In the summer and early autumn of 1940, fewer than 3,000 Royal Air Force aircrew took to the skies to defeat the Luftwaffe and keep this country safe from invasion.
In the summer and early autumn of 1940, fewer than 3,000 Royal Air Force aircrew took to the skies to defeat the Luftwaffe and keep this country safe from invasion.
It is a story of skill, courage and sacrifice, and one that is told in a modern, hands-on visitor centre set in the heart of Hellfire Corner, below the skies in which much of the aerial battles were fought.
The Battle of Britain Memorial, at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone in Kent, combines a peaceful place of remembrance with exciting, interactive displays that bring this historic battle to life.
The exterior of the site features the National Memorial to the Few, the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall and a replica Spitfire and Hurricane.
The modern Wing visitor centre, built in the shape of a Spitfire wing, offers hands-on, interactive fun and learning in The Scramble Experience, together with audio and film clips of the men who took part and a unique film that brings the conflict to life.
A shop, toilets and first floor café with views across the Channel to France completes the attractions at this unmissable tribute to bravery and sacrifice.
The men of the RAF who won the Battle have been known as ‘the Few’ since Sir Winston Churchill observed: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
To be included in the ranks of those who were entitled to wear the Battle of Britain Clasp on the 1939-45 Star, an airman had to fly at least one operational sortie with a recognised Fighter Command squadron between the dates of 10 July and 31 October 1940.
Visit the Memorial soon to learn more about the Battle that changed the course of history.