"Battle of Britain Day Battle of Britain Day is the name given to the day of the large-scale aerial battle that took place on 15 September 1940, during the Battle of Britain. On this day the Luftwaffe embarked on an all-out attack against London. Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles which lasted until dusk. The action was the climax of the Battle of Britain. In the aftermath of the raid, Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. Having been defeated in daylight, the ""Luftwaffe"" turned its attention to The Blitz night campaign which lasted until May 1941. Battle of"
"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 September 2005, the 65th anniversary of the Battle, by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in the presence of many of the surviving airmen known collectively as ""The Few"", following the Royal Air Force Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on Battle of Britain Sunday. This service is an annual event, the first of which"
"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"
"on the third Sunday in September, and even on the 2nd Thursday in September in some areas in the British Channel Islands. The day has been observed by many artists over the years, often with works that show the battle itself. Many mixed media artists have also created pieces in honour of the Battle of Britain. Plans for the Battle of Britain window in Westminster Abbey were begun during wartime, the committee chaired by Lords Trenchard and Dowding. Public donations paid for the window itself, this officially opened by King George VI on 10 July 1947. Although not actually an"
"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;"
"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"
"Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain (, literally ""The Air Battle for England"") was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It has been described as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The British officially recognise the battle's duration as being from 10 July until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941. German historians"
"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"
"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"
"Battle of Britain. A permanent statue was subsequently erected in Waterloo Place, London, and was unveiled on 15 September 2010 – the 70th anniversary of the Battle. In recognition of Smith's efforts, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 New Year Honours, for services to New Zealand–United Kingdom relations. In 2016, Cardiff University awarded Smith, an alumnus of the university, an Honorary Fellowship. Debrett's People of Today lists Smith's interests as boxing, shooting and flying. He is also a competitive cyclist and an exponent of Muay Thai. Terry Smith (businessman) Terence Smith"
"cancelled. Books General Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain (, literally ""The Air Battle for England"") was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It has been described as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The British officially recognise the battle's duration as being from 10 July until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"below. There are numerous memorials to the battle. The most important ones are the Battle of Britain Monument in London and the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne in Kent. Westminster Abbey and St James's Church, Paddington both have memorial windows to the battle, replacing windows that were destroyed during the campaign. There is also a memorial at the former Croydon Airport, one of the RAF bases during the battle, and a memorial to the pilots at Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, which is topped by a raven sculpture. There are also two museums to the"
"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"
"battle: one at Hawkinge in Kent and one at Stanmore in London, at the former RAF Bentley Priory. In 2015 the RAF created an online 'Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Commemorative Mosaic' composed of pictures of ""the few"" – the pilots and aircrew who fought in the battle – and ""the many"" – 'the often unsung others whose contribution during the Battle of Britain was also vital to the RAF's victory in the skies above Britain', submitted by participants and their families. The battle was the subject of the 1969 film ""Battle of Britain"". The cast included Laurence Olivier as"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"Battle of Britain (video game) Battle of Britain is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Personal Software Services for the Commodore 64 in 1987. It was also ported to the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum later that year. It is the seventh instalment to the ""Strategic Wargames"" series. The game is set during the Battle of Britain campaign of the Second World War and revolves around Britain's defence and prevention against a Nazi invasion. In the game, the player commands the Royal Air Force as they must defend key cities against the Luftwaffe. The game contains elements"
"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"
"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"
"Other notable battles include the Battle of Balaclava (Charge of the Light Brigade) during the Crimean War in 1854 and the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific theatre in 1944. The feast day of Saints Crispin and Crispinian is 25 October. Although this feast was removed from the Roman Catholic Church's universal liturgical calendar following the Second Vatican Council, the two saints are still commemorated on that day in the most recent edition of the Roman Martyrology. The feast remains as a ""Black Letter Saints' Day"" in the calendar of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (1662) and a"
"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"". Churchill apparently first used his famous words upon his exit from the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge on 16 August when visiting the No. 11 Group RAF Operations Room during a day of battle. Afterwards, Churchill told Major General Hastings Ismay, 'Don't speak to me, I have never been so moved'. After several minutes of silence he said, 'Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to"
"the Battle of Britain Memorial Committee to start the process of verifying her father's wartime records. Initially it was believed that Ogilvy's name could not be added to the Battle of Britain London Monument but after support from a company, the name was added to the bronze panel. Ogilvy's name was unveiled on 26 July 2010. Present were Ogilvy's daughter, Susan, Robert Foster (pilot), the Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, Councillor Robert Davis, Deputy Leader Westminster City Council, Michael Conway, managing director FM Conway (who had funded the addition), and Air Commodore Gordon Bruce, representing the Chief"
"British pilots. The numbers differ slightly from the participants whose names are engraved on the Battle of Britain Monument in London, unveiled on 18 September 2005. All pilots, regardless of nationality, who flew with British units during the Battle are known collectively, after a phrase coined by Winston Churchill, as ""The Few"". Prior to the outbreak of war, in view of the worsening European situation, the RAF had embarked on a series of expansion plans. These included Short-Service Commissions for pilots from the air forces of other British Commonwealth countries, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia."
"Battlefield Britain Battlefield Britain is a 2004 BBC television documentary series about famous battles in the history of Great Britain. From Boudicca's destructive rebellion against the Romans to the incredible feats of ""The Few"" who saw off the Luftwaffe, these battles all had wide-reaching consequences and implications for the future of the British isles. The series is presented by father and son team Peter and Dan Snow, with Peter explaining the battleplans of the generals while Dan explores the sites to give the perspectives of the soldiers, sailors and airmen. The episodes also featured ""interviews"" with participants from both sides,"
"the Battle of Britain, the Liberation of Paris, The Battle of Midway, D-Day, and the Battle of Berlin. However, in the Wii and PS3 releases, the story changed slightly, adding more depth to the characters. Scenes narrated by the main character were added before the level to explain the battle. The player also talks during the actual game, shouting commands and conversing with the wingmen. Other changes included Tom being Joe's brother-in-law instead of a random pilot the player saves from a German fighter squadron and Joe getting shot down on D-Day. The game begins in Britain, 1940, where several"