Remembering the Battle of Britain 80 Years Later En Souvenir De La Bataille D’Angleterre 80 Ans Plus Tard Article By: R.D
1 SEPTEMBER / SEPTEMBRE 2020 VOL. 54, NO. 9 Remembering the Battle of Britain 80 years later En souvenir de la bataille d’Angleterre 80 ans plus tard Article by: R.D. Newman, Wing Heritage Officer 80 years have elapsed since the Battle of Britain. Most Canadians, including in the armed forces, have never heard of it. To many of those who have, it is a blip of history in an ancient, largely forgotten war. The question begs: so why do we bother to commemorate it? Because that single three-and-a-half-long month battle in summer 1940 decided more than the survival of Britain--the fate of the entire world and its 2 ½ billion people were at stake. September 1939 Nazi Germany fell upon Poland, enslaving and murdering its people, starting the Second World War, then over the next 10 months swept through Western Europe (neutral countries excepted) until only Britain was left standing. Britain was key to the world. If it was defeated, Germany would gain total dominion over Europe and be impossible to dislodge. Its armies would be free to strike at Russia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, since 1936 Japan been waging a campaign to conquer the Far East, with an Hit by gunfire from the twin-engine German Heinkel He-111 bomber seen here, a flaming Royal Air Force Spitfire fighter flashes by the eye to seize all of Asia. And Italy had been bomber as its pilot seeks room to bail out. Taken during combat, the image is naturally grainy. Image Courtesy and Copyright Bundesarchiv rampaging in Africa and the Mediterranean, Koblenz All Rights Reserved.
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