United Kingdom were filled with swarms of Luftwaffe aircraft aiming to neutralise the Royal Air Force and pave the way for a seaborne invasion of the south coast. Numerically outnumbered, the bravery of 'The Few', pilots in their late teens and early 20s is unquestionable, battling not only the Luftwaffe, but the tiredness and fatigue from multiple daily sorties. Although dominated by the Spitfire and Hurricane, the contribution of 'The Few' who flew the Boulton Paul Defiant, Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufighter, Gloster Gladiator, Fairey Fulmar and Grumman Martlet during this time must not be forgotten.

The Battle of Britain lasted 112 days from 10 July 1940 to 31 October 1940, with 544 Commonwealth, Polish, American, Czech and Belgian aircrew killed. The 15 September was seen as the turning point in the battle and is the annual commemorative 'Battle of Britain Day'. As the battle raged on, the Luftwaffe's targets shifted from the RAF airfields to civilian ones. The Blitz began on 7 September 1940 and by December 1940, 23,002 civilians had been killed. Their names are entered in the CWGC Civilian Roll of Honour which lists civilians killed directly or indirectly by enemy action in the United Kingdom between 1939-1945. The Civilian Roll of Honour is held in Westminster Abbey, central London.