BATTLE OF BRITAIN: Extraordinary Courage

Hitler could hardly believe that Britain would refuse to surrender when the heroic Dunkirk evacuation struggled to get the British Expeditionary Force home. But as Churchill warned in what was probably the most stirring of his speeches, the Battle of Britain was about to begin. "If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands": everyone should do their duty so that in the future people would say, "This was their finest hour". This pictorial record of the finest hour which led ultimately to the Allied victory includes both the terrible moments of crisis in the air and also the dedicated and unwavering support of those on the ground. Three adjacent photos show Spitfires being assembled at an Eastleigh factory, a close-up of Churchill watching a female riveter at Castle Bromwich, and a spectacular shot of scores of Hurricane-skeletons waiting for assembly. The Home Guard practise shooting on a rooftop, while a dummy tank is blown up by a landmine in a simulation exercise. At the Blackpool School of Reconnaissance, trainee pilots learn to identify shipping using models in a tub. Goering sent small-scale raids to test England's defences, and although the Messerschmitt Bf 110 suffered from a lack of manoeuvrability which made it a target, the Bf 109 was a good match for the British planes' agility. Goering is pictured addressing a group of German aircrew, while ace Luftwaffe pilot Adolf Galland, who caused controversy by saying he would not shoot British pilots who baled out in parachutes, is pictured with his dog. The King and Queen visit Fighter Command, and while the wrecked city of London is a sobering sight, hope is provided by a photo of babies in their carry-cots in an air raid shelter. A wonderful collection, with photos on every page. 208pp, paperback.
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