WWII: The Battle of Britain | Memories of 'Britain's finest hour'
Postscript to the News | Group Captain Peel and JH Brown
Memories of events in the hot summer of 1940.
CHANNEL | Home Service
FIRST BROADCAST | 26 September 1943
DURATION | 11 minutes 30 seconds
FIRSTBROADCAST
1943
Synopsis
A Battle of Britain pilot recalls his thoughts and feelings as he faced the events of 8 August 1940 on an airbase near Chichester. Then a member of the ground staff talks about life in the flight sheds as repair teams worked on either Hurricanes (known as 'ragdolls') or Spitfires (called 'salmon tins'). He describes how their sense of purpose and pride in their role sustained them as they worked 14-hour shifts in stifling, 24-hour blackout conditions to keep the aircraft combat ready.
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