Seventy years ago the Battle of Britain was fought between 10 July and the end October 1940. During this period 565 Hurricanes and 352 Spitfires were lost and about 544 RAF airmen of several nationalities lost their lives .

September 1940 was a critical period when the blitz was at a peak with Bristol’s aircraft works & Avonmouth’s port and refineries being prime targets in the West Country. This month was also very important as Hitler’s decision for invasion, Operation Sealion, was postponed on the 17th September & finally abandoned by 12th October.

We should also remember that during this battle, the Luftwaffe lost 1733 aircraft with approximately 1650 airmen killed in action plus of course all the civilians on both sides of the English Channel killed in the bombing raids.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew -

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untresspassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF

Killed 11 Dec 1941

The Battle of Britain

memorial dedicated

to ‘The Few’

at Capelle-Ferne near Dover