Last of the Few The Battle of Britain in the Words of the Pilots

AfterthefallofFranceinMay1940,theBritishExpeditionaryForcewasmiraculouslyevacuatedfromDunkirk.BritainnowstoodalonetofaceHitler'sinevitableinvasionattempt.FortheGermanArmytobelandedacrosstheChannel,HitlerneededmasteryoftheskiesutheRAFwouldhavetobebroken.Soeveryday,throughoutthesummer,GermanbomberspoundedtheRAFairbasesinthesoutherncounties.GreatlyoutnumberedbytheLuftwaffe,thepilotsofRAFFighterCommandscrambledasmanyasfivetimesadayandcivilianswatchedskiescriss-crossedwiththecontrailsfromtheconstantdogfightsbetweenSpitfiresandMe-109s.Britain'sveryfreedomdependedontheoutcomeofthatsummer'sbattle.Britain'sairdefenceswerebadlybatteredandnearlybroken,butagainstallodds'TheFew',astheycametobeknown,boughtBritain'sfreedomumanywiththeirlives.Thesearethepersonalaccountsofthepilotswhofoughtandsurvivedthatbattle.Wewillnotseetheirlikeagain.