“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”, Winston Churchill’s tribute to pilots from many nations who defended England’s skies.
In the summer and autumn of 1940, England faced one of its gravest threats in World War II. Nazi Germany sought to gain air superiority as a prelude to a feared threat of invasion.
The Battle of Britain was fought in the skies above southern England by a small, multinational group of pilots flying Spitfires and Hurricanes. They became known as ‘The Few’, immortalised by Winston Churchill’s words: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
These pilots came not only from England and the British Isles but from across the Commonwealth, occupied Europe, and beyond - Poles, Czechs, Canadians, New Zealanders, and others who joined the fight for freedom. Their courage, skill, and endurance prevented invasion and changed the course of the war.
In the story of England, the Battle of Britain pilots stand for bravery, international solidarity, and the defence of democratic values.