"Britain Day is now an annual commemoration of the battle in the United Kingdom. In Canada, the commemoration takes place on the third Sunday of September. In June 1940, the ""Wehrmacht"" had conquered most of Western Europe and Scandinavia. At that time, the only major power standing in the way of a German-dominated Europe was the British Empire and the Commonwealth. After having several peace offers rejected by the UK, Adolf Hitler ordered the ""Luftwaffe"" to destroy the RAF in order to gain air superiority or air supremacy as a prelude to launching Operation Sea Lion, an amphibious assault by"
"were to destroy aircraft production and ground infrastructure, to attack areas of political significance, and to terrorise the British people into seeking an armistice or surrender. The British date the battle from 10 July to 31 October 1940, which represented the most intense period of daylight bombing. German historians usually place the beginning of the battle in mid-August 1940 and end it in May 1941, on the withdrawal of the German bomber units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the campaign against the Soviet Union. The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces;"
"human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"". Pilots who fought in the battle have been known as ""The Few"" ever since; at times being specially commemorated on 15 September, ""Battle of Britain Day"". On this day in 1940, the Luftwaffe embarked on their largest bombing attack yet, forcing the engagement of the entirety of the RAF in defence of London and the South East, which resulted in a decisive British victory that proved to mark a turning point in Britain's favour. The aircrew are remembered on the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, and their"
"well as ""Bomber"" Harris, the man who led RAF Bomber Command during much of the Second World War. A tradition has grown that the remaining Battle of Britain veterans and their families hold their own, private service in the chapel prior to the Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on Battle of Britain Sunday. The annual service on Battle of Britain Sunday is held in Westminster Abbey on the Sunday on or following Battle of Britain Day (15 September), and has taken place annually since 1943; the first service took place in St Paul's Cathedral and since has taken place in"
"fighting of the entire battle and later named Battle of Britain Day. As the last squadrons were sent into battle, Churchill asked Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park, ""How many reserves have we?"" Park answered, ""There are none."" A delayed-action landmine fell on the station on 26 September 1940, between the police school and WAAF Quarters where it remained until it was defused the following day. Two days later on 28 September a bomb fell into a tree from the Operations Room and was later taken to Harefield where it was defused. A Junkers Ju 88 attacked the station on"
"five Spitfires in the Memorial Flight). As the Hurricane was the last production model of that type, it did not itself fly in the Battle. The Battle of Britain was considered officially by the RAF to have been fought between 10 July and 31 October 1940. The leading aces of the Battle of Britain (between 10 July and 31 October 1940) were: ""The Few"", a novel by Alex Kershaw, tells the stories of the men who flew in the Battle of Britain. , a Hollywood film similarly named ""The Few"" was in preparation for release in 2008, based on the"
"Battle of Britain highlighted the threat of invasion of the British Isles. The Battalion was now on a high state of alert. It patrolled the area and established guard posts in the surrounding hills. On 22 October 1940, the Battalion was moved to Blairgowrie in Pertshire, where it was stationed for 17 months. A close bond formed between the soldiers and the local population. Blairgowrie became the adopted home of the Battalion. Its men would never forget the kindness and hospitality of the people. Infantry training took place during the winter of 1940 and preparations made for the anticipated invasion."
"unit and soon began combat patrols over the North of England, defending British airspace against ""Luftflotte 5"" (Air Fleet 5) based in Norway. Lock was bored by the patrols as it involved chasing lone enemy raiders without success. The Battle of Britain began in July 1940 with the ""Luftwaffe"" making attacks on British shipping in the English Channel and Britain's East Coast. In August RAF Fighter Command's bases came under attack as the Germans attempted to establish air superiority over southern England. The battles grew larger in scale, but 41 Squadron, based in the north, were well clear of the"
"the ""Wehrmacht"" (German armed forces) onto the British mainland. The Battle of Britain began on 10 July 1940, when the first ""Luftwaffe"" bomber fleets began attacking convoys and Royal Navy forces in English ports and the Channel. The results were positive and the Germans succeeded in forcing the British to abandon the channel convoy route and to redirect shipping to ports in north-eastern Britain. With this achieved the ""Luftwaffe"" began the second phase of its air offensive, attacking RAF airfields and supporting structures on the British mainland. The codename of the offensive was ""Unternehmen Adlerangriff"" (""Operation Eagle Attack""). On 12"
"The Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain was the fourth of Frank Capra's ""Why We Fight"" series of seven propaganda films, which made the case for fighting and winning the Second World War. It was released in 1943 and concentrated on the German bombardment of the United Kingdom in anticipation of Operation Sea Lion, the planned Nazi invasion of Great Britain. The narrator describes the fall of France, leaving Britain almost defenceless. British forces are vastly outnumbered, but the British people are calm. The narrator explains that this is because in a democracy the people as a whole are"
"names are listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London. The Battle of Britain Roll of Honour is held in Westminster Abbey in the RAF Chapel, and is paraded annually during the Service of Thanksgiving and re-dedication on Battle of Britain Sunday. There is a preserved Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft known as ""The Last of The Many""—a reference to the 1942 film ""The First of the Few"" starring Leslie Howard as R.J. Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire—which flies as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, along with a Supermarine Spitfire that flew in the Battle (one of"
"Armed Forces Day (United Kingdom) Armed Forces Day (formerly Veterans' Day) in the United Kingdom is an annual event celebrated in late June to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces. Veterans' Day was first observed in 2006. Although an official event, it is not a public holiday in the UK. The name was changed to Armed Forces Day in 2009. Armed Forces Day has so far been observed on the last Saturday of June. Plans for a Veterans' Day were announced in February 2006 by then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, who said the"
"by Germany. The Battle of Britain began in early July with Luftwaffe attacks on shipping and harbours. The United Kingdom rejected Hitler's ultimatum, and the German air superiority campaign started in August but failed to defeat RAF Fighter Command. Due to this the proposed German invasion of Britain was postponed indefinitely on 17September. The German strategic bombing offensive intensified with night attacks on London and other cities in the Blitz, but failed to significantly disrupt the British war effort and largely ended in May 1941. Using newly captured French ports, the German Navy enjoyed success against an over-extended Royal Navy,"
"in the battle on the Allied side. The sculptor of the monument is Paul Day. The statue was cast by Morris Singer, which is the oldest established fine art foundry in the world and has cast many prominent statues and sculptures in London and around the world, including the lions and fountains in Trafalgar Square. Battle of Britain Monument, London The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment, overlooking the River Thames, which commemorates the individuals who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. It was unveiled on 18"
"the Battle of Britain were in the West Midlands or over the Mersey. A few bombs fell on Manchester and Crewe on 27/28 August, and across East Lancashire the following night. Night raids increased during the autumn as the Battle of Britain was followed by the Blitz. 65th (Manchester Regiment) HAA Rgt moved to the Orkney & Shetland Defence Force (OSDEF) in the first week of October 1940, being replaced by 70th (3rd West Lancashire) HAA Rgt from 33 (Western) AA Bde. Some examples of Gun-laying Mk I radar began to arrive for the HAA batteries, Bofors 40 mm guns"
"Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne The Battle of Britain Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. It is sited on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent. It was initiated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, and opened by the Queen Mother on 9 July 1993. It is formed of a large propeller-shaped base, with the figure of a seated pilot carved by Harry Gray sitting at the centre. The propeller shape has led the monument to be considered a hill figure. Also on the site are replicas"
"German defeat in the Battle of Britain made it clear that the war was not lost for the Allies. Involvement in illegal resistance activity was a decision made by a minority of Belgians (approximately five percent of the population) but many more were involved in passive resistance. If captured, resistance members risked torture and execution, and around 17,000 were killed during the occupation. Striking was the most notable form of passive resistance and often took place on symbolic dates, such as 10 May (the anniversary of the German invasion), 21 July (National Day) and 11 November (anniversary of the German"
"another conversation with Göring, Galland recalled: Galland passed another serious test on 15 September, the date known as Battle of Britain Day. In large scale-clashes Galland claimed his 33rd air victory over a Hurricane while leading JG 26. On 23 September, Galland became the third member of the ""Wehrmacht"" to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves () for achieving his 39th and 40th aerial victories. On 25 September, he was summoned to Berlin to receive the award from Adolf Hitler. The Battle of Britain continued with large-scale dogfights well past 31 October 1940, considered by"
"for the award of a campaign medal Aircraft of the Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain (German: ""Luftschlacht um England"") was an effort by the German Air Force (""Luftwaffe"") during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom in preparation for the planned amphibious and airborne forces invasion of Britain by Operation Sea Lion. Neither the German leader Adolf Hitler nor his High Command of the Armed Forces (""Oberkommando der Wehrmacht"", or OKW) believed it was possible to carry out a successful amphibious assault on Britain until"
"the invasion, and the ""Luftwaffe"" was to destroy the RAF, assume command of the skies and protect the cross-channel invasion from the Royal Navy. To engage RAF Fighter Command, the ""Luftwaffe"" attacked convoys in the English Channel, which began the Battle of Britain. There is some dispute among historians about the dates for the beginning and end of the battle, and British histories usually treat 10 July as the beginning. British and German writers and historians acknowledge that air battles were fought over the Channel between the Battle of France and Britain; deliberate German attacks against British coastal targets and"
"The Hardest Day The Hardest Day is a name given to a Second World War air battle fought during the Battle of Britain on 18 August 1940 between the German Luftwaffe and British Royal Air Force (RAF). By June 1940, the Allies had been defeated in Western Europe and Scandinavia. Britain rejected overtures for a negotiated peace. Consequently, Adolf Hitler issued the German armed forces (""Wehrmacht"") Directive No. 16 ordering the invasion of the United Kingdom. The invasion of the United Kingdom was codenamed Operation Sea Lion (""Unternehmen Seelöwe""). However, before this could be carried out, air supremacy or air"
"British Battlegroup The British Battlegroup or UK Battlegroup is an EU Battlegroup, consisting entirely of British armed forces. It was on standby from 1 January, until 30 June 2005, and from 1 July, until 31 December 2008. The United Kingdom, as part of the European Union, contributes part of its armed forces to the EU Battlegroup scheme. This scheme puts a battlegroup composed of elements from one or more EU member states at the disposal of the European Council to be deployed as required. As one of the larger EU members, the United Kingdom contributes to two individual battlegroups. The"
"The Battle of London The Battle of London is a 15-minute British propaganda film made in 1941. It chronicles the impact on the capital city of the winter bombing campaign from 7 September 1940 to 10 May 1941 which German historians consider to be the second phase of the Battle of Britain and which both contemporary parlance and subsequent British historians have always called the Blitz. The first scenes are of a quiet, peaceful London, apparently before the Battle, then quickly progresses to the first spate of bombings that the city endured and the spirit of resilience in which Londoners"
"targets in the UK until six weeks after the campaign in France was concluded. On 22 June 1940, France signed an armistice with Germany. Britain was determined to keep fighting. On 1/2 July, the British attacked the German warships and in the port of Kiel and the next day, 16 RAF bombers attacked German train facilities in Hamm. The Battle of Britain began in early June 1940 with small scale bombing raids on Britain. These ""Störangriffe"" (""nuisance raids"") were used to train bomber crews in both day and night attacks, to test defences and try out methods. These training flights"
"Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day ""to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts"". It is held at 11 a.m. on the second Sunday in November (the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War in 1918). It is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages, attended by civic dignitaries, ex-servicemen and -women (many are members of the Royal British Legion and"
"date is the day after Britain's declaration of war against the Central Powers, and the closing date marks the end of the First Battle of Ypres. The 1914–1915 Star was issued to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 (other than those who had already qualified for the 1914 Star). The British War Medal was issued to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. Officers and men of the Royal"
"on the last Monday in May. Heroes' Day in Uganda takes place every 9 June. The United Kingdom first celebrated a National Heroes Day in 2011, on 21 October (the same day as the victory at Battle of Trafalgar). It was founded by Danny Glavin, a teacher from Fareham, Hampshire. After hearing about the tragic death of his childhood friend whilst serving in Afghanistan, he decided to fund-raise for a military charity in his memory. The day was endorsed by Prime Minister David Cameron. Now Glavin has founded The Inspiration Federation and coordinates the Heroes Day Educational Programme] within schools"
"Aircraft of the Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain (German: ""Luftschlacht um England"") was an effort by the German Air Force (""Luftwaffe"") during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom in preparation for the planned amphibious and airborne forces invasion of Britain by Operation Sea Lion. Neither the German leader Adolf Hitler nor his High Command of the Armed Forces (""Oberkommando der Wehrmacht"", or OKW) believed it was possible to carry out a successful amphibious assault on Britain until the RAF had been neutralised. Secondary objectives"
"continuing valorisation of the ″fighter boys″, beginning with the March 1941 Battle of Britain propaganda pamphlet. The battle covered a shifting geographical area, and there have been differing opinions on significant dates: when the Air Ministry proposed 8 August as the start, Dowding responded that operations ""merged into one another almost insensibly"", and proposed 10 July as the onset of increased attacks. With the caution that phases drifted into each other and dates are not firm, the Royal Air Force Museum states that five main phases can be identified: The RAF night bombing campaign against military objectives in German towns"
"Battle Monument The Battle Monument, located in Battle Monument Square on North Calvert Street between East Fayette and East Lexington Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, commemorates the Battle of Baltimore with the British fleet of the Royal Navy's bombardment of Fort McHenry, the Battle of North Point, southeast of the city in Baltimore County on the Patapsco Neck peninsula, and the stand-off on the eastern siege fortifications along Loudenschlager and Potter's Hills, later called Hampstead Hill, in what is now Patterson Park since 1827, east of town. It honors those who died during the month of September 1814 during the War"
"is 29 May, Oak Apple Day, a public holiday which celebrated the Restoration of the monarchy (demonstrated by the oak boughs above the barber's sign and on some of the subjects' hats, which recall the royal oak tree in which Charles II hid after losing the Battle of Worcester in 1651). Alternatively, Sean Shesgreen has suggested that the date is 3 September, commemorating the battle of Worcester itself, a dating that preserves the seasonal progression from winter to spring to summer to autumn. Charing Cross was a central staging post for coaches, but the congested narrow road was a frequent"
"semanticism in the expression ""last battle on English soil"", for it specifically excludes the subsequent Second World War air battles ""over"" English soil, particularly the Battle of Britain (10 July to 31 October 1940) which was fought in the skies over Kent and the winter blitz of 1940-1941 which is sometimes called the Battle of London. The claim to be the most recent battle site in England, for what were relatively small armed confrontations, is useful for promoting tourism at the locations. Clifton Moor Skirmish The Clifton Moor Skirmish took place on Wednesday 18 December 1745 (29 December Gregorian) during"
"memorial and a place of remembrance for the Battle of Britain and the civilians killed in bombing raids across the UK during World War II, particularly during The Blitz. Originally mounds of masonry were located here salvaged from destroyed buildings from 18 cities and 34 boroughs, including Coventry Cathedral and the Tower of London, with each stone inscribed with the name of the city or area of London from which it came. Today only a few of these remain, cemented into the ground. The monument was unveiled on the 5th May 1950 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Near this"