Word Celebrity Blog

The Battle Of Britain


I remember as a young boy, hearing Edward R. Murrow broadcasting from London, England during 1940, and describing the Battle Of Britain. I could hear the sounds of bombs, fire and many different loud noises.

And though all of it came the voice of Mr. Murrow describing it all, in detail, for his listeners.

























I am going to write about some of the many heroes of the battle of Britain: there were thousands of them. Some of them have names that are familiar to us and some are mostly unknown. 

In describing what happened and examining some details of the "Battle Of Britain" we can better understand the importance of the battle, not only to the British, but to all of the Allied Nations as well.

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Immediately after the defeat of France, Adolf Hitler ordered his generals to organize the invasion of Britain. The invasion plan was given the code name Sealion. The objective was to land 160,000 German soldiers along a forty-mile coastal stretch of south-east England. Within a few weeks the Germans had assembled a large armada of vessels, including 2,000 barges in German, Belgian and French harbors.

"The aim of this operation is to eliminate the English motherland as a base from which war against Germany can be continued and, if necessary, to occupy completely". - Adolf Hitler, Directive No. 16 (July 16, 1940)

However, Adolph Hitler's generals were very worried about the damage that the Royal Air Force could inflict on the German Army during any invasion. Adolph Hitler agreed to their request that the invasion should be postponed until the British airforce had been destroyed.

"The Luftwaffe will use all the forces at its disposal to destroy the British air force as quickly as possible. August 5th is the first day on which this intensified air war may begin, but the exact date is to be left to the Luftwaffe and will depend on how soon its preparations are complete, and on the weather situation." - Adolf Hitler, Directive No. 17 (August 1, 1940)

By the time of the start of what became known as the "Battle of Britain", the German Luftwaffe had 2,800 aircraft stationed in France, Belgium, Holland and Norway.  This force outnumbered the RAF four to one. However, the British had the advantage of being closer to their airfields. German fighters could only stay over England for about half an hour before flying back to their home bases. The RAF also had the benefits of an effective early warning radar system and the intelligence information provided by "Ultra."





















Emile Fayolle of the Free French in the RAF.


The RAF was short of pilots, and welcomed any foreign help. 139 Poles, 98 New Zealanders, 86 Canadians, 84 Czechoslovakians, 29 Belgians, 21 Australians, 20 South Africans, 13 French, 10 Irish, 11 Americans, a Jamaican, a Palestinian and a South Rhodesian joined the RAF in the fighting. Josef Frantisek, who flying with 303 Polish Squadron, with 17 kills, was the most efficient Allied ace of the :"Battle of Britain".

























Josef Frantisek.


The "Battle of Britain" also claimed the lives of 498 RAF pilots.

The battle may seem small in terms of combatants and casualties but its impact was important. A British victory showed the flaws in Adolph Hitler's war machine and proved to the world, and especially America that Britain could survive. The tide had turned.

The victory was as much psychological as physical. Winston Churchill summed up the effect of the battle and the RAF's role: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"


























Most importantly, the victory in the Battle of Britain gave Britain time to rebuild its military forces and set itself up as an Allies stronghold.

The German pilots had more combat experience than the British and probably had the best fighter plane in the Messerschmitt Bf109. They also had the impressive Messerschmitt 110 and Junkers Stuka.  The commander of Fighter Command, Hugh Dowding, relied on the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.


























Sir Hugh Dowding.


"There's one coming down in flames - there somebody's hit a German - and he's coming down - there's a long streak - he's coming down completely out of control - a long streak of smoke - ah, the man's baled out by parachute - the pilot's baled out by parachute - he's a Junkers 87 and he's going slap into the sea and there he goes - smash. Oh boy, I've never seen anything so good as this - the R.A.F. fighters have really got these boys taped". - Charles Gardner, BBC Radio report (July 10, 1940)

Nearly everyone knows that the legendary Spitfire and Hurricane eight-gun monoplane fighters were the pride and joy of the RAF, but the real hero of the defence of Britan was the "Dowding System."

















The Dowding System.


The early detection system was named after its creator, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, the leader of RAF Fighter Command,  It was invaluable. Although it wasn't fool proof, the detection radar system and control chain enabled Fighter Command headquarters to spot enemy raiders, monitor their progress, and quickly dispatch response squadrons.  The information was used in conjunction with the 'Y' radio listening service picking up Luftwaffe radio traffic patterns, and the Enigma Cipher. However the system was wrought with problems, from poor radar tracking at night and bad weather and the lack of radio communications between command and squadrons.

On August 12, 1940, the German airforce began its mass bomber attacks on British radar stations, aircraft factories and fighter airfields. During these raids radar stations and airfields were badly damaged and 22 RAF planes were destroyed.  This attack was followed by daily raids on Britain.


















RAF pilots scramble for their planes.


As a result of the effective range of the Luftwaffe, the battle was mainly fought over southern England.  This area was protected by Fighter Command No. 11 under Keith Park and Fighter Command No. 12 led by Trafford Leigh-Mallory. They also but received support from the squadrons based in the eastern counties.

Between August 1st and 18th the RAF lost 208 fighters and 106 pilots. The second half of the month saw even heavier losses and wastage now outstripped the production of new aircraft and the training of pilots to fly them. Those British pilots that did survive suffered from combat fatigue.

During the "Battle Of Britain",  Trafford Leigh-Mallory came into conflict with Keith Park, the commander of No. 11 Fighter Group. Park, who was responsible for the main approaches south-east of London, took the brunt of the early attacks by the Luftwaffe. Park complained that No. 12 Fighter Group should have done more to protect the air bases in his area, instead of going off hunting for German planes to shoot down.

























Sir Kieth Park.


Tafford Leigh-Mallory obtained support from Vice Marshal William Sholto Douglas, assistant chief of air staff. He was critical of the tactics being used by Keith Park and Hugh Dowding, head of Fighter Command. He took the view that RAF fighters should be sent out to meet the German planes before they reached Britain. Park and Dowding rejected this strategy as being too dangerous and argued it would increase the number of pilots being killed.

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Air Chief Marshal Hugh "Stuffy" Dowding was commander of Fighter Command, RAF during the "Battle Of Britain."

Hugh Dowding was born in Scotland, but moved with his family to England at the ageo f 15. He entered the Royal Military Academy and joined the Royal Artillery, in which he served extensively abroad. In 1913, he obtained his pilot's licence and joined the Royal Flying Corps.

He served as commander of 16 Squadron in France in WWI, but, he clashed with his superiors and was sent home after the Battle of the Somme. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Hugh  Dowding became

Air Vice Marshall in the newly-created RAF after the war and was heavily involved in training and supply. In 1933 he became Air Marshall and was knighted.

Under Hugh  Dowding's command as Air Chief Marshall in the years leading up to WWII, he introduced the Hurricane and Spitfire into service. He also conceived and oversaw the advance warning system that saved the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain.

The the advance warning system comprised an integrated air defense system which included
(1) radar (whose potential Dowding was among the first to appreciate),
(2) human observers (including the Royal Observer Corps) who filled crucial gaps in what radar was capable of detecting at the time (the early radar systems, for example, did not provide good information on the altitude of incoming German aircraft),
(3) raid plotting, and
(4) radio control of aircraft.

Sir Hugh  Dowding was due to retire in June 1939, but, he was asked to stay on until March 1940 due to the tense international situation.  He was again grudgingly permitted to continue,  first until July,  and finally until October 1940.  Hugh  Dowding  fought the "Battle Of Britain" under the dark shadow of retirement.

Fighter Command pilots came to recognize "Stuffy" Dowding as a distant figure, but one who cared for his men and had their best interests at heart. Sir Hugh Dowding 's subsequent downfall after the "Battle Of Britain" has been attributed to his prickly temperament and lack of diplomacy and political savvy.  Although his strategy was very successful, Hugh Dowding was embroiled in many arguments with other senior RAF officers about tactical matters and he was finally removed from his post by Peter Portal in November 1940.

Further decorated, Sir Hugh Dowding  was sent on special duty in the United States for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, where he made himself unpopular with his outspoken behavior. He retired from the Royal Air Force in July, 1942 and was honored with a baroncy the following year.

Sir Hugh Dowding remained bitter about the circumstances of his removal from Fighter Command and withdrew from society. He concentrated on his new found spiritualism. Sir Hugh Dowding died at the age of 87, and his ashes are held at the "Battle of Britain Memorial Window" at Westminster Abbey.

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The climax of the "Battle Of Britain" came on August 30-31, 1940. The British lost 50 aircraft compared to Germany's 41.  The RAF were close to defeat, but, Adolf Hitler then changed his tactics. He ordered the Luftwaffe to switch its attack from British airfields, factories and docks to civilian targets. This decision was the result of the British bombing attack on Berlin, that had been ordered by Charles Portal, the new head of Bomber Command.

On August 31, 1940, Herman Goering held a conference with his Luftwaffe deputies. They knew that they had not yet established air supremacy, but faulty German intelligence suggested that the RAF was running out of planes. The Germans believed that British Fighter Command had only 420 aircraft left (the true figure was about 750) and that reserves were down to 100 aircraft (they were about 200). Goering decided to shift the attacks from RAF bases to London itself. (Adolph Hitler had given permission for the docks to be attacked after the RAF bombed Berlin). 



















Herman Goering


Herman Goering confidently believed that this change of tactics would force the RAF to commit the remainder of its planes in a last battle to defend the capital. The German High Command made a miscalculation and were committing themselves to the very dangerous task of daylight mass bombing against a still intact and well organized British defense.

"The hunted, that very small minority (although every squadron usually possessed at least one), turned to their escape kits and made quite sure that they were wearing the tunic with the silk maps sewn into a secret hiding-place; that they had at least one oilskin-covered packet of French francs, and two if possible; that they had a compass and a revolver and sometimes specially made clothes to assist their activities once they were shot down. When they went through these agonized preparations they reminded me of aged countrywomen meticulously checking their shopping- lists before catching the bus for the market town". - Johnnie Johnson, Wing Leader (1956)


























Johnnie Johnson


The Luftwaffe began their daylight mass bombing of civilian targets on September 7, when they launched a massive raid on the London docks that marked the start of the third phase of the campaign.  The RAF misjudged the situation and thought the attack was still aimed at RAF bases. Because of the confusion the fighters did not attack the bombers until they were returning from London, after they had inflictied major damage. The Germans lost only a few more aircraft than the British and when the raid was repeated on September 11, they suffered fewer losses than the RAF did.



















The German change of tactics seemed to be working, but, during this phase the RAF bases were able to recover from the previous damage and remain operational in the vital area of south-east area of England.  It was at this point that Adolph Hitler had to make the crucial decision about whether an invasion of England should go ahead.

Adolph Hitler's lack of enthusiasm for any invasion that would amount to more than a straightforward occupation of an already defeated Britain, was not changed by early September. In August, Hitler had been content to wait and see if the Luftwaffe could defeat the RAF, and he had made no effort to direct operations in the way that he had done during the attack on France. Adolph Hitler was making it quite clear that he was not personally involved in what he saw as a highly dubious and dangerous undertaking.

"Gradually I realized what had happened. My face and hands had been scrubbed and then sprayed with tannic acid. My arms were propped up in front of me, the fingers extended like witches' claws, and my body was hung loosely on straps just clear of the bed. Shortly after my arrival in East Grinstead, the Air Force plastic surgeon, A.H. McIndoe, had come to see me. Of medium height, he was thick set and the line of his jaw was square. Behind his horn-rimmed spectacles a pair of tired, friendly eyes regarded me speculatively. "Well," he said, "you certainly made a thorough job of it, didn't you?" He stated to undo the dressings on my hands and I noticed his fingers - blunt, captive, incisive. By now all the tannic had been removed from my face and hands. He took a scalpel and tapped lightly on something white showing through the red granulating knuckle of my right fore-finger. "Four new eyelids, I'm afraid, but you are not ready for them yet. I want all this skin to soften up a lot first."The time when the dressings were taken down I looked exactly like an orang-utan. McIndoe had pitched out two semi-circular ledges of skin under my eyes to allow for contraction of the new lids. What was not absorbed was to be sliced off when I came in for my next operation, a new upper lip". - Richard Hillary was saved by the Margate Lifeboat when he was shot down on September 3, 1940. He was immediately taken to the Queen's Victoria Burns Unit in East Grinstead.
























Richard Hillary


Meanwhile the German invasion forces were slowly gathering in the English Channel ports. They came under constant attack by the RAF Bomber Command.  The German preparations were a long way from being complete.  The German military had decided that the last possible date for an invasion, taking into account weather and tides, was September 27.  Because they needed a ten days' warning to launch the attack, therefor a final decision was required by September 17.

On September 13,  Adolph Hitler was still hopeful that an invasion would not be needed and that the Luftwaffe would be able to force Britain to make peace.  On September 14, Adolph Hitler put off a final decision on an invasion for three days, until the last possible moment.  The very next day, September 15, the Luftwaffe launched its biggest, and what it hoped would be its decisive attack against London.  The attack demonstrated that daylight bombing was too difficult, even with fighter cover, against the competent British defense.











Waves of German bombers, which were heavily escorted by fighters, were launched in the morning and afternoon against London. The Germans made the mistake of not undertaking diversionary raids, and so the RAF was able to concentrate all its resources (23 squadrons in the morning and 30 in the afternoon) against the attack. The result was a heavy defeat for the Luftwaffe, which lost about 60 aircraft to the RAF's 26.


"There was a voice behind the mask. It was condescending in tone. "Bloody fool should have worn gloves." Hillary's hands were equally badly burned and for the same reason - no gloves". - Geoffrey Page was sent to the Queen's Victoria Burns Unit in East Grinstead after he was shot down on September 30, 1940.

























Geoffrey Page


On September 17,  with a final decision on the invasion required, Adolph Hitler held a meeting with his military planners.  The events of September 15 demonstrated very clearly that the RAF was still a potent force.  Adolph Hitler, decided that his own scepticism about the invasion of England was well justified, and he postponed the invasion plans indefinitely.  Hitler was now free to turn his attention to his primary goal:  the destruction of the Soviet Union.  Three days after the meeting the dispersal of shipping to the ports for the invasion, was ordered.  Activity in the area was maintained in an attempt to confuse the British (without success).

The German Luftwaffe kept up its attacks,  but, with the exception of a few isolated raids on aircraft factories, it concentrated more and more on night raids on British cities, especially London.  By the end of September, the British government realized that a German invasion was only a remote possibility. At least for the time- being, Great Britain had survived.



















RAF pilots run to their planes during the Battle of Britain.


Both at that time, and since, Great Britain's survival has been attributed solely to the efforts of "The Few": the pilots of the Royal Air Force.  There can be no doubt that their skill and courage, maintained over a long period of intense combat, was essential in ensuring the defeat of the Luftwaffe.

The Germans also had highly skilled and dedicated pilots. Modern battles are decided by more than individual heroism.  After Dunkirk and the defeat of France, Great Britain had not only to survive, but it also had to create a myth that would sustain the nation for the long and difficult period after immediate defeat had been avoided.  The creation process of that myth, was very much at work in the summer of 1940.




















London Air Raid Shelter


British success was greatly exaggerated at the time and many of the misleading statistics issued in 1940 have since become accepted as facts. (For example, on September 15, the date that is still celebrated as "Battle of Britain" day, the British claimed that 185 German aircraft were destroyed. The true figure was sixty. During the crucial phase, from August 16 until September 6, the British people were given an an over-optimistic picture of Britain's progress.




















Aircraft Spotter.




















The morning after the London Blitz.


"6.30 a.m. This morning a large number of enemy aircraft crossed the coast near Dover in two waves. They were promptly met by strong formations of our fighters and an air battle ensued. In the course of this two small enemy formations succeeded in penetrating to the London area.Bombs were dropped and amongst them enemy objectives, Buckingham Palace was again hit. The Queen's private apartments were damaged by a bomb which did not explode.Elsewhere in London area houses were hit, some fires broke out and damage was done to gas and water mains. From preliminary reports it is clear that the number of casualties was small.At least fifty enemy aircraft were shot down in this raid.9.00 p.m. Up to 8 p.m. it is known that 165 enemy aircraft have been shot down today. Thirty of our fighters have been lost, but ten of the pilots are known to be safe.In addition to the 165 German planes shot down by our fighters, four more were brought down by anti-aircraft fire, making the total 169". - Statement issued by the Air Ministry (15th September, 1940)





































The King and Queen in downtown London.


Figures that were broadcast by the BBC, gave British losses as 292 aircraft compared with an actual figure of 343, an underestimate of 18%.  More important, the German losses for this period were reported as being 855, which was 62% higher than the real figure of 527.

The reality of the combat that was going on, was also very different from the stirring picture that was being painted at the time.  Only half of the Spitfires and Hurricanes that scrambled to intercept the German attacks ever engaged the German bombers and fighters.  Only fifteen per cent of the pilots were credited with shooting down any Luftwaffe planes at all.  During the "Blitz", only 17 pilots in the RAF accounted for more than 10 aircraft each. The most successful squadron (No. 303) was not made up of British, but, was manned by Polish pilots, and the two most successful individual pilots were from Czechoslovakia and Poland.



























British women handed over their aluminum utensils to be made into aircraft.


The real reasons for British survival in the summer of 1940, are more deep-seated than the courage of Britain's individual pilots. Of course they were very important, but the most significant factor was the geography.  The German army might be able to dominate the continent, but it lacked the capability to launch an invasion.  Such a hughe  operation was highly risky and required meticulous planning, as the Allies would demonstrate before the Normandy landings in 1944.



















Central London.


Adolph Hitler was correct when he was extremely cautious about launching an attack across the English Channel without the British being near the point of defeat.  The German navy was too small to control the sea in the area. Because of this everything depended on whether the Luftwaffe could defeat the RAF and establish local air supremacy.  If they had done that, an invasion might have been feasible. The Royal Navy would have found it very difficult to operate in the English Channel while under German air attack and IF the German army had landed,  then the poorly equipped British army was probably too weak to do more than delay its advance.





















As the chiefs of staff told the war cabinet in May 1940: "Should the enemy succeed in establishing a force, with its vehicles, firmly ashore, the army in the United Kingdom, which is very short of equipment, has not got the offensive power to drive it out." 


















Resisting the Luftwaffe attack on the RAF was the key to survival.  The Royal Air Force came perilously near to losing the "Battle Of Britain" through its stubborn adherence to tradition and hidebound procedures even at a time of supreme national emergency.  Under a more flexible system "The Few" could have been more numerous.

Great Britain's victory in the air was achieved because of two factors which in the end gave Britain a vital advantage.  The first was Britain's ability to produce more aircraft than Germany.  Here the advantages of some unorthodox and makeshift methods, in response to the national crisis, were very apparent. The second was rooted in the German failings: although Germany was superior in numbers,  the Luftwaffe was very ill equipped for the task of defeating the RAF over Britain,  and this weakness was compounded by the erratic leadership of the air campaign.  Fortunately for Great Britain. some of her pre-war policy makers and leaders such as Hugh Dowding, had made the right decisions.

"It was estimated in the summer of the battle that every pilot kept in action for more than six months would be shot down because he was exhausted or stale, or even because he had lost the will to fight. In terms of flying hours the fighter pilot's life expectancy could be measured at eighty-seven". - E. B. Haslam, "Journal of Strategic Studies" (June, 1981)

"The colossus of World War II seemed to be like a pyramid turned upside down, and for the moment the whole burden of the war rested on the few hundred German fighter pilots on the Channel coast". - The German flying ace Adolf Galland, wrote about the Battle of Britain in his book The First and the Last (1970)

"Though the air battles over England were perhaps a triumph of skill and bravery so far as the German air crews were concerned, from the strategic point of view it was a failure and contributed to our ultimate defeat. The decision to fight it marks a turning point in the history of the Second World War. The German Air Force was bled almost to death, and suffered losses which could never again be made good throughout the course of the war". - General Werner Kreipe, a member of the Luftwaffe wrote about the Battle of Britain after the war.

"Active air defence by day or night is a question of identifying the enemy, tracking his flight path and then intercepting and destroying him. At the start of the Battle of Britain we could identify and track the enemy by radar as far as the coast, but once he crossed it we had to depend entirely on visual observation reports from the Royal Observer Corps. Under clear-day conditions the track reports were accurate, but at night and in bad weather by day when cloud obscured visual observation, tracking and height finding were bound to be inaccurate and interception under such conditions a matter of luck. Guns and searchlights depended on sound locators to indicate the enemy's height and position. With slow-flying aeroplanes at medium altitude, this worked reasonably well; but the higher-performance aircraft of 1939-40 meant there was little or no possibility of successful engagement with guns at heights of 20,000 feet and above". - Basil Embry, a sector commander in Flight Command, wrote about the Battle of Britain in his autobiography, Mission Completed (1956).

























Sir Basil E. Embry.


"When the Battle of Britain began in the middle of August 1940, we were in the front line. We watched day after day as the planes fought overhead. As many of them crashed, we went off to find them, and to provide any help we could for survivors, whether they were British or German. At night, the searchlight batteries stationed alongside the camp were operating through the darkness, and we would often get called out again for the same purpose. All too often there was little that could be done." - Edward Heath, "The Course of My Life" (1988).



















Edward Richard George Heath.


On May 15, 1947,  Secretary of State for Air, Mr Philip Noel-Baker, announced that official German statistics for Luftwaffe aircraft casualties during the Battle of Britain between July 10 and October 31, 1940, which are accepted to be accurate: 1,733 aircraft destroyed and 643 damaged.


Commanders--
British RAF:
Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding (RAF Fighter Command)
Air Vice Marshall Keith Park (No. 11 Group RAF)
Air Vice Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory (No. 12 Group RAF)
Commanding Air Officer Quintin Brand (No. 10 Group RAF)
Commanding Air Officer Richard Saul (No. 13 Group RAF)

German Luftwaffe:
Reichsmarschall Herman Goring (Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe)
Field Marshall Albert Kesselring (Luftflotte 2 - Air Fleet 2)
Field Marshall Hugo Sperrle (Luftflotte 3 - Air Fleet 3)
Colonel General Hans-Jurgen Stumpff (Luftflotte 5 - Air Fleet 5)
 
British:    1,963 aircraft
German:  2,550 aircraft
 
Planes
British Fighter Planes: Hurricane Mk I and Supermarine Spitfire Mk I
German Fighter Planes: Messerschmitt Bf 109E and BF 110C
German Bombers: Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17, Junker Ju 88, Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Casualties
British:  544 airmen killed,  422 wounded,  1,547 aircraft destroyed
German:  2,698 airmen killed,  967 captured,  1,887 aircraft destroyed


"The Focke-Wulf 190 certainly gave the British a shock. 1941 had ended with the Me 109 with the Spitfire (two cannons and four machine-guns fighting it out on fairly even terms. Then, without warning from British intelligence sources, this startling aeroplane appeared in March 1942. A radial-engineered fighter, it out-climbed and out-dived the Spitfire. Now for the first time the Germans were out-flying our pilots. Instantly Rolls and Supermarine retaliated with the Spitfire IXa which equalled the 190, followed at the spring of 1942 with the IXa which equalled the 190, followed at the end of 1942 with the IXb which outflew it in all respects. The Spitfire was unchallenged for the rest of the war, except in the last few months by the Messerschmitt 262 jet which arrived too late to make a significant contribution". - Douglas Bader compared the performance of the Spitfire, Hurricane, Messerschmitt Bf109, Focke Wulf Fw 190 and Messerschmitt Me 262 in his autobiography, Fight for the Sky (1974)




















Douglas Bader



"Witnessing this tragic episode affected me deeply. I watched the bystanders who were beginning to disperse, some shaking their heads sadly before walking on to attend to their own affairs. I felt suddenly very cold and empty. I wanted an answer to all this insane killing and aggression. I was very aware of being pregnant and creating life, while men were wasting it". - Joyce Storey, Joyce's War
(1992).






































September 15, 1942: Air aces, who won the Battle of Britain on September 15th 1940, meet again on the eve of the second anniversary of the air battle that saved Britain from German invasion. Representing the Dominions and Poland as well as Britain are, from left to right : Sqd Ldr A C Bartley DFC, Wing Com D F Sheen (Australia) DFC, Wing Com I R Glead DSO DFC, Wing Com Maxi Aitken (1910 - 1985) DSO DFC, Wing Com A G Malan DSO DFC, Sqd Ldr A C Deere (New Zealand) DFC, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding (1882 - 1970), Flt Lt R H Hilary (Sydney) DFC, Wing Com J A Kent (Canada) DFC AFC, Wing Com O B Kingcome DFC, Flt Lt W H Watkins DFC and Warrant Officer R H Gretton. Also present is Flight Officer Elspeth Henderson who, then a corporal won the MM for sticking to her post at a special telephone line while bombs fell around the building in which she worked at Biggin Hill.

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Adolph Gysbert Malan.


Adolph Gysbert Malan DSO & Bar, DFC, known as "Sailor" Malan, was South Africa's 2nd highest ace and a famed World War II RAF fighter pilot who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the height of the Battle of Britain.

Known always as John to his wife and best friends, "Sailor" Malan was born in South Africa and served in the mercantile marine before traveling to the UK and learning to fly in the '30s. He was forever after known in the RAF as "Sailor". In 1935 the RAF started the rapid expansion of its pilot corps, and Malan was one of the people who joined up. "Sailor" completed training and was sent to join 74 Squadron on December 20, 1936. It was his first and only squadron.  He was promoted to Pilot Officer in January 1937, and showed his leadership as acting Flight Commander of "A" Flight, flying Spitfires. He received another promotion to Flight Lieutenant just before the opening of the war.

The 74 "Tiger" Squadron was involved in action only 15 hours after war was declared and during the evacuation of Dunkirk on June 28, 1940, "Sailor" was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross having achieved 5 'kill' claims. By August, "Sailor" Malan was given command of 74 Squadron and promoted to Acting Squadron Leader. This was at the height of the Battle of Britain.

"Sailor" Malan finished his active fighter career in 1941 with 27 kills destroyed, 7 shared destroyed and 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged, at the time the RAF's leading ace.

Adolph Gysbert Malan was promoted to Group Captain in 1941 and became Station Commander at Biggin Hill. Malan remained keen to fly on operations, often ignoring standing orders for Station Commanders not to risk getting shot down. In October 1943 he became OC 19 Fighter Wing, 2nd TAF, then commander of the 145 (Free French) Fighter Wing in time for D-day, leading a section of the wing over the beaches during the late afternoon.

He published a set of rules for aerial combat that were widely circulated throughout the RAF. Among them..."INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE, and TEAM WORK are words that MEAN something in Air Fighting."

In 1946 "Sailor" Malan left the RAF and returned to South Africa. In the 1950s he formed a protest group of ex-servicemen called the Torch Commando to fight the National Party's plans to remove Cape's "coloured" voters from the roll.  The Torch Commando fought a battle for more than five years, and at its height had 250,000 members . The government was so alarmed by the number of judges, public servants and military officers joining the organization, that a new law was passed to ban anyone in public service or the military from joining. Eventually, Apartheid was created, despite the protests of men and women who, like "Sailor"  Malan, valued the freedoms and principles they fought for in WWII.

Adolph Gysbert Malan  died in Kimberley in 1963, of Parkinson's Disease.  A request to the South African Government that he be accorded a military funeral was turned down.  The South African Air Force did not pay him any tribute.  Across the pond in the UK, "Sailor" Malan is fondly remembered as the embodiment of RAF 74 Squadron.

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A London Bomb Shelter.










The Battle of Britain clasp was a clasp to another service ribbon and was awarded to flying personnel who flew in fighter aircraft engaged in the Battle of Britain between July 10, 1940 and October 31, 1940.

2927 men were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp for having flown at least one authorised operational sortie with an eligible unit of RAF Fighter Command during the period from 10 July to October 31 1940.

They came from the following countries

Great Britain - 2353
Australia - 29
Belgium - 29
Canada - 97
Czechoslovakia - 87
France - 13
Ireland - 9
Jamaica - 1
Newfoundland - 1
New Zealand - 126
Palestine - 1
Poland - 145
Rhodesia - 3
South Africa - 22
United States - 10 or 11

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American Pilots In The RAF

Ten American pilots flew with units under the command of the RAF Fighter Command between July 10 and October 31, 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939-45 British campaign star.

During that period the United States of America was officially neutral,  but, American pilots were drawn across the Atlantic Ocean by the urgency of defending democracy in Europe and by their sense of adventure.

Through special arrangement with the United Kingdom, they did not have to give up their United States Citizenship to fly for the RAF.

The first American to give his life in the "Battle of Britain" was Pilot Officer William M. L. Fiske of No. 601 Squadron. William Fiske was a graduate of Cambridge University and a leading personality in the American bob sleigh teams that won the Olympic championships in 1928 and 1932. William Fiske died in the hospital on August 17, 1940 after bringing back his damaged Hurricane to Tangmere.

Also with No. 601 Squadron was Flying Officer Carl R. Davis, one of a small number of Americans who had seen active service with he RAF before the "Battle of Britain". He had taken part in the attack on the German seaplane base at Borkum on 28 November 1939.

American pilots in the thick of the action also included Pilot Officers Vernon C. Keough, Andrew Mamedoff and Eugene Q. Tobin on No. 609 Squadron. This trio had traveled to Europe with the original intention of joining the French Air Force. A notable American in Duxford's history is Pilot Officer Phillip H. Leckrone from Salem, Illinois. He was a member of No. 616 Squadron and fought alongside the British, Commonwealth, Czech and Polish pilots of the Duxford Wing in the late stages of the Battle of Britain.

The other Americans in the Battle of Britain were Pilot Officers Arthur G. Donahue, John K. Haviland, Hugh W. Reilley (64 and 66 Sqds), De Peyster Brown. De Peyster Brown flew with No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force which arrived in Britain in June 1940.

Some of the above individuals later became members of the three Eagle Squadrons made up of exclusively of American pilots and formed between September 1940 and October 1941. These were No 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons.

The Eagle squadrons operated as part of the RAF Fighter Command on convoy escort duties and fighter sweeps over France. All three were involved in the intense battle of Dieppe on August 19, 1942.

In the late autumn of 1942 the USA had fully entered the war in Europe and the three RAF "Eagle" Squadrons were transferred to the 8th US Air Force and became the 4th Fighter Group. The promise not to transfer any members away lasted a month. Around 1/2 were transferred to other units, back to the states to train other pilots soon after becoming officers in the 8th Air Force. Initially the 4th Fighter Group continued to fly Spitfires till they were re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts.

Some members refused to transfer into the United States Forces and remained as part of the RAF throughout the war.

Of all the Americans who flew in the Eagle Squadrons - 244 - over 50% of them were WIA, KIA or POWs by the time the 4th FG was established in the United States 8th Air Force.

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William Meade Lindsley  Fiske III


William Meade Lindsley  Fiske III (June 4, 1911 – August 17. 1940) was the 1928 and 1932 Olympic champion bobsled driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action in WWII. At the time Fiske was serving in the Royal Air Force.

Billy Fiske was born in New York in 1911, the son of Beulah and William Fiske, a New England banking magnate.[2] He attended school in Chicago, and then went to school in France in 1924, where he discovered the sport of bobsled at the age of 16. Fiske attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1928 where he studied Economics and History.

Fiske then worked at the London office of Dillon, Reed & Co, the New York bankers. On September 8, 1938. Billy Fiske married Rose, Countess of Warwick, in Maidenhead.


As the driver of the first five-man U.S. Bobsled team to win the Olympics, Billy Fiske became the youngest gold medalist in the sport. He was 16 years old when they won at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. His American team-mates were Geoffrey Mason, Nion Tucker, Clifford Grey and Richard Parke.

Billy Fiske competed again at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, USA, where he was given the honour of carrying the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony. The format of the race was altered to a four-man team, but again Fiske and his team-mates, Clifford Grey, Eddie Eagan, and Jay O'Brien[9] took gold.

He was invited, but declined to lead the bobsled team in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch- Partenkirchen in Germany. It is believed by some that this decision was due to his disagreeing with the politics in Germany at the time, which may also explain his later decision to join the War-effort in 1940.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Billy Fiske was recalled to the New York offices of Dillon, Reed & Co, but on August 30, 1939. he returned to England aboard the Aquitania accompanying a bank colleague who was also a member of No. 601 (County of London) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron.

Billy Fiske was one of ten United States aircrew personnel who fought in the Battle of Britain, although  the  United States was neutral at the time. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer on March 23, 1940. He undertook his flying training at No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire before moving to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, for advanced flying training. He joined No. 601 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, the so-called Millionaire's Squadron on July 12, 1940.

On August 16, 1940, in the midst of the Battle of Britain, No. 601 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept a squadron of German dive-bombers.  Billy Fiske was flying a Hurricane - code number P3358. The Squadron destroyed eight Stukas, but after just 15 minutes of flight, a German gunner put a bullet through Billy Fiske’s fuel tank. With his aircraft badly damaged and his hands and ankles burnt, instead of bailing out Billy Fiske nursed his Hurricane fighter home, gliding over a hedgerow to the airfield. Although Billy Fiske landed his aircraft safely back at Tangmere, he had to be extracted from the aircraft by ambulance attendants. Shortly afterwards, his fuel tank exploded. Billy Fiske was taken to Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester for treatment, but he died 48 hours later from surgical shock. He was 29 years old.

Bill Bond, founder of the Battle of Britain Historical Society, wrote "...although Billy made several sorties he didn't shoot anything down, so that his impact on the battle in that respect was negligible, but he is most definitely still very much a hero in our book."

Billy Fiske's Flight Commander, Sir Archibald Hope, added: "Unquestionably Billy Fiske was the best pilot I've ever known. It was unbelievable how good he was. He picked up so fast it wasn't true. He'd flown a bit before, but he was a natural as a fighter pilot. He was also terribly nice and extraordinarily modest, and fitted into the squadron very well."

Billy Fiske is buried in St Mary and St Blaise  churchyard in Boxgrove, Sussex  The inscription on his gravestone reads simply: He died for England.   A memorial stained glass window was dedicated to him on 17 September 2008 at Boxgrove Priory.  At the dedication service, a number of former colleagues of Fiske attended and his green Bentley was on display.

William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III stained glass window at Boxgrove Priory

On July 4, 1941, a plaque was unveiled in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, in London. The inscription reads: "An American citizen who died that England might live." The decision to unveil this plaque on American Independence Day was probably a political one; the United States had not officially joined the war and the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was keen to popularize Fiske's story.

The plaque was unveiled by Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Secretary of State for Air. He said at the ceremony: "Here was a young man for whom life held much. Under no kind of compulsion he came to fight for Britain. He came and he fought and he died."

A memorial tablet was dedicated to him in the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York.

Billy Fiske is listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London and the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne.


*****

During the Battle of Britain 544 RAF men lost their lives.

Between November 1, 1940 and August 15, 1945 another 791 Battle of Britain men died in the course of their duties.

For the Battle of Britain the following squadrons and units were eligible.

1, 1 (RCAF, 3, 7, 17, 19, 23, 25, 29, 32, 41, 43, 46, 54, 56, 64, 65, 66, 72, 73, 74, 79, 85, 87, 92, 111, 141, 145, 151, 152, 213, 219, 222, 229, 232, 234, 235, 236, 238, 242, 245, 247, 248, 249, 253, 257, 263, 264, 266, 302, 303, 310, 312, 501, 504, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 607, 609, 610, 611, 615 and 616.

Flights 421, 422 and Fighter Interception Unit.

Fleet Air Arm 804 and 808.
















*****



On the morning of November 18th 1944, newspapers recorded that the Air Chief Marshal had been killed: "It was officially announced last night that the aircraft which Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory and Lady Leigh-Mallory were traveling to South-East Asia, and which left this country on November 14th, 1944 did not arrive at it's destination. The Air Chief Marshal was on his way to take up his new appointment as Air Commander-in-Chief, South-East Asia Command." - The London Times November 18th 1944.

























Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.


Trafford Leigh-Mallory's aircraft had crashed somewhere in the French Alps killing all on board.


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September 19, 1942

"September 15th is celebrated as the anniversary because on that day the Royal Air Force shot down no less than 185 German planes, and it was about that date that the failure of the Germans to overwhelm the British defenses by daylight bombing became apparent. Now that we can look back and see the events in better perspective it is becoming clear that the Battle of Britain ranks in importance with Trafalgar, Salamis, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and other battles of the past in which the invading forces of a seemingly invincible monarch or dictator have been beaten back and which have formed a turning point in history." - George Orwell, BBC Radio Broadcast (September 19, 1942)


Civilian Casualties During The Blitz

The Blitz (also known as the London Blitz) was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between September 7, 1940 and May 10. 1941. The Blitz hit many towns and cities across the country, but it began with the bombing of London for 76 consecutive nights.  By the end of May 1941, over 43,000 civilians, half of them in London, had been killed by bombing and more than a million houses were destroyed or damaged in London alone.

London was not the only city to suffer from the Luftwaffe bombing during the Blitz. Other important military and industrial centers, such as Aberdeen, Barrow-in-Furness, Belfast, Bootle, Birkenhead, Wallasey, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Clydebank, Coventry, Exeter, Glasgow, Greenock, Sheffield, Swansea, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, Manchester, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Nottingham, Brighton, Eastbourne, Sunderland, and Southampton, suffered heavy air raids and high numbers of casualties.  Bootle and Hull were the most badly damaged cities after London with a significant percentage of their buildings being destroyed or made uninhabitable.  Birmingham and Coventry were also targeted and badly damaged due to the Spitfire and tank factories based in Birmingham and the many munitions factories in Coventry.  The Coventry city center was almost completely destroyed.


Major Activities During The Battle Of Britain

March 16,1940 - The Luftwaffe attacks the British Fleets anchorage at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. This raid causes the death of a British civilian, the first of the war.

March 19, 1940 - The RAF retaliates against the Luftwaffe’s bombing of Scapa Flow, by attacking the German seaplane base at Hornum on the island of Sylt with 50 bombers. Later photo reconnaissance reveals little damage to the target.

March 28, 1940 - Dutch fighters shoots down a British bomber near Rotterdam by mistake, killing one flier.

April  5, 1940 - RAF launch attacks against ships at Wilhelmshaven.

April 11, 1940 - RAF raid Stavanger airfield on Norway’s west coast.

April 30, 1940 - RAF attack Oslo airfield.

May  1, 1940 - German mine-carrying bomber crashes on Clacton, Essex; two civilians and four Germans killed, 156 people injured.

May 14, 1940 - 60 Luftwaffe He-111 bombers not having received the countermanding order attack besieged Rotterdam, devastating the centre of the city. British and French aircraft are unsuccessful in destroying the German-built bridges across the Meuse and 50 bombers are shot down by AA fire.

May 15, 1940 - RAF Bomber Command (Peirse) begins a strategic air offensive against targets inside Germany by attacking industrial installations in the Ruhr, but with minimal effect.

May 17, 1940 - Biggest RAF attack on Germany to date as the oil tanks at Bremen and Hamburg are blown up. British claim 1,000 German aircraft lost in a single week.

May 21, 1940 - Luftwaffe bomb Channel ports and the RAF attack Rotterdam's refineries.

May 22, 1940 - British cipher experts at Bletchley Park break the Luftwaffe Enigma code.

May 24, 1940 - The first British civilian bomb casualties are reported.

June 1, 1940 -    Luftwaffe raids industrial centres in the Rhone Valley from Lyons to Marseilles

June 3, 1940 -    300 German planes bomb Paris inflicting around 900 casualties.

June 4, 1940 -    French planes attack Munich and Frankfurt as reprisals for Paris bombing.

June 5, 1940 -    Hauptmann. Mölders, leader of III/JG 53 and Germany's top air ace (25 kills) is shot down near Compiegne and taken prisoner.

June 6, 1940 - Air raids along many parts of East Coast of England.

June 7, 1940 - French bomb Berlin.

June 11, 1940 -    Paris prepares for siege as the Luftwaffe pounds the city. The RAF attacks Turin and Genoa with 36 Whitley bombers.

June 13, 1940 -    Italian bombers attack the French naval base at Toulon.

June 18, 1940 -    German planes raid Thames Estuary and East Coast.

June 19, 1940 -    More than 100 German bombers make raids over Britain.

June 20, 1940 -    The RAF bomb Rouen airfield.

June 25, 1940 -    First early morning air-raid alarm is heard in London.

June 28, 1940 -    German aircraft bomb Jersey.

July 5, 1940 - The RAF carries out night raids on Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.

July 9, 1940 - RAF begins night bombing of Germany.

July 10, 1940 -  Preliminary phase of Battle of Britain begins with German air attacks on Channel convoys with the aim of tempting the RAF in to battle. The Luftwaffe launches its first large scale attack on Britain as 70 aircraft attack the dock facilities at Swansea and the Royal Ordnance Factory at Pembrey in Wales.

July 11, 1940 -  Lord Beaverbrook, Minister for Aircraft Production, says ‘the sky is the limit’ for plane purchases from US, with spending running at £2.5 million per day on aircraft.

July 12, 1940 -  The Luftwaffe carries out raids on Aberdeen in Scotland and Cardiff in Wales.

July 20, 1940 -  British claim 40 Luftwaffe planes down in a week; British civilian casualty figures for last month announced: 336 killed, 476 seriously injured.

July 25, 1940 -  British claim 25 German planes downed in a day, the highest total so far.

July 29, 1940 -  80 German planes attack Dover harbour; British claim 17 down; Air Ministry accuses Germans of using Red Cross planes for reconnaissance. Britain says 248 German planes shot down since the 18th June.

July 30, 1940 -  The Luftwaffe ceases major raids over Britain as it builds up strength for it forth coming onslaught.

August  1, 1940 - RAF bomb the Krupp works at Essen.

August  6, 1940 - Goering sets the 10th August 1940 as 'Eagle day', the start of the Luftwaffe major offensive against the RAF and its Airfields.

August  8, 1940 - The Luftwaffe renews its attacks against Channel convoys and its escorts, with heavy air battles occurring over the Channel. The Germans lose 31 aircraft against the RAF's 16. The Home Secretary announces July civilian air raid casualty figures as 258 killed and 320 seriously injured.

August 10, 1940 - Due to poor weather conditions, the Luftwaffe delays 'Eagle Day' until the 13th.

August 11, 1940 - The Battle of Britain begins in earnest with 400 German planes attacking channel convoys and the coastal areas of Britain including Dover, Weymouth and Portland. The British claim 65 Luftwaffe planes down for the loss of 26 RAF fighters. It actuality, only 35 Luftwaffe planes were shot down, while the RAF had lost 29.

August 12, 1940 - The Luftwaffe attacks Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and all along Kent and Sussex coast. They also attack forward RAF airfields and radar stations in preparation for 'Eagle Day'. British claims are high as they report 62 Luftwaffe planes shot down against the RAF's 13, while in reality it was just 26 Luftwaffe and 22 RAF planes lost. The Dortmund-Ems canal blocked by low flying British bomber, the pilot is later awarded VC.

August 13, 1940 - ‘Eagle Day’, the first day of the maximum offensive by the Luftwaffe to destroy RAF airfields and gain air supremacy over England in preparation of Operation Sea Lion. The Luftwaffe launches 1,485 sorties, but because of confusion and delays, the main attacks were not mounted until the afternoon. Some airfields were attacked, but not the primary fighter bases. Luftwaffe losses were heavy with 39 aircraft being lost (mainly Ju-87 Stuka's), while the RAF lost just 15 aircraft. Twelve RAF Blenheim bombers attack Hemsteds airfield in Holland. Only one plane returns.

August 14, 1940 - Air activity less pronounced, but Germans attack Southampton and Hastings; reported losses Germans 31, RAF 7.

August 15, 1940 - Although 'Eagle Day' was the 13th August, due to poor results, Goering decides that the 15th August with instead be known as 'Eagle Day'. The Luftwaffe launches its greatest attacks so far against the RAF's airfields, involving more than 1,000 German planes and 1,786 sorties. The Luftwaffe lost 76 aircraft, although these were mainly from Luftflotte 5 which made diversionary attacks from Norway, while the RAF lost 35 fighters and its airfields suffered heavy damage. Twenty German JU88 aircraft from Denmark attack Driffield, Yorkshire, destroying ten Whitley aircraft on the ground.

August 16, 1940 - The Luftwaffe again raid southern England.

August 18, 1940 - Further heavy raids by Luftwaffe on southeast England and southern London. Major damage is done to RAF airfields and fighter commands control system. British claim 144 Germans shot down, later revised to 67 with RAF losses of 33 planes lost but eight pilots safe.

August 19, 1940 - Bad weather and a reorganisation of fighter strength by the Luftwaffe causes a lull in operations.

August 20, 1940 - Churchill reviews the progress of air war in Commons and says ‘Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many, to so few’. The Luftwaffe withdraws the Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber from strategic operations against England after losing 20 per cent of their Stuka force to the RAF.

August 24, 1940 - The Luftwaffe begins a new phase in its offensive by sending over a higher proportion of fighters to bombers, in an effort to keep losses down. The unofficial start of the Blitz on London begins with a lost formation of German bombers mistakenly dropping their bombs over the capital, damaging St. Giles and Cripplegate.

August 25, 1940 - Luftwaffe attacks continue against the RAF's airfields in southeast England. The first night-attack by RAF on Berlins industrial targets is made by 43 aircraft from RAF Bomber Command in retaliation for the accidental attack on London the night before.

August 26, 1940 - The Irish government protests to Berlin over bombs dropped in County Wexford, which killed three girls. London is attacked by the Luftwaffe for six hours.

August 27, 1940 - Raids continue on London, Midlands, Southwest England and Wales.

August 29, 1940 - Germany apologises to Eire for Wexford bombing. Intense dogfights over London and Home Counties. Britain refuses German proposal to use 64 Red Cross ships to rescue airmen from the English Channel.

August 31, 1940 - British claim 293 German aircraft shot down in the past week for loss of 113 British planes.

September 2, 1940 - Air attacks continue on London.

September 4, 1940 - Hitler threatens that British cities will be bombed night after night in reprisal for the bombing of Berlin.

September 5, 1940 - An irate Hitler orders a new offensive by the Luftwaffe against Britain with no regard for the civilian population. London is set as the primary target, after the RAF makes several night raids on Berlin, causing many civilian casualties. Air raids continue over Southeast England with a hospital in Kent being hit, killing 23 patients and two nurses. August civilian casualty figures announced at 1,075 killed and 1.261 seriously injured.

September 6, 1940 - The Luftwaffe bring to a close the third phase of their air offensive, having lost 308 aircraft in the last 2 weeks. However, the RAF have suffered 273 fighter losses and suffered extensive damage to their airfields and ground control systems. The official start of the London Blitz is initiated by the Germans, as they intentionally bomb the capital.

September 7, 1940 - Eastern and Southern England Commands are on full invasion alert, when at 16.56 London's air-raid sirens announce the arrival of 375 German bombers and supporting fighters. They come up the Thames to London from the sea and set the London docks ablaze. The day-light raiders are gone by 18.00, but the fires are still burning when the night raiders arrive to inflict more damage at 20.10 during which 306 are killed and 1,337 seriously injured. The British make extravagant claims that 347 German aircraft have been lost in past week against just 128 British.

September 8, 1940 - RAF Bomber Command attacks concentrate on disrupting the German invasion effort. The Luftwaffe attacks London between dusk-to-dawn. 20 people are killed as an aerial torpedo hits an East End block of flats. Total casualties are estimated at 286 killed and 1,400 seriously injured.

September 9, 1940 - 350 German planes attack London causing fires near St. Paul’s and the Guildhall; heavy casualties in bombed East End school housing homeless Blitz victims.

September 9, 1940 - Another heavy night attack (10/11) on London, 18 killed; Buckingham Palace damaged.

September 9, 1940 - Afternoon attacks on London: 110 killed and 260 injured; Dover suffers worst attack of war.

September 12, 1940 - Co-ordination of searchlights and AA guns improves protection of London from air attack. Germans claim that RAF are dropping Colorado beetles over German potato crops.

September 13,1940 - Buckingham Palace again bombed; Royal Chapel wrecked.

September 15,1940 - The climax of the Luftwaffe's daylight raids against the London docks is reached with the Luftwaffe's biggest raid on London so far. The British originally claim 185 Germans aircraft shot down, but later revise this to 56 German and 26 RAF planes lost.

September 16, 1940  - Piccadilly, Park Lane, Bond St are hit in night raids.

September 17, 1940 - Churchill announces in the Commons that in first half of September 2,000 civilians have been killed and 8,000 seriously injured in air raids; the figure for service casualties, for the same period was 250.

September 19, 1940 - Heavy night raids continue on London; Brighton also suffers badly. RAF continues attacks on invasion fleet in French and Belgian Channel ports.

September 23, 1940 - 129 RAF bombers attack industrial targets in Berlin this night, but are mostly ineffectual.

September 24, 1940 - 18th successive night raid on London. Southampton and Brighton also attacked.

September 27, 1940 - Heavy daytime attacks on Britain. British claim 133 German planes shot down, later revised to 52, with the RAF losing 28.

September 28, 1940 - 26th night attack in succession on London.

September 30, 1940 - The Luftwaffe launches its last major daylight raid against England, with the main targets being London and the Westland aircraft factory in Yeovil. The Luftwaffe loses 43 aircraft to the RAF's 16 and are now fully convinced that they must switch to night attacks to avoid crippling losses. British civilian casualties for the month September announced: 6,954 dead, 10,615 injured.

October 7, 1940 - Beaverbrook announces gifts received for aircraft purchases now total £6,098,826.

October 8, 1940 - Churchill makes statement to Commons claiming that bombing casualties are falling. The RAF attacks Berlin.

October 10, 1940 - The Luftwaffe raids Scarborough in North Yorkshire, during which two Parachute Mines are dropped.

October 12, 1940 - Night raids on London continue.

October 15, 1940 - Bomb holes roof of Balham tube station: 64 killed.

October 23, 1940 - The RAF continue its attacks on Berlin.

October 26, 1940 - London has longest air raid to date as a Catholic orphanage is among the buildings hit. British claim 41 German planes shot down in the past week against 21 British. The total German losses over Britain since the war began are put at a staggering 2,762 against Britain’s 780.

October 29, 1940 - RAF bomb Berlin for 25th time.

October 30, 1940 - RAF Bomber Command is given its first directive sanctioning area-bombing.

October 31, 1940 - The Battle of Britain is now considered as over by the British Air Ministry. RAF bomb Naples for the first time. British civilian casualty figures announced for October: 6,334 killed and 8,695 seriously injured.

November  7, 1940 - The Royal Air Force attacks the Krupp munition works in Essen.

November  8, 1940 - RAF bomb Munich shortly after Hitler appears there.

November 11, 1940 - Italian aircraft attack Thames Estuary with little success: first and last Italian air attack on Britain.

November 14, 1940 - The Luftwaffe launches 449 bombers in a heavy night attack against the major manufacturing city of Coventry, dropping around 400 tons of bombs causing severe damage to industrial and civilian installations. The city center is badly damaged, with 21 factories being destroyed and the cathedral wrecked but for its spire. The raid kills or injures 1,419 people and makes thousands homeless. A new word is created in both the English and German languages, 'Coventrate' and 'Coventrieren', meaning the physical and psychological destruction of a city.

November 15, 1940 - 67 RAF Wellington, Whitley, and Hampden bombers attack Hamburg, doing extensive damage to the city and shipyards, with no loss of aircraft.

November 16, 1940 - 131 RAF Bomber Command aircraft make raids on four Hamburg targets.

November 19, 1940 - The Luftwaffe launches a major raid against Birmingham, inflicting heavy damage in places.

November 23, 1940 - Southampton is hit badly by the Luftwaffe.

November 24, 1940 - The Luftwaffe bomb Bristol.

November 30, 1940 - British civilian casualty figures for November: 4,588 killed, 6,202 injured.

December 12, 1940 - Sheffield is heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe.

December 16, 1940 - 134 RAF bombers attack Mannheim in revenge for German attacks against British cities. This is the RAF's largest attack on a single target thus far in the war. 115 German civilian's were killed or injured and 1,266 made homeless. It is also the first reprisal raid, approved by the War Cabinet, for German attacks on British towns.

December 17, 1940 - Fifty British Bomber Command Whitley and Hampden bombers attack German seaplane bases on Sylt.

December 20, 1940 - The Luftwaffe continues its attacks against British cities, this time hitting Liverpool.

December 21, 1940 - The RAF attacks Berlin, inflicting only minor damage.

December 29, 1940 - The Luftwaffe launches a major incendiary raid against London, destroying or badly damaging a number of historic buildings.

December 31, 1940 - British civilian casualties figures for the month: 3,793 killed, 5,244 injured.


"Then, just below me and to my left, I saw what I had been praying for - a Messerschmitt climbing and away from the sun. I closed in to 200 yards, and from slightly to one side gave him a two-second burst: fabric ripped off the wing and black smoke poured from the engine, but he did not go down. Like a fool, I did not break away, but put in another three-second burst. Red flames shot upwards and he spiralled out of sight. At that moment, I felt a terrific explosion which knocked the control stick from my hand, and the whole machine quivered like a stricken animal. In a second, the cockpit was a mass of flames: instinctively, I reached up to open the hood. It would not move. I tore off my straps and managed to force it back; but this took time, and when I dropped back into the seat and reached for the stick in an effort to turn the plane on its back, the heat was so intense that I could feel myself going. I remember a second of sharp agony, remember thinking "So this is it!" and putting both hands to my eyes. Then I passed out". - Richard Hillary, flew with 603 Squadron during the Second World War. He was shot down on September 3, 1940.













































Richard Hillary was an Australian Spitfire ace who was also famous as one of pioneer plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe's "Guinea Pig Club" and the author of "The Last Enemy".

He was born in 1919 in Sydney,Australia. Early in his life, he moved to England, was educated at Shrewsbury, and proceeded on to Trinity College, Oxford. Richaed possessed a personality that courted daring activities and danger. he joined the University Air Squadron in 1938 and was called up to the Royal Air Force in 1939. Richard Hillary  was handsome, flirtatious, and a bit unthinking. He flew brilliantly, but took many risks.

Flying Spitfires with 603 Squadron, Richard Hillary  achieved 5 victories, but, in August 1940, his plane was hit by gunfire, exploding and catching fire. He was able to open the canopy before passing out, and bailed out into the North Sea. He was  horrifically burned. After spending three excruciating months in the hospital, he underwent a series of experimental plastic surgeries.

Richard Hillary  was eventually released. His striking face had been somewhat rebuilt, but, you could still see some of the scars.

Some of his muscles were irreparably damaged and his movements forever impaired. Richard Hillary  insisted on resuming flying, despite being barely able to manipulate a knife and fork at the dinner table and despite any and all recommendations to the contrary.

Richard Hillary's last fatal flight was around midnight, on January 8, 1943 was a  wintry and windy night. Shortly after take-off his Bristol Blenheim ran into difficulty. The undercarriage would not come down for landing and the fuel was running low. Richard Hillary and his navigator were instructed to circle a beacon near the center of the aerodrome.

The radio operator, inquiring about their situation, strangely asked "Are you happy?"  Rodger Hillary replied "Moderately", and after a short pause "I am continuing to circle" . A few minutes later, the Bristol Blenheim began losing altitude and smashed into the ground.  Both Richard Hillary and his navigator were killed in the crash.

*****

To many people in Great Britain, Winston Churchill’s stand against Nazism and all it stood for, summarized why WWII was being fought. His speeches have become part of legend – be it his "fighting on the beaches" or his salute to the men from Fighter Command who took on the German Luftwaffe in the "Battle of Britain": "Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed to so few.

If  the RAF leaders had not seen the inevitable war with Germany coming, and prepared for it, and the cocky young aviators who fought with such courage and valor, Britain would have surely fallen. And like a row of domino's, so would the free nations of our world.