It does make you think does it not? I find it hard to imagine being a part of this time in history.
A time to remember friend or foe, pilots, ground crews, family’s and friends, workers, school children all part of this day 73 years ago and all the other special and not special days remembered. TA
the below is taken from the BBC Website.
1940: Victory for RAF in Battle of Britain
RAF Fighter Command is claiming victory over the Luftwaffe after a day of heavy bombing raids ended in big losses for the enemy.
According to the RAF, 176 enemy aircraft were destroyed by fighter planes. At least another nine aircraft were hit by anti-aircraft guns.
British casualties were much lighter – only 25 aircraft lost with 13 pilots killed or missing.
The Air Ministry says the German losses are the highest since 18 August, five days after the Battle of Britain began in earnest.
“We saw a Hawker Hurricane coming down with a dead engine and whisps of white smokeW
Today there were two major attacks on London during daylight and a number of smaller raids on the south coast in the Portland and Southampton areas.
The first big attack came in the morning at 1100 hours. A wave of about 100 German aircraft was spotted heading over the Kent coast towards London followed by a second wave of about 150 planes.
Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons were sent to meet them and many German planes are reported to have turned away without dropping any bombs.
However, Buckingham Palace was hit during this initial raid. Two heavy bombs fell, one on the Palace buildings and one on the lawns. Neither exploded but one caused damage to the Queen’s private apartments.
The King and Queen were not in residence and there was only a skeleton staff who were sheltering in the basement. It is the third time this week the palace has been targeted.
At about 1400 hours another wave of about 150 German planes crossed the coast near Dover – again followed by a second wave of 100 aircraft. They appeared to be heading for targets in south London and railways in London and Kent.
Fighter patrols were again ready to meet the enemy and only 70 or so enemy planes reached central London where there were a series of dogfights.
The attacks continued with smaller raids on Portland and Southampton. Again the enemy aircraft were successfully driven off by the British fighters.
As darkness fell, the raids continued on London inflicting major damage on targets in the south of the city.
Railway bridges were hit between Victoria and Clapham Junction, the railway has also been hit at East Croydon, gas and water mains have been disrupted and St Thomas’s, Guys and Lambeth hospitals were all hit although there were no casualties.
By: charliehunt - 16th September 2013 at 19:56
If we took everything politicians said publicly as what they meant diplomacy would be a lost cause. It’s what they say privately that matters.
By: Clint Mitchell - 16th September 2013 at 18:33
Well, President Putin’s official spokesman Dmitry Peskov which is pretty much the same thing. If he is allowed to say that publicly we all know what they think privately and who can blame them. 🙂
By: charliehunt - 16th September 2013 at 18:12
It wasn’t Putin who made the remark but the remark is wrong in the sense in which it was intended.
By: waghorn41 - 16th September 2013 at 18:12
On September 15th I remember a young man of 19 who had recently got his wings and was then thrust into the turmoil of aerial warfare, a life that saw his end just months later. I think of him, and his friends, and give thanks that they did what they did for us, without question, against hope. My children, I hope, will remember too and reflect on what might have been. To all the pilots and groundcrew who fought for us during those dark days of 1940 – thank you.
By: Clint Mitchell - 16th September 2013 at 17:44
Putin is not wrong. Realistically we were still a small island off Europe during 1940 but that didn’t stop the hearts, courage, and bravery of the nation beating back from our door the Nazi beast that had conquered the rest of Europe. Most indigenous working class people in Britain still have that kind of British heart but sadly we do not run this country or the propagan… I mean media. Which is hell bent on denying exposure to anything that our Great Islands have achieved in our past. Our National pride is continually being chipped away as we are slowly groomed and benumbed into accepting our fate of being assimilated into the EU.
By: slicer - 16th September 2013 at 17:23
Well, Banbury has a march-past to commemorate the Battle of Britain, a famous conflict fought in ….1941, according to the hand-out. Give me strength!!
By: Trolly Aux - 16th September 2013 at 17:15
100% agree with charlie on that point !
By: charliehunt - 16th September 2013 at 17:06
Whether it is or it is not has nothing to do with remembering significant events in our history. In any case I would venture to suggest that Maggie Thatcher was the last Prime Minister who actually did believe in the worth of the country. The last 15 years has certainly seen a devaluation in the nation’s self-belief and I think we know why.
By: PeterVerney - 16th September 2013 at 16:25
We must realize that Great Britain is no more.
Maggie sold off the Great and Blair devolved Britain
The Russian fellow the other day who called us a “little island off Europe” had it right
By: Rocketeer - 15th September 2013 at 23:23
The event at Hendon RAFM was brilliant. My first attendance with the Mk1 Spit cockpit. Next year, might take the Hurri. Terry Arlow’s beautiful Spit was there.
By: kev35 - 15th September 2013 at 22:52
It’s not about the human rights bill or political correctness. September 15th is all about remembering those who fought and won the Battle of Britain. ACM Sir Christopher Foxley Norris put it far better than I ever could……
He was no Galahad, no knight sans peur et sans reproche.
Sans peur? Fear was the second enemy to beat.
He was a common, unconsidered man, who, for a moment of eternity,
held the whole future of mankind in his two sweating hands.
And did not let it go.
Remember him, not as he is portrayed, but as the man he was.
To him you owe the most of what you have and love today.
And for what those common, unconsidered men did, I will be eternally grateful.
Regards,
kev35
By: 1batfastard - 15th September 2013 at 22:37
Hi All,
I agree with Clint’s comments entirely, it is not just the BoB that is missed but a lot of history is now consigned to the bin, as it’s not a mainstream subject at school anymore, as far as I can remember when I was taught history it set you up in life not only learning about your own country but others too. You learnt of each countrys good points and their bad, but overall you had a balanced view of the world, most of all the importance your own country and what part it played in the different conflicts it was involved with. More than that you learnt what your own country gave to the world through the years but this has definitely been portrayed as something that we should be ashamed of in this country like an MP said this country is becoming a mongrel society.
It’s as if we are ashamed of calling ourselves English/British more evidence that politically correctness is ever present in every thing you do in life, that and what you say will be held against you and put you in to a certain category when all you do is speak your mind or as today remember the proud history of our country that a few had their lives taken so we could live in relative peace and freedom. The more the Human rights bill and Political correctness is pandered to as an offence to a certain populace, with a government that is scared of it’s own shadow the more we will have to remember in private in the future, as I can see them banning such gatherings if this continues in the current vein. We should be proud of our history and not shove it in a closet out of site after all what other country does ?
Geoff.
By: YakRider - 15th September 2013 at 22:01
Well at North Weald, a famous Battle of Britain RAF station, we had the local RAFA branch and a Colour Party from 56 Squadron attend a memorial service in St Andrew’s Church, before coming to the Tower for a reception. We took a picture in front of our Gate Guardian Hurricane, which is in 56 Squadron markings of both colours. By chance the BBMF were also at the Airfield today as Coningsby was out of wind limits. The Spitfire and Hurricane did a run and break after their Westminster flypast just at the right moment, before coming in to land.
By: The Bump - 15th September 2013 at 15:46
Very true.
The Battle of Britain is still very well commemorated to this day and there are plenty of parents who will introduce their children to this event in our history through airshows etc.
As for the people who know of such events and choose to dismiss them as glorifying war etc ,I don’t care about their opinions anyway.
With kinder weather today the BBMF and BHHH would have been out and about, instead we shall remember with our Battle of Britain DVD’s, books and BoB You tube clips…………and with a pint of Spitfire! Cheers 😎
By: charliehunt - 15th September 2013 at 15:39
They are far more interested in ramming multiculturalism down our throats and anything even slightly British is deemed as being borderline racist.
That, sadly, often seems to be the case.
By: Clint Mitchell - 15th September 2013 at 15:35
Sadly it has become very un PC to mention any chapters of our history that might upset some our fellow European friends. Even though it’s only history at the end of the day and most everyday people all over Europe realise that it’s in the past and things have moved on. These days you have more chance getting blood out of a stone than to see the BBC or Channel 4 celebrating our victories and remembering the fallen from all countries during any conflicts that have happened in our past. They are far more interested in ramming multiculturalism down our throats and anything even slightly British is deemed as being borderline racist.
By: The Bump - 15th September 2013 at 14:54
Sorry but much of the ‘airbrushing out’ of Britains history took place between May 97 and May 2010.
It was the idiot Blair that couldn’t bother his **** to attend the annual BoB service.
The Westminster Abbey service has taken place as usual with the flypast.
By: charliehunt - 15th September 2013 at 13:27
Me too – they were terrific shows.
By: Trolly Aux - 15th September 2013 at 13:26
all the Battle of britain at home airshows too, all gone and forgotten.
I used to go to the Biggin shows in the 60s and 70s.
TA
By: charliehunt - 15th September 2013 at 13:13
True!:( As a youngster BoB day was an important event and the BoB airshows up and down the country drew huge crowds. It’s part and parcel of the anti-war sense which now pervades most of the populace – celebration of our past wartime achievements becomes less significant the further away from them we are and more recent events are better brushed under the carpet.
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September 15, 2013 at 11:43 am