Fields of Glory GL Archive / Alamy Stock Photo Alamy / Archive GL

FIELDS OF GLORY by Richard Taylor © The Military Gallery

The 15th of September this year marks the 80th anniversary of the mainly fought over the skies of Southern England between 10th July and the 31st October 1940 by the Fighter Command under Air Marshall Hugh Dowding against the German comanded by ReichMarshall Herman Goering

GL Archive / Alamy Stock Photo Alamy / Archive GL Nationalities of Allied Aircrew THE RAF WITH FLEET AIR ARM (FAA) PILOTS SECONDED TO THE RAF. Supporting volunteer aircrew came from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South African,Southern Rhodesia, Jamaica, Ireland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, America, Belgium, France (Free French) and Palestine. A tribute to 80 years on 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 2020

The Battle of Britain was an attempt by the German Air Force Aircraft Deployed RAF Squadrons Coltishall Battle of Britain1940 (Luftwaffe) to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF) in The Luftwaffe employed five main types of bomber - the JU 87 dive bomber – preparation for the planned amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain the Heinkel 111 - the Dornier 215 - and the Dornier 17. 242 Squadron - Hurricanes 74 Squadron - Spitfires (Operation Sealion). These were protected by the ME 109 and the ME 110 equipped fighter force. Bader Sqd Leader D B S British Draper P/O B V British killed Neither Adolph Hitler nor the German High Command believed it possible to The Royal Air Force employed mainly the Spitfire and Hurricane. It was with this Cyderman P/O L E Canadian Gunn P/O H R British killed carry out a successful assault until the RAF had been neutralised. Secondary line up of aircraft the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe faced each other on the Cork Fleet Air Arm Sub L/T R British killed Hastings P/O D British killed objectives were to destroy aircraft production and ground structure, to attack 8 August 1940 when the battle began in earnest. In the main the Hurricanes Crowley Milling P/O D W British Hilken Sgt C G British areas of political significance. Later it sought to terrorise the British population attacked the bomber force whilst the Spitfires took on the fighter escorts. Gardner P/O Fleet Air Arm Sub Lt R E British Kirk Sgt T B British killed into submission. The Local Scene Grassick P/O R D Canadian Malan Flt L/t A G S South African Hart P/O Canadian killed Mayne W/O E B British The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign fought entirely by air power. Two RAF Squadrons were based at RAF Coltishall and took part in the key air Hayes Sqd Ldr British Mould Sgt E A British killed The British defensive capability was mainly fighter aircraft flown by RAF aircrew battle of 15 September: No 242 Squadron mainly manned by Canadian aircrew Hilken Sgt C G British Nelson F/O W H Canadian and their allies, backed by a sophisticated radar defence system. The Luftwaffe on flying the Mark 1 Hurricane commanded by Sqn Ldr and Mark 2 242 &1 Sqds. Homer F/O M G British killed 74 Squadron Pease P/O A P the other hand was a mixed bomber force with fighter protection. Spitfires of No 74 (Tiger) Squadron led by Sqn Ldr Adolph (Sailor) Malan from killed South Africa. 242 & 141 Sqds. Meredith Sgt A D British British Operation Sealion was the largest most sustained attempted to subjugate the 242 & 501 Sqds. Lonsdale Sgt R V H British St John P/O C B British killed RAF up to that date. The failure of Nazi Germany to destroy Britain’s air Sqn Ldr Adolph Sqn Ldr Patterson Fleet Air Arm Mid/Shipman P J Skinner Sgt W M British defence or break British morale was its first set back in the Nazi plan to (Sailor) Malan Douglas Bader British killed Smith P/O D N E British killed dominate Europe. Powell – Shedden Flt Lt G British Soars Sgt H J British Allied losses were estimated to be 1547 aircraft with 996 casualties including 552 St John P/O C B British killed Spurdel P/O New Zealander deaths 242 and 151 Squadrons Saville Sgt J E British Szczesny P/O Polish Axis casualties were mostly German and estimated to be 1887 aircraft, and 4,303 Sclanders P/O K M Canadian killed White Sqd Leader F L British aircrew of which 3,336 died. The Luftwaffe bombers were multicrewed. 242 and 141 Sqds. Tamblyn P/O Canadian killed Copyright : Warlord Games Ltd Warlord : Copyright GL Archive / Alamy Stock Photo Alamy / Archive GL

“All great struggles of history have been won by superior will-power wresting victory in the teeth of

odds upon the narrowest of margins.” Prime Minister Winston Churchill Alamy