The Battle of Britain was a turning point in the struggle against the Nazis
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It’s been a heavy year for WWII anniversaries, with 75 years having passed since victory in Europe and the Pacific and now 80 years since the Battle of Britain. Each comes with its own poignancy, but the story of ‘The few’ does evoke a unique emotional sense for me. The Battle of Britain is such a pivotal moment in the history of WWII, acting as both the end of the first phase of war, the middle of the UK’s conflict with Germany and the beginning of the fightback that would come. Everything must have felt that it was on a knife-edge; the future so uncertain.
This issue we hope to expand on that story with a ground-level focus, looking at the many who helped The Few achieve their victories, recounting the experiences of an ace fighter pilot and dissecting one of the planes that was so important to the effort - the Hawker Hurricane - so often overlooked in favour of the Spitfire.