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Battle of Britain: Unearthing the stories of those who served
As we mark the 80th anniversary of Battle of Britain Day at former Chain Home radar site, Bawdsey Radar in Suffolk, we remember all of those who served behind the scenes in crucial roles during the Second World War. People like Mary Wain's parents, who met and married at Bawdsey whilst working at the radar station.
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80 years on, radar tribute highlights that it was more than the flying few who won the Battle of Britain
On this Battle of Britain Day, the RAF Benevolent Fund is shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice 80 years ago.
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Spitfire ace Allan Scott – a tribute
All at the RAF Benevolent Fund are saddened to hear of the passing of one of the last Spitfire aces of the Second World War, Squadron Leader Allan Scott DFM.
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Peenemünde raid – 77 years on
Seventy-seven years ago one of the lesser known but perhaps most important Bomber Command raids of the Second World War took place. The raid on Peenemünde, credited with saving thousands of lives, was to strike at the heart of Nazi research into the destructive V weapons.
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The end of war and the start of a lifetime of love: VJ Day for one RAF veteran
Delays in repairs left RAF veteran Arthur Northfield strip washing over a sink before the Fund stepped in to provide a grant to replace his boiler.
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The squadrons that took part in the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is remembered as an extremely important air campaign fought over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940. It was initiated by Adolf Hitler as part of his plans to gain air supremacy and invade Great Britain.
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How the Battle of Dunkirk unfolded
The Battle of Dunkirk took place between 26 May and 4 June 1940 in Dunkirk, a small town on the northern coast of France. The Allies had been losing the Battle of France on the Western Front and the now-renowned Battle of Dunkirk saw Allied forces defend and seek evacuation from Dunkirk as the German forces closed in. As part of a dangerous and daring rescue operation, around 338,000 British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) and other Allied troops were evacuated.
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The RAF's hard battle to support the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk
During the Second World War, a myth began to circulate that the RAF did not do enough to protect the troops that were trapped on the beaches and the fleet of vessels trying to evacuate them.
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The RAF's vital role in the Dunkirk evacuation
On 26 May 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the start of Operation Dynamo – the evacuation of more than 330,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII. RAF Fighter Command began to operate patrols from Boulogne to Dunkirk and the operations were to continue for the next nine days during the evacuation.
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Tribute to Terry Clark DFM
We are saddened to hear Battle of Britain veteran Terry Clark DFM passed away yesterday. Terry was one of two remaining air crew, The Few, who took to the skies in the summer of 1940 to defend Great Britain against Nazi invaders.