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Explanation Play the Slide Show NGfL Cymru wishes to acknowledge the kind and invaluable support given by The Battle of Britain Historical Society. We would also like to thank Paul Day for allowing us to use photographs of the Battle of Britain Memorial Sculpture. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Winston Churchill Explanation Play the Slide Show

The Battle of Britain is about more than just the brave pilots who risked their lives daily to defend the British Isles from waves of Luftwaffe bombers and their fighter escorts. It is the story of a nation that ‘pulled together’ to make a concerted effort to boost war production and to man the homeland defences. It is the spirit of the British people and their experiences during this time, together with their resolve to redouble their efforts and not give in to aggression that is just as remarkable as the feats of the legendary pilots of the Royal Air Force.

Without the courage of the pilots and R. A. F Without the courage of the pilots and R.A.F. Ground Crew the battle for Britain would have been lost – of that there seems little doubt. Without radar the pilots would have struggled to become airborne in time to meet the enemy as he crossed the coast. But also, without the courage and determination of the people of the British Isles, who were bolstered by Winston Churchill’s morale boosting speeches, the pilots would not have been able to function as effectively as they did. The Memorial and this slide show is dedicated to all those brave people and their brave deeds during this, their finest hour.

This slide show plays automatically The Battle of Britain Monument This slide show plays automatically

July 1940 and Observers keep a watchful eye on the skies, reporting any enemy aircraft to Sector Operation Rooms.

Underground, WAAF Plotters track aircraft movements using colour coded markers and a large map of the British Isles.

R.A.F. Pilots lounge in the sun, Mae-Wests and Parachutes at the ready, waiting for the call to Scramble.

Civilians wait nervously in their homes wondering when the Luftwaffe bombers will arrive over their villages and towns.

In the factories women help to produce the aircraft that are vital for the defence of the British Isles.

Spitfire and Hurricane pilots pitt their wits against the experienced pilots of the Luftwaffe in the skies above Britain.

On the airfields the Ground Crew work tirelessly to refuel and rearm the fighters and get them back into the air.

Anti-Aircraft gunners try to break up another bomber formation as it hurtles towards a city and its inhabitants.

The bombers come in such numbers not all can be brought down The bombers come in such numbers not all can be brought down. Smoke and debris fill London’s streets during the Blitz.

…and the ARP Wardens desperately dig for survivors of raids once the dust has settled and the all-clear has sounded.

The bombing of cities and towns however, continued. By October 1940 The Battle of Britain was effectively over. The Luftwaffe had not destroyed the Royal Air Force and so Hitler had to abandon his idea of landing troops along the English coast. The bombing of cities and towns however, continued. The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Winston Churchill, August 1940.

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