Royal Air Force

This first release in a new series primarily focuses on "The Battle of Britain” which was fought in the skies over southern Britain throughout the Summer and into the Autumn of 1940.

France had fallen, most of Western Europe was in German hands and the might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe was to descend on a lonely, beleaguered Britain fighting for its life.

Hitler knew that if he was to successfully invade the little island Kingdom he had to smash the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the Royal Air Force first. The fate of democracy and what was left of the Free World hung, for those few short months, in the balance. All that stood between the Nazis and their all-too-real threat of world domination was a relative handful of young fighter pilots and just over 50 squadrons of Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires.

Next year, 2010, marks the 70th.Anniversary of one of the major turning points of the Second World War. Journey back to the dark days of 1940 and this epic aerial battle that defeated Hitler for the very first time.

In addition from the defensive tactics of Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 we move forward to 1943 and the offensive operations of the RAF’s mighty "Bomber Command”.

Here we present three of Bomber command’s best known pilots… All of whom flew with 617 Squadron and took part in the famous "DAMBUSTERS” raid on the great dams of Western Germany in May 1943.