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WWII: The Battle of Britain | Memories of 'Britain's finest hour'
About this collection
By the summer of 1940, the Nazi war machine had conquered much of Europe and now Britain was its next target. The RAF was heavily outnumbered by the Luftwaffe, but Britain's determination was strong and by October 1940 Hitler had abandoned his plans for invasion.
In this collection of programmes and documents, we hear from some of the battle's heroes, see the Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighter planes in action and discover why the Battle of Britain should always be remembered.
Features
- London Calling I Guarding Britain's Sky
London Calling - Guarding Britain's Sky
- Late Night Line-up I Douglas Bader
- News Report I Convoy Shelled
- Spitfire! I Forty Years On
WWII: The Battle of Britain Collection
- Programmes (21)
- Documents (13)
Winston Churchill Broadcast
Finest Hour Speech
'The news from France is very bad.'
News Report
Air Battle off Dover
BBC reporter Charles Gardner comments live on a dogfight over the Channel.
Tonight's Talk
Lord Beaverbrook on Aircraft Production
A rousing message of encouragement to the nation from the Minister of Aircraft Production.
News Report
Convoy Shelled in Straits of Dover
Robin Duff reports from the scene of an attack on a convoy in the Channel.
Battle of Britain
A Radio Dramatisation
Day-by-day re-enactment of encounters with the enemy.
Fighter Pilot Shot Down
A pilot vividly recounts his experience of being shot down over the North Sea.
Postscript to the News
Group Captain Peel and JH Brown
Memories of events in the hot summer of 1940.
Now It Can Be Told
Wing Commander Ronald Adams
Recalling the vital role of the Operations Room team.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park
Battle of Britain tactics, strategies and post-campaign conspiracies.
Late Night Line-up
Douglas Bader
The Battle of Britain was won by 'everyone in this country'.
Air Chief Marshal Hugh C Dowding
Commander-in-Chief Hugh Dowding talks about the Battle of Britain.
Spitfire!
Two Seconds to Kill
The story of the race to design and build a fighter plane fit to win a war.
Spitfire!
Forty Years On
Celebrating an iconic symbol of Britain's 'finest hour'.
A Fine Blue Day
James 'Ginger' Lacey
Recollections of war by a pilot ace.
A Fine Blue Day
WH 'Dizzy' Allen
Frank views from a Battle of Britain fighter pilot.
Inside Story
The Spitfire
'A symbol of defiance and hope for Britain in the dark days of 1940.'
What If
The Battle of Britain
What would have happened next if Germany had won the Battle of Britain?
Two Men in a Trench
The Battle of Britain
Archaeologists explore the site of the RAF airbase at Hornchurch.
Ancestors
Billy and the Fighter
The story of the squadron that fought the battle before the Battle of Britain.
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