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On one day in September, 1940,
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the Battle of Britain
reached its decisive moment.
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Throughout the summer months,
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Official YIFY movies site:
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Britain's Fighter Command had fought
a desperate battle against the Luftwaffe.
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As far as the planes were concerned,
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we'd never seen anything like it.
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It was just awesome.
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It was… They were overhead.
There were masses of them.
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They had only got to come across
the water, and they were here.
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Everybody was in the front line.
The civilians were in the front line.
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Beneath the battle-ridden skies,
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people from all walks of life
became involved in the defence of Britain.
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Age, situation, or circumstance
was no barrier.
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It was a time that this country
was actually welded together
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with one aim in mind,
to defeat the aggressor.
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Each day, they faced
the grim realities of war.
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The next thing he said,
"Now I'm standing on me own."
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"The other man's on the floor.
He'd been bombed."
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To me, as a child,
it seemed extraordinary fun.
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And then I glanced to the right,
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and I saw this huge formation
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of Spitfires and Hurricanes
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making their way directly towards
the formation of the bombers.
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And it was just unbelievable
to see so many aircraft.
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Never seen so many aircraft.
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One day of dramatic aerial combat
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would now decide the fate of the nation.
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The role of the Luftwaffe
during the Battle of Britain
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was to destroy Fighter Command,
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to gain air superiority
to enable the invasion to take place,
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to occupy Britain,
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or to force us out of the war
on Nazi terms.
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This is the story of that day,
15th September, 1940,
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and 13 hours that saved Britain.
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Hitler's Nazi Germany
dominates Europe.
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His armed forces have swept
across the continent,
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crushing all opposition.
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Of his enemies,
only Britain remains undefeated.
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The rest of Europe
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was either in thrall to Nazi Germany
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or had been conquered.
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Poland, Denmark, Norway, France,
Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg.
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These countries had fallen.
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So, Germany was at the peak of his powers.
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Hermann Goering,
head of the Luftwaffe,
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believes that attacks
by German Air Force alone
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can bring Britain to its knees.
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He has promised the Führer
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that the Royal Air Force
will be swept from the skies.
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The German Air Force
had concentrated on the Royal Air Force,
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both in the air and on the ground,
the fighter airfields.
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Germans were flying
what they term "free hunts",
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A hundred, 150 fighters
sweeping over southern Britain,
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hunting out the Hurricane and Spitfires.
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An instruction went out to our pilots
not to engage these fighters
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unless they were escorting bombers.
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So, the myth started to grow
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that the Royal Air Force
was being depleted and defeated.
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The following events take place
between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.,
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13 hours that proved a turning point
in the war with Germany.
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6:34 a.m.
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Sunday dawns for a country
that has lived in fear of invasion
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for more than three months.
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We had the Germans
knocking at the door.
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The Air Force had been overwhelmed.
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They would have been in London
within a week or so.
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We couldn't have stopped it.
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When France fell,
we didn't think we had a chance.
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I mean, they had only got to come
across the water, and they were here.
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We were very conscious of the fact
that if we lost it…
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I won't say the game was up,
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but the battle, the war
would have been fought on our territory.
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I think to any outside observer,
you'd think…
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"Well, how can that small country
survive against this might…"
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"Organised might?"
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I said to this old soldier…
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"Tell me, what are we gonna do
if the Germans come?"
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He said, "If the Germans come, son,
you will do what you're told."
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Our sort of captain,
Mainwaring Captain, was replaced,
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and he used to finish each parade,
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"Before I dismiss you, remember, boys,
take no prisoners, shoot the bastards."
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And your motto is: Kill the bosh!
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And then, he'd go,
with his revolver, "Kill, kill, kill."
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It encapsulates the exact attitude
of the British people at that time.
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Britain's Air Defence network
prepares itself for the 13 hours ahead.
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The Air Defence of Great Britain
was divided up into four fighter groups,
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10 Group covering the Southwest,
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11 Group, London and the South East,
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12 Group, the Midlands, the East Coast,
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and Number 13 Group, defending parts
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of North East Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
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As the day begins, one squadron
from each sector is brought to readiness.
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The integrated Air Defence
of the United Kingdom
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is all down to the foresight
of Sir Hugh Dowding.
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When he took over Fighter Command,
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he reorganised the Air Defence
of the United Kingdom
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-into the group system.
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The Germans had nothing like it,
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and in fact, they just did not realise
what they were up against.
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8:02 a.m.
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A lone German Heinkel bomber
on a weather reconnaissance flight
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flies westward along the English Channel.
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Out of range of British fighters,
its progress is monitored
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by an innovation that is the cornerstone
of Dowding's air defence system.
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We had radar, which, of course,
gave us eyes into the continent,
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so we could see the build-up of aircraft,
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and we could see the aircraft
coming across, uh, towards the UK.
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This would give us time
to get the aircraft up off the ground
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and into position
to meet any given threat.
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This information would go
from the, uh, radar stations,
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uh, to headquarters, Fighter Command.
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It was filtered,
passed to their operations room,
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-and then passed direct to the group.
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They would place the plots on the table,
and these were being tracked in by radar.
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CH radar was entirely
in the business of defence.
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In other words, picking up bombers
at 90 miles' range
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before they ever started
crossing the channel
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or heading in our direction.
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They were seen on the screen
the moment they got up in the air.
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The course flown
by the lone Heinkel
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eventually brings it
within range of British fighters.
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The controller of the day
would watch this,
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he would then alert
whichever sector station he wanted.
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The sector controller's job
was to get his aircraft off the ground
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to vector them
towards the enemy formations.
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The sector controller
scrambles two Hurricanes from Exeter
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to intercept the intruder.
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None of its five-man crew survives.
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They are the first casualties of the day.
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For the people of South East England,
increasingly accustomed
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to living in the shadow of war,
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it's a Sunday morning like many others.
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But it will not be a day of rest for many.
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…for hop-picking is around again,
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and the family is setting out
on its pilgrimage
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to the green fields of Kent.
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For some children,
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it is the start of another day
of a working holiday in the countryside,
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far from the dangers of war.
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We used to go to hop-picking
the same farm every year in September.
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Now, it was traditional to wait for…
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We used to have two notifications,
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about ten days before we actually went,
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when Mum and Dad used to get a card
saying, "We booked a bin and hut for you."
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'Cause if you was agricultural workers,
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at that time, 1940, you got extra rations.
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Summer term of 1940,
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attending Dartford Junior
Technical College,
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uh, and a notice came 'round
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asking for volunteers to go fruit-picking
in the coming autumn. Um…
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Apparently, um, all accommodation,
food would be provided, free of charge,
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and we'd be paid for the work we did.
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In the East End of London,
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Mary Sterry is looking forward
to a big family occasion.
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My uncle was getting married.
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We didn't know
the girl he was getting married,
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but we were told
that she was a young actress.
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We had been invited to the wedding.
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My father, all us kids…
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The one getting married,
Uncle Tom, was only, um…
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Was younger than my dad.
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And they didn't want us to go, did they?
But, oh, we went.
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Herbert Hurry is getting ready
to join his workmates
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for a fund-raising football match.
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I played a lot of football.
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And, uh, in me time, I played
at one or two decent grounds, but, uh,
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yeah, they knew that at work.
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But my foreman was a decent type,
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and, uh, he said, "If you clean my car,
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I'll let you off to play football."
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We used to play down by Wormwood Scrubs
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and attract a thousand people on a Sunday.
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9:00 a.m.
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While London stirs into life,
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at bases in Occupied France,
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Luftwaffe aircrews prepare their aircraft
for a major attack,
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one they expect to be decisive.
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There was a meeting in The Hague
in Holland headed by Hermann Goering.
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At this meeting,
the state of the Royal Air Force,
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in particular, Fighter Command,
was discussed.
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German pilots were going back
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claiming maybe they'd shot down
10, 20 Hurricanes and Spitfires.
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In reality, only five.
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The Germans believed
that the Royal Air Force
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was now on the verge of defeat,
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and they mounted two major raids.
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10:30 a.m.
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Britain's air defences are on full alert.
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But now, Air Vice Marshal Keith Park,
commander of 11 Group,
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receives unexpected news.
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Prime Minister Winston Churchill
has chosen today
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to visit 11 Group's Command Centre.
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In full view
of the controller here at Uxbridge,
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he could see the German forces
assembling over the continent
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before they cross the channel.
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Churchill watches markers
appear on the table,
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indicating a build up
of German bomber squadrons
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making their way to rendezvous points
over the French coast.
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Starting from a few aircraft
coming over the…
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Or near England
and the south and east coast,
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to suddenly having to put up 250 plus
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was very, very scary.
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'Cause you couldn't imagine
that many aeroplanes coming over.
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And were we going to survive?
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11:05 a.m.
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Two squadrons of Spitfires from 11 Group
are scrambled from Biggin Hill.
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Climbing fast, they set course
for their allotted patrol area
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25,000 feet above Canterbury.
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The system swings into action
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as Park's controllers
scramble more squadrons.
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Somebody would tell you that there were
200 plus, 100 plus, 50 plus coming over.
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A raid did build up,
well, like a thunderstorm.
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The Luftwaffe formations,
comprising more than 200 aircraft,
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wheel towards England.
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Their target, London.
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Their course will take them
over the farms and fields of Kent.
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Our neighbour said to me,
"Your mother's calling you, Albert."
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So I think she wanted me
to carry something back to the huts.
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As I walked back to the huts,
we heard a heavy drone of aircraft.
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The weather was fine, clear skies,
nice autumn days.
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And then--
Then after that, it all happened.
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The aircraft of Fighter Command
are about to be drawn into a major battle
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above the Garden of England.
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The fate of the nation
hangs upon its outcome.
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11:36 a.m., 15th of September, 1940.
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Luftwaffe formations
cross the English coast at Folkestone.
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00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,840
The only opposition they meet
is anti-aircraft fire from the ground,
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reinforcing their belief
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that the Royal Air Force
is on the verge of defeat,
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and London is exposed to attack.
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Civilians in Kent have a ringside seat
for the tumultuous events that'll follow.
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They weren't dropping bombs,
they were just flying steadily.
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Not speeding like they do today,
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just steadily,
masses of them, flying inland.
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Sitting alone in his garden,
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00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,480
Graham Matthews watches
almost 200 enemy aircraft
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00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,080
cross the skies of Kent.
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00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,000
I was in this garden.
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00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,920
In fact, I was sitting on the steps
right behind me here,
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uh, when I heard the German bombers
coming over.
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00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:19,680
Uh, and I could see
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00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,720
this column of German planes…
245
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:30,280
…they were flying
into these big puffs of flak
246
00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,760
put up by anti-aircraft guns.
247
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,760
Once the enemy aircraft
had crossed the coastline,
248
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,320
radar was technically redundant.
249
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,800
So, it was the Observer Corps,
simply by looking through a rangefinder,
250
00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:49,200
binoculars identify the aircraft,
height, direction, and number,
251
00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,640
feeding that information
back to an observer centre,
252
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,520
and from that centre,
253
00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,440
simultaneously to the command sector,
and to group.
254
00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:01,240
Having got your plots,
255
00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,680
it was then up to the controller
to say what you wanted done with them.
256
00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,520
When there was a battle on,
you would plot your plots,
257
00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,960
and you could see the combat
coming nearer and nearer.
258
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,720
Precise information
on the raiders' progress
259
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,360
is relayed to RAF fighter squadrons.
260
00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,800
When you hear the sirens
or anti-aircraft guns,
261
00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:48,640
you must get undercover at once.
262
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,280
You must not stand staring up at the sky.
263
00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,800
The siren went,
and, of course, as a six-year-old,
264
00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:55,680
I thought, this is it, war, war.
265
00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,920
So I zoomed out to the, uh, front door
and stood there,
266
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,440
waiting to see all the soldiers
with their guns,
267
00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,359
and firing, and shooting,
and sword-fighting, and all that.
268
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:05,480
Nothing.
269
00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,319
Most people went to the underground,
270
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,760
or if they had an Anderson sort of shelter
271
00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:16,280
in a tin place
at the bottom of the garden.
272
00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:20,440
My next door neighbour,
he dug a hole underneath his garage.
273
00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,560
If I was at home,
I'd go down there and shelter.
274
00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:25,920
Above Canterbury,
275
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,360
patrolling Spitfires
of 92 and 72 Squadrons
276
00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,920
have spotted the enemy formations
and dived in to attack.
277
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,000
Along with other children,
278
00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,280
Ray Binks has been sent from London
279
00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,240
to the safety of rural Kent.
280
00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,120
But he soon discovered
that the front line of the aerial battle
281
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,240
now runs through the fields and villages
of Southern England.
282
00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:54,120
We were watching
all these air battles going on
283
00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,800
and all of a sudden, from across
the trees was this German bomber,
284
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,880
came across so low
that you felt you needed to duck.
285
00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,040
And behind it
was one of our fighter aircraft,
286
00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:05,680
and they're both having a go
at each other.
287
00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,360
And the engagement
initially only lasted a couple of seconds.
288
00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,920
And then, you would then break away,
289
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,000
and then attack them individually again
290
00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,600
until either you were out of ammunition,
291
00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,800
or for one reason or another,
you weren't able to attack anything.
292
00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,800
More British fighter squadrons
join the action.
293
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,480
Our boys were coming out of the sky
and, uh, shooting them up.
294
00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,400
And they were going up,
and there was these vapour trails.
295
00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,840
You had vapour trails all over the sky.
296
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,040
Um, it was just like a lacework pattern.
297
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:43,680
So you'd hear the roar of the engines,
298
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,680
and the stutter of the guns,
and, uh, screaming.
299
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,560
Well, screaming of the engines, really.
300
00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,000
You would see the smoke
start pouring out of one,
301
00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,440
and then it plummets to the ground.
302
00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,160
Drawing nearer to London,
303
00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,680
the beleaguered German formations
reach the village of Chislehurst.
304
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,440
My father had heard
305
00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,320
that Chislehurst Caves was a place
306
00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,680
where people used to go
who were bombed out.
307
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,520
So he said, "Let's get into the van,"
and we go to the caves.
308
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,160
Not hardly any light in at all.
309
00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,480
They gave us the hurricane lamps
to find our way in.
310
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,040
They gave us mattresses to lay on,
311
00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:29,720
on the floor, blankets…
312
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,440
And we were one of the early ones then,
because that was just at the start of it.
313
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,360
And there was very few people here.
314
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:42,320
There was no, uh, no sound of aircraft,
or bombs, or guns.
315
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:44,680
But Ron has no intention
316
00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,200
of missing the excitement
taking place overhead.
317
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,720
He leaves the shelter of the caves.
318
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,840
I was more interested
in watching what was going on,
319
00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,840
and I saw this huge formation
of Spitfires and Hurricanes,
320
00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:04,320
more than I'd seen before, I should say
roughly, again, about 50 or 60 of them,
321
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:11,120
making their way directly towards
the formation of the bombers.
322
00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,280
12:07 a.m.
323
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,520
Hard-pressed and stripped
of most of their fighter escort,
324
00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,560
the German bomber formations
arrive over London.
325
00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:36,520
You could hear the, um, throbbing
of these, uh, aircraft.
326
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,080
That was… It was pretty eerie, I must say.
327
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,880
You could hear… It was droning.
328
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,320
Well, you know, sort of…
329
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,880
And you think, "Oh, my gosh,
we're going to be in for it."
330
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,960
Twin brothers
Geoffrey and Alan Lee Williams
331
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,400
are already accomplished plane spotters.
332
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,240
We knew all the aircraft
before we joined the ATC
333
00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,560
'cause every book we bought
was about aircraft recognition.
334
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,760
The German bombers,
especially the Heinkels,
335
00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:05,560
they made a very distinctive noise,
336
00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:10,280
so you could tell the difference between
a German plane and a British plane.
337
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:14,920
12:08 p.m.
338
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,800
Park has six fighter squadrons
over the capital itself,
339
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,800
with six more en route
from neighbouring groups.
340
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,880
More than 125 RAF fighters
are about to fall
341
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,880
on the Luftwaffe formations.
342
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,280
Once the fighters were up there,
there was no anti-aircraft firing.
343
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:38,320
You know, otherwise,
our aircraft would have been vulnerable.
344
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,040
Clear blue sky above us.
345
00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:46,280
The bombers were about
15,000 to 20,000 feet up, I think,
346
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,600
and the fighters were above them
and beneath them.
347
00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,000
And the fighters
were attacking each other.
348
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,800
The Hurricanes were attacking the bombers,
as far as we can detect,
349
00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,560
and the Spitfires
were attacking the Messerschmitts.
350
00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:04,480
There was this chap that I attacked,
and I remember being very close to it.
351
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:11,280
And I remember also, uh,
it splattering bits and pieces.
352
00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:13,680
It's rather like hitting water
with the back of a spoon.
353
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,920
You know, you see things
fly off in all directions.
354
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:28,800
High over London,
355
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,320
five squadrons from 12 Group
now enter the fray.
356
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,240
There were that many RAF fighters
in the sky.
357
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,880
Technically, they were getting
in each other's way.
358
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,080
You got yourself tangled up
359
00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:46,440
with these things with black swastikas
and crosses on them and things.
360
00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:52,800
Occasionally, you would find
you were mixed up in a dogfight,
361
00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,760
and a Spitfire would whiz past,
362
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,920
and you'd think,
"Ah, there's somebody else here as well."
363
00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,560
"A friend."
364
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,480
But, uh, otherwise, you didn't see them.
365
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:07,080
You'd lost contact
with all your own aircraft after all.
366
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:12,480
One minute, the sky was a tangled mass
of whirling aircraft,
367
00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:16,680
and you fastened on to one
and went off in one direction.
368
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,480
And by the time you'd finished with that,
369
00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,640
you looked 'round,
there was nobody to be seen anywhere.
370
00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,080
Looking up, I couldn't tell
which was which.
371
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,960
I mean, to me, they looked
like giant moths playing "You're it."
372
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,880
But I couldn't tell which was ours
and which was theirs.
373
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:33,960
For the German airman,
374
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,320
as he crossed over, believing
that the Royal Air Force was defeated,
375
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,000
to be confronted by another
50 to 60 Hurricanes and Spitfires,
376
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,200
you can imagine how their morale felt.
377
00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,320
A lot of the bombers,
once they got to London,
378
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,240
they quickly turned 'round.
379
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:55,000
And as they flew back,
they got rid of the bombs.
380
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,360
I don't remember hearing a noise at all.
381
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,440
I think the bomb was so close,
382
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,840
that we didn't hear a noise,
but we felt the blast.
383
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:14,400
And we were picked up
and thrown into the wool shop.
384
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,960
And, of course, the blast, uh,
385
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,040
had reached the window and blown it in
386
00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:22,160
before it blew us through the…
387
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,000
A fraction of a fraction of a second
388
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:26,840
between the two events.
389
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,920
Thank God, because if we had
actually gone through the glass,
390
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,360
I think it might well have killed us.
391
00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,160
And then, as I was about to deliver
392
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,800
another attack on the same aeroplanes,
393
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,120
um, the crew began to bail out.
394
00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,240
And I was immediately behind it.
395
00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:48,320
And I remember seeing things
I didn't really recognise to start with,
396
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,640
until they flew
past the top of my cockpit,
397
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,920
and I realised they were arms and legs.
398
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:58,920
A German aircraft was shot down
just over, um, our area,
399
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:05,360
and the pilot parachuted into the grounds
of the old Bedlam lunatic asylum
400
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,120
which is now the Imperial War Museum.
401
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,480
Um, he was immediately surrounded
by as many people as you can name,
402
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,520
um, all very, very angry, of course.
403
00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:18,800
12:11 p.m.
404
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,080
The German formations
turn away from London
405
00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,000
and head back towards the English Channel,
406
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,560
harried all the way
by Spitfires and Hurricanes.
407
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,720
Two of the bomber pilots
decided it was time to go home.
408
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,000
They didn't fancy… They had never seen
409
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,280
so many Spitfires and Hurricanes together
in one time.
410
00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:40,080
So, they took a turn.
411
00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,440
They broke off
from the right side of the, uh, formation,
412
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,080
which brought the two of them towards me.
413
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,400
As they were coming over,
they thought they'd get a bit more speed,
414
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,200
so they started to jettison their bombs.
415
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,600
One of the bombs came down quite near me,
416
00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:03,320
but being young, and energetic,
and quite fit, I was able to run.
417
00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,800
I felt the blast of the bomb, but I ran.
418
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,920
Managed to keep my feet,
I ran into the caves.
419
00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:19,200
When the German formation
started its retreat from London,
420
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,240
uh, RAF fighters were concentrating
on trying to bring the aircraft down.
421
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,960
The German commander
of that formation, Alois Lindmayer,
422
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,800
kept his formation together
as tightly as possible,
423
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,080
knowing that if they split up, uh,
424
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,640
individual aircraft would be doomed.
425
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,680
And he beat a brilliant tactical retreat,
426
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,320
he managed to get most of his formation
back across the channel.
427
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,040
12:55 p.m.
428
00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,280
"All Clear" sounds over London
and the South East.
429
00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:02,760
When we came out,
430
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,960
we saw that our house and business,
431
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,720
which was a fruiterers and greengrocers
belonging to my father,
432
00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,080
was completely ruined.
433
00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:15,400
Everything was smashed to smithereens,
had nothing left at all.
434
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:18,240
I had a friend at school,
435
00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,680
and we'd decided that we'd meet up
at the weekend,
436
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,440
and I would cycle over to his house.
437
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,400
And when I got to the cottage,
there was just a heap of rubble.
438
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,160
There was no… The house had gone.
439
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,800
I leapt up and opened my window,
440
00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:37,200
and sure enough, there in the gutter,
was a big, plump chicken.
441
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,760
I shouted to my little, tiny brother
at the time,
442
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,600
"We're going to have
chicken tonight, David!"
443
00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:49,440
It turned out that, um,
what our dead chicken was, was…
444
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:54,760
It was a very plump lady
who was in the houses down the road,
445
00:27:54,840 --> 00:28:00,360
and it was that much of her arm
446
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,960
that had got blown onto our roof.
447
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,960
That was suddenly, um…
448
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,080
a little boy growing up very quickly
449
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:12,800
and thinking war is not much fun.
450
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,400
They asked me to carry mugs of tea
451
00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,120
to the firemen
who were still fighting the flames,
452
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,320
the ambulance people
who were still dealing with people
453
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,400
who were trapped
in some of the burnt buildings.
454
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,680
We stayed there, I think,
till most of the day,
455
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,080
until the fires had all calmed down.
456
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,800
But it was an experience
that's impinged on the mind
457
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,840
to such an extent, it'll never go away.
458
00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:39,640
1:00 p.m.
459
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,360
In the operations room of 11 Group,
460
00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,320
the plotting map is cleared
of enemy markers.
461
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,080
The Luftwaffe attack
has been heavily disrupted.
462
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,120
They have lost 18 aircraft.
463
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:53,760
The RAF, 13.
464
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:56,800
But more hard fighting lies ahead.
465
00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:01,040
The Luftwaffe is gathering its forces
for a second, far greater assault
466
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,400
that will push Fighter Command
to the very limit.
467
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,440
1:05 p.m., 15th of September, 1940.
468
00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:23,360
German bombing raids have shattered
the peace of Sunday morning.
469
00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,640
The people of London
and South East England
470
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,360
begin dealing
with the aftermath of the raid.
471
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,040
Some discover more than just debris
and destruction.
472
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,680
We were in our shelter,
and we crept out.
473
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,280
And in the first apple tree
down the garden,
474
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,400
there was a parachute, opened.
475
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,520
No sign of an airman, just the parachute.
476
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:51,800
This little pickup truck came along,
I think it was a Hillman or an Austin,
477
00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,600
um, with four or five home guard
in the back.
478
00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,600
Uh, and I think they had one rifle,
479
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,520
and they asked us
where the parachutists had come down.
480
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,200
And so, we told them, and off they went.
481
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:09,760
We were told to keep them covered
482
00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,240
and make them take off their parachute.
483
00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,400
When they were captured,
those German pilots,
484
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,080
they were so arrogant,
485
00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:18,760
they couldn't do anything with them
486
00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:24,240
'cause they thought they would be,
uh, released in a few weeks,
487
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:25,440
the Brits were gonna give in.
488
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,360
I think if someone's
dropping bombs on you,
489
00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,600
you don't like those people very much.
490
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:32,840
You know, they, um…
491
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:35,640
There used to be a saying going around,
492
00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,400
that the only good German
was a dead German.
493
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,000
The other thing was,
which lightened it up for us kids,
494
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,120
was searching for shrapnel.
495
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,800
Shrapnel became a sort of currency
amongst small boys.
496
00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,320
You could swap cigarette cards
for shrapnel, or the other way around.
497
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,200
You know, a really good conker
would be worth a piece of shrapnel.
498
00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,240
Uh, and so, getting out into the streets
first was quite important.
499
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,640
What you got there?
Oh, that will make a good souvenir!
500
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,240
There would be competitions
between other boys…
501
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,360
Mostly boys. Girls as well, I suppose.
But mostly boys.
502
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:14,000
-Yeah.
-…of how much, um, you collected.
503
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,960
We collected buckets of the stuff.
504
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,120
We did find a live incendiary bomb.
505
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,920
So, I took it along to my friend's house,
who lives a bit further this way,
506
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,440
and, um, he got it on the work bench.
507
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,400
And he's drilling a hole in it,
and, of course, the magnesium…
508
00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,640
And the drill bit was getting hot,
509
00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:39,760
and there was vivid blue or mauve flame
coming off the bomb,
510
00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,000
and I decided to get out of it
as quickly as possible.
511
00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,720
And I went and told his mum.
He was rather upset about that.
512
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,480
You know, stopped his fun.
513
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,480
As soon as the, uh, people
had cleared the bomb site, we were on it.
514
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:54,720
What we were mainly looking for
were pennies
515
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,600
that, you know, might have got buried
in there that somebody--
516
00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,560
A little hoard of things, um…
517
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:02,600
Wasn't very nice,
when you come to think of it.
518
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:04,200
But then, of course, it, uh…
519
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,880
There was the sort of lightness
for us as children,
520
00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,240
little bit of adventure that, uh…
after all the horrors.
521
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:14,400
1:40 p.m.
522
00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,760
Reports are streaming in,
523
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,760
as the electronic eyes
of the radar network
524
00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,720
detect another build-up
of enemy aircraft across the channel.
525
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,000
In the afternoon, radar picked up
an even larger formation
526
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,360
forming up and crossing over the channel.
527
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,640
Although it couldn't give an exact number,
528
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,840
it was estimated to be 400 plus aircraft.
529
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,000
Our aircraft, of course,
after morning raid,
530
00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,840
had returned to ground
to rearm and refuel,
531
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,360
and were back up in the sky
to meet this threat.
532
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,400
The Luftwaffe
forms three huge columns of aircraft.
533
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:04,680
This aerial armada is determined
to batter its way through all opposition.
534
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:08,760
We didn't really know what to expect.
535
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,880
Well, we were all praying
536
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:15,360
that, um, the Air Force were gonna be
strong enough to hold out.
537
00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,760
You adopt
a sort of fatalistic attitude to it.
538
00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:21,920
You just carry on as best you can.
539
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,840
There was a phrase during the war which--
540
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,160
Saying is that if a bomb
has got your name on it,
541
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,360
that's the one to worry about.
542
00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:33,080
But at my age,
you couldn't be killed anyway, could you?
543
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:36,840
It was, um… It was a big adventure.
544
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:40,400
1:45 p.m.
545
00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:46,120
A lone Spitfire
is ordered high over the English Channel
546
00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:47,960
to wait for the incoming air fleets
547
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,840
and relay visual reports
to ground controllers.
548
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:56,880
Meanwhile, Mary is under the impression
that her memorable Sunday is over.
549
00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:01,000
She had a white wedding dress,
and she had some flowers.
550
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,320
Just little, tiny flowers
in her hair, you know.
551
00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,280
Anyway, once they'd got married,
552
00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,679
they came out the church, right?
553
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,360
Got in their car and disappeared.
554
00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,679
My father said,
"Come on, let's go home then!"
555
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,560
We'd never known
anything like this before,
556
00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:23,360
and the only consolation we had
was that everyone was in the same boat.
557
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,600
Twenty-six thousand feet
above the English coast,
558
00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:46,679
the lone, forward-patrolling Spitfire
spots the incoming German formations.
559
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:52,520
Five minutes later,
more than 450 enemy aircraft
560
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,360
begin to cross the English coast.
561
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,320
As each of his squadrons
returns to combat readiness,
562
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:02,400
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
orders them airborne once more.
563
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,120
And again, he requests help
from neighbouring groups.
564
00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,080
Okay. Okay, chaps, scramble.
565
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:11,720
2:05 p.m.,
566
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:17,400
275 fighters are scrambled
to face more than 100 bombers,
567
00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,840
escorted by over 350 enemy fighters.
568
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:26,960
Throughout South East England,
the air-raid sirens scream their warning.
569
00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,000
This is red observer.
We got hostiles, 30 plus.
570
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,040
They herald the approach
of the enemy air fleet
571
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,520
and a battle
fast moving towards its climax.
572
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:48,160
2:14 p.m.
573
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,840
The first clashes take place
high above Romney Marsh
574
00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:58,800
as three Spitfire squadrons
throw themselves into a steep dive
575
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:00,960
to attack the enemy formations.
576
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:07,560
I saw all these hundreds of Germans
coming in
577
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:12,320
and, uh, we went in as a squadron
to attack the bombers.
578
00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,160
So, I went in at this Heinkel,
579
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:18,040
they were in close formation,
580
00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,600
and the gunner never fired back at me.
581
00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,400
I always thought
that somebody had been at him first.
582
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,640
But anyway, I got an engine blazing.
583
00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:30,520
So the Spitfires would come down
to, um, see to them,
584
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,640
and the 109s would come down
to attack the Spitfires.
585
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:41,560
So, by the time we got off the end
of squirting at a whole line of bombers,
586
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,040
uh, all hell was let loose.
587
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:48,760
Speed and surprise drives them
through the escorting fighters
588
00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:50,400
and onto the bombers.
589
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,800
Had a quick poke at a bomber,
590
00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,680
then been bounced
by the 109 escort yourself.
591
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:02,960
So you would had to concentrate
on saving yourself from the 109s.
592
00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:05,800
German fighters
are hampered by orders
593
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,400
to stick close to the bomber formations
594
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,800
and struggle to beat off
the initial attacks.
595
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:17,680
I was cycling along when I saw
this aircraft coming towards me.
596
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,520
Very, very low, rooftop height.
597
00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,280
I jumped off my bicycle
and quickly ran into the station,
598
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,280
and then realised
the station wasn't a safe place to be
599
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,520
because that could obviously be a target.
600
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:34,920
The German formations battle
through to the outskirts of London.
601
00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:37,360
We went into the Anderson shelter.
602
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,480
And then, people started to say,
"Look at this!"
603
00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:43,560
And, of course, we all piled out
to see what this was.
604
00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,200
And it was just unbelievable to see
so many aircraft.
605
00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:47,800
Never seen so many aircraft.
606
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:51,600
2:30 p.m.
607
00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:57,160
The first of London's
anti-aircraft batteries open fire.
608
00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,120
With little more
than 200 heavy guns available,
609
00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,680
London is desperately short
of anti-aircraft artillery.
610
00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,720
But the barrage unsettles
the approaching bombers
611
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,040
and acts as a beacon for British fighters.
612
00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:17,640
The first thing we would see
is the cloud of anti-aircraft fire.
613
00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:20,720
We seldom saw aircraft in the air
614
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,280
'cause you could pass 500 aeroplanes
flying in the opposite direction,
615
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,400
two miles away, and not see a thing.
616
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,600
All we used to see
were the anti-aircraft shells bursting,
617
00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:32,400
and we would fly towards them.
618
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,840
And then, in the middle of those,
of course, would be the bombers.
619
00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,040
In fact, we used to say
620
00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:40,160
that the only useful thing
that the anti-aircraft did
621
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:43,640
was to provide the puffs in the air
which enabled us to see the bombers.
622
00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:46,560
My chum came in,
623
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:49,040
all his clothes had little holes in it,
624
00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:54,560
and it was shrapnel from the big guns,
uh, from the park, you know.
625
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:57,600
And they-- All the shrapnel
had gone through him,
626
00:38:57,680 --> 00:38:59,720
burnt holes all over his suit.
627
00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,280
Stretching out over town
and countryside,
628
00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,080
60 miles back to the English coastline,
629
00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:10,520
the sky is dotted
with twisting, turning aircraft
630
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,600
and streaks of vapour and smoke.
631
00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:17,400
What we can remember
632
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:20,080
is the coming down in smoke,
and screaming,
633
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:24,840
and that sort of thing, uh,
spiralling down in a column of smoke
634
00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,120
and hitting the--
When they hit the ground.
635
00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:29,960
2:33 p.m.
636
00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,720
The command system is becoming overloaded
637
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,280
with reports of squadrons engaging
638
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:37,760
and dogfights underway.
639
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,880
The situation boards
and the plotters' activity
640
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,240
tell a story of total commitment.
641
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:47,640
One would have the impression
that during the battle,
642
00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:51,520
the operations room
would be calm, controlled, and orderly.
643
00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:56,360
According to one of the ladies
that worked here, when aircraft were up,
644
00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:59,200
it was chaotic and extremely noisy.
645
00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,960
X for X-ray, four, two, 12, seven…
646
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,480
Churchill observes
the crowded plotting table,
647
00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,480
sensing that the action
is approaching a climax.
648
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,480
He looks for signs
of squadrons being held in reserve.
649
00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,800
He asked Park,
"How many reserve do we have left?"
650
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:15,720
And the answer was, "None."
651
00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:19,440
Everything was committed
for the afternoon raid.
652
00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:22,840
Park, later described as a man
653
00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:25,040
who could have lost the war
in an afternoon,
654
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,600
has sent every available squadron
into action.
655
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,560
The decisive hour has arrived.
656
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,360
2:45 p.m., 15th of September, 1940.
657
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:47,080
The battle rages over South East England.
658
00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:51,720
Every available RAF fighter squadron
is airborne and committed.
659
00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,920
British pilots are pushing themselves
to the very limit.
660
00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,240
But inevitably, bombs begin to fall
on the capital.
661
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:06,160
By the time they arrived over the city,
London was covered in cloud.
662
00:41:06,240 --> 00:41:07,400
They could not see their targets,
663
00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,640
so they just threw
their bombs out indiscriminately.
664
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,640
All of a sudden,
there was this tremendous thump.
665
00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,760
And the house shook.
666
00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:25,680
And I heard a bomb drop quite close,
667
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,200
and then another one much closer.
668
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,840
And I remember thinking to myself,
I hope there's not a third, but there was.
669
00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:38,080
All the lights went out,
it was pitch dark,
670
00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:39,960
all the dirt and dust
came up from the floor.
671
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,640
Everyone was choking,
but fortunately, we were alive.
672
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,600
Right next door to us
was the pickle factory.
673
00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:54,840
Well, that got hit,
and there was pickles flying everywhere.
674
00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:58,720
There were bottles bursting,
and, oh, everywhere, it goes.
675
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:03,120
And we went home with the bikes, you know.
There was pickles flying everywhere.
676
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,360
Bombs dropped,
and they dropped with a hell of a bang.
677
00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:12,120
And windows got blown in,
and roofs got blown off.
678
00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:16,360
And very strange things
happened to houses.
679
00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,360
You'd get them sliced right through.
680
00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:19,640
And there'd be a gap,
681
00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:22,840
and you would see all the wallpaper
of all the rooms
682
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,760
of that house that was still standing,
683
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:30,360
but these were the ghosts
of the house that had gone.
684
00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,760
I remember coming out of the church
and realising that we was being bombed.
685
00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:37,960
Well, my dad said, "Under cover!"
686
00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:43,240
There was so many bombs falling then,
and they were falling down, believe me.
687
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:44,640
'Cause the bombs was falling down,
688
00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:47,160
we was running here,
there, and everywhere,
689
00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:48,840
trying to get out the way.
690
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:50,120
We went into the shelter,
691
00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:54,120
except my brother who wanted to go home
with his wife and the baby.
692
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,320
The bomb came down
at the front of the shelter
693
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,360
and pushed him down
on top of his wife and the baby.
694
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,000
So they were saved, but he was gone.
695
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:07,160
And that was the last time I see him.
696
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:11,560
During the war, people got killed,
697
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:15,000
but you never looked at it
from that point of view.
698
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,640
I suppose the fighter pilots
were the same, really.
699
00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:20,280
They're just glad
that they shot someone down.
700
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:22,000
It was either them or us.
701
00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:31,600
Bombs have been scattered
over a wide area of South East London.
702
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:34,560
Now, the raiders turn for home.
703
00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,440
Their escort fighters have already left,
704
00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:39,960
with barely enough fuel
for the return flight.
705
00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:42,440
And then, they were sitting ducks.
706
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,560
And that's why there were
so many German bombers shot down.
707
00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:49,520
3:15 p.m.
708
00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:52,560
As the retreating bombers
reach the channel,
709
00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:58,160
they are met by fresh German fighters,
hastily dispatched from bases in France.
710
00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:02,120
Fresh British fighters,
711
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,680
racing towards the battle
from bases in Exeter, engage them.
712
00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,240
But British fighters are forced
to abandon the chase.
713
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:14,960
They are low on fuel and ammunition,
714
00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:17,720
and forbidden to pursue the enemy
out across the sea.
715
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,680
With ominous clouds piling in the skies,
716
00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:32,800
the threat
of further aerial action recedes,
717
00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:36,680
much to the relief of all who have fought
and lived through this day.
718
00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:42,480
5:25 p.m.
719
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,080
One last Luftwaffe daylight raid
is plotted.
720
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:48,920
In spite of a gruelling day's fighting,
721
00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,760
several RAF squadrons
again take to the air.
722
00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,840
The enemy raiders are a fast
hit-and-run force of fighter-bombers
723
00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:00,600
targeting the Spitfire works
at Southampton.
724
00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:05,800
But they are driven off
without loss to either side.
725
00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:12,360
For Fighter Command,
it is their last major action of the day.
726
00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:19,760
Today was the most costly
727
00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:22,080
for the German Air Force
for nearly a month.
728
00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:27,600
In daylight raids, between 350
and 400 enemy aircraft were launched
729
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,640
in two attacks against London
and South East England.
730
00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:32,840
About half of them were shot down.
731
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:36,200
In the heat of battle,
732
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:40,640
RAF pilots believe they've shot down
many more aircraft than they have.
733
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:44,160
Actual German losses
are more down-to-earth.
734
00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:51,400
The Luftwaffe has lost 79 aircraft
and more than 130 aircrew,
735
00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:55,720
compared to RAF losses of 29 aircraft
with 12 pilots killed.
736
00:45:56,960 --> 00:46:00,080
Nonetheless, it represents
a stunning victory.
737
00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:05,320
It was a defining point in the war.
738
00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:10,160
Two days later,
Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion.
739
00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:13,960
He realised that the Luftwaffe
had not defeated the Royal Air Force,
740
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:16,360
therefore, the invasion
could not go ahead.
741
00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:20,360
And you felt so proud
of these wonderful young men
742
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:21,920
who was defending us.
743
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:24,520
Yes, I mean, you, um…
744
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,080
They were, in that sense, heroes to us.
745
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:30,320
These were people giving their lives
and protecting us.
746
00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:35,120
And if I could have, you know,
learnt how to fly an aeroplane,
747
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:36,320
I'd have been up there.
748
00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:38,680
I wouldn't, of course.
My mother wouldn't let me.
749
00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:44,840
The 15th of September, 1940
was the finest hour in our history…
750
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,480
because we came so near to defeat.
751
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:53,880
It was a time when Hitler thought
he would be able to bring us to our knees,
752
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:55,080
and he failed.
753
00:46:56,320 --> 00:47:02,800
It was just, you know,
a remarkable outcome,
754
00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,200
and here we are to tell the story.
755
00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:11,200
We were at an air-raid shelter,
when an RAF pilot came in.
756
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:13,160
-And people stood up…
-Yes, oh, yes.
757
00:47:13,240 --> 00:47:14,720
-…and applauded him.
-Yes, yeah.
758
00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:17,000
He was only a young chaplain, but…
759
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:20,120
No medals,
but he had his, you know, wings.
760
00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:24,240
He was waiting, I think,
to do great things.
761
00:47:24,320 --> 00:47:27,560
But he looked so young,
but everyone stood up in that shelter.
762
00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:31,000
And rather like a theatre performance,
they applauded him.
763
00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:37,320
The fighter squadrons,
a highly-organised defence system,
764
00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:40,360
and the national spirit of resilience
765
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:42,880
have taught the Nazi regime
an abrupt lesson.
766
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:45,840
It is their first military defeat.
767
00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:48,960
There will be bombing raids
on British cities
768
00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:50,320
under the cover of night.
769
00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:53,400
There will be four more years
of hard fighting.
770
00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:57,000
But Britain itself has been saved.
771
00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:00,200
The British people have maintained
their freedom
772
00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,080
and secured their island home
from invasion.