Air Chief Marshal Dowding believed that 10 July was the start of the Battle, although he accepted that the dates later fixed by the Air Ministry (31 October being the ‘end’) were arbitrary.

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​Indeed, on 9 July, Fighter Command suffered two pilots killed and three wounded – and that was before the Battle that was to prove so decisive in the history of the world had even, officially, started.

The first fighter pilot to be lost was Sergeant Ian Clenshaw of No 253 Squadron, whose Hurricane crashed during a dawn patrol. At about 1pm Flying Officer “Peter” Higgs became the first to be lost in action after his No 111 Squadron Hurricane collided with a Dornier Do 17 off Folkestone.

With much of the fighting in the early part of the Battle of Britain taking place over British convoys in the English Channel, both Hurricanes and Spitfires went into action early in the morning to protect a convoy off Portland, Dorset.

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An RAF pilot to receive a ducking today was Squadron Leader Peter Townsend, CO of No 85 Squadron. Flying from Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, he baled out during combat off Southwold and was picked up by a ship and landed at Harwic

A considerable fight developed over Convoy Booty off the east coast, with a number of Hurricane squadrons engaged and both sides suffering casualties.

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Sergeant Leonard Jowitt of No 85 disappeared into the sea. He would be remembered on the squadron for his double act with with Flying Officer Patrick "Weasel" Woods-Scawen in which they depicted a French General presenting a medal. A veteran of the Battle of France, Jowitt received a posthumous Mention in Despatches.

In a day of further, but sporadic, attacks on convoys, RAF losses were light but included the first Australian to die in action in the Battle. In mid afternoon, Flight Lieutenant "Jack" Kennedy led Red section of No 238 Squadron in an attack on a Dornier which eventually crashed into the sea off Chesil Beach, Dorset.

Kennedy's Hurricane was apparently hit by return fire and eventually the aircraft crashed at Southdown Farm, Lodmoor, on the outskirts of Weymouth, while the pilot was attempting to make Warmwell airfield.

Although fighting was limited, two controversial events occurred.

Firstly, Fighter Command was ordered by the Air Ministry to give no immunity to enemy float planes displaying red crosses and picking up aircrew of both sides from the Channel.

Meanwhile on the White Cliffs, BBC correspondent Charles Gardner had a grandstand view of combat over a convoy. His broadcast in dramatic terms inspired some listeners and made others think of a commentary on a football or rugby match. Gardner saw an aircraft fall and a parachute descend. He thought, or hoped, that it was a German, but in fact the aircraft was a Hurricane and the man underneath the parachute was Pilot Officer Michael Mudie of No 615 Squadron, who died in Dover hospital the next day.

There is a clip of the broadcast here.

Some of the action took place in Scotland, with Pilot Officer "Black" Morton and Pilot Officer Dudley Stewart-Clark, flying Spitfires of No 603 Squadron, shooting down a Heinkel He 111 which crashed into the sea off Peterhead. Four of the crew of five were eventually rescued and taken prisoner.

Hitler issued his directive for a landing in England, stating that his aim was to "eliminate the English motherland as a base from which war against Germany can be continued"

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Bad weather, including fog, hampered German operations. Casualties suffered by the Luftwaffe included a Junkers Ju 88 shot down off The Needles on the Isle of Wight by Flight Lieutenant Willie Rhodes-Moorhouse, commanding B Flight of No 601 Squadron. In 1915 his father had earned a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first VC awarded to an airman.

Dull and rainy weather impeded German operations, although anti-shipping sorties were flown later and mine-laying took place at various locations. The German Army completed detailed plans for an invasion along the south coast of England.

Action today included the sinking of the Goodwin sands lightship. Meanwhile, a Junkers Ju 88 engaged over Portland by RAF fighters managed to hit the No 609 Squadron Spitfire of Flight Lieutenant Frank Howell, causing him to bale out into the sea.

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Howell later wrote: "I set out with a lusty crawl for Bournemouth, thinking I might shoot a hell of a line staggering up the beach with beauteous barmaids dashing down the beach with bottles of brandy. " He seemed quite put out to be rescued by the Navy.

Today, tragically, has gone down in RAF history as the day of "the slaughter of the innocents".

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No 141 Squadron, operating the vulnerable Boulton Paul Defiant turret fighter, had arrived at West Malling. From Hawkinge the squadron mounted a patrol over the Channel, during which the Defiants were engaged by Bf 109s. Six were shot down and one returned damaged. Nine aircrew were killed. The appearance of Hurricanes from No 111 Squadron probably prevented an even worse calamity.

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The Luftwaffe meanwhile mounted a major attack on Dover

The early evening saw major clashes over convoys off Dover, with No 32 Squadron losing two Hurricanes. Squadron Leader John "Baron" Worrall made a forced landing near Hawkinge, but Sub Lieutenant Geoffrey Bulmer, shot down by Oberleutnant Priller, baled out into the sea and did not survive.

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Bulmer was one of the Fleet Air Arm pilots who flew on attachment in the Battle with Fighter Command. He is remembered on the FAA memorial at Lee-on-Solent. A third pilot from 32, Sergeant Burley Higgins, a pre-war school teacher and member of the RAFVR, landed back at Biggin Hill slightly wounded.

German casualties included a Dornier Do 17, which fell to the guns of ‘A' Flight of No 238 Squadron reconnaissance sortie and came down on Nutford Farm, Blandford Forum, Dorset.

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Despite the arrival on the scene of a number of people, including the farmer's daughter Marion Davis, who was carrying a shotgun, the crew, all wounded, managed to set the aircraft on fire before being taken prisoner.

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In a combat south of The Needles at about 3.15pm, a Bf 109 and a Hurricane of No 43 Squadron collided. Pilot Officer Ricardo de Mancha (whose father was Italian and mother English) and his Luftwaffe opponent, Leutnant Kroker, were both killed.

A quiet day, although there was considerable German minelaying activity. At Wick in the north of Scotland, No 804 Naval Air Squadron, operating Sea Gladiators, flew its first sortie in the Battle of Britain as part of No 13 Group Fighter Command.

The Luftwaffe attacked shipping off the east coast. Fighter Command made history when a Blenheim of the Fighter Interception Unit achieved the unit's first victory at night using AI radar, shooting down a Dornier Do 17 into the sea off Sussex, though the crew was rescued. Manning the successful Blenheim were Pilot Officer Ashfield (pilot), Pilot Officer Morris (observer) and Sergeant Leyland (radar operator).

A day like many others this month, with yet more fighting over convoys.

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Among the RAF casualties was Pilot Officer Johnny Allen, who, earlier in the year, had claimed No 54 Squadron's first victory of the war. His Spitfire, damaged in combat, stalled and spun in near Cliftonville, Kent. On 27 June Johnny Allen had received the DFC from the King in a ceremony at Hornchurch.

A day of increased Luftwaffe attacks and significant casualties on both sides.

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In mid-afternoon, Flight Lieutenant "Wonky" Way led ‘B' Flight of No 54 Squadron into a force of around 60 Stukas over a convoy between Dover and Deal. Messerschmitt Bf 109s joined in. Way shot down one of them, but was then killed. The Spitfire flown by Pilot Officer Douglas Turley-George was also hit but he managed to crash land near Dover.

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Another RAF pilot lost today was Squadron Leader Tom Smith, the CO of No 610 (County of Chester) Squadron. He had been a pre-war weekend pilot with this Auxiliary squadron. Some of his comrades thought that he was no longer fit enough for front line service, but Smith persevered and gave his life. After being damaged in combat, his Spitfire crashed on the airfield at Hawkinge. His body was taken back to rural Cheshire and buried in the churchyard at Delamere.

A rare Hurricane victory at night was attributed to the Australian, Pilot Officer John Cock of No 87 Squadron. His Hurricane launched its attack near the Battery Point lighthouse on the Bristol Channel. The victim may have been the Heinkel He lll that came down on a farmland close to Honiton, Devon.

In an attack on Dover Harbour, German bombers sank the destroyer, HMS Codrington. This was one of the events that persuaded the Admiralty that the threat to Dover was so great that ships should be withdrawn to Harwich and Sheerrness.

t has been claimed that two of the most famous pilots of the Battle clashed today. Major Werner Molders belly landed in France, wounded and with his Messerscmitt Bf 109 a write off. One source believes that his attacker was Flight Lieutenant "Sailor" Malan, the South African who was then ‘A' Flight commander of No 74 Squadron. Another attributes the success to Flight Lieutenant John Webster of No 41 Squadron.

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If Malan was involved he might have found the outcome satisfactory. He considered that there was a case for allowing some damaged German aircraft, with wounded men aboard, to escape back to France as a warning about what could be expected on the British side of the Channel.

Away from the action, one of the most familiar scenes of the Battle was captured by an official photographer at Hawkinge. He captured Spitfire pilots of No 610 Squadron between sorties. The squadron was based at Biggin Hill, but had moved forward to the Kent coast for the day.

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One of those in the picture is Sergeant Norman Ramsay, before the war an engineering apprentice with Vickers Supermarine, who was celebrating his 21st birthday. He survived the war with a DFC, stayed on in the RAF and eventually went to live in New Zealand, where he died in 2002.

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Dover was attacked again, though there was no major damage, and two convoys were targeted.

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Off Portland the destroyer HMS Delight was struck by a bomb and sank.

Cloud and rain reduced German operations, but when the Luftwaffe appeared Fighter Command was ready. In one example, at about 4pm off Harwich a Messerschmitt Bf 110 was shot down into the sea by Flight Lieutenant Harry Hamilton and Sergeant "Sammy" Allard of No 85 Squadron.

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Harry Hamilton, a Canadian, was a highly respected Flight Commander. He would be killed in action on 29 August and is buried in Hawkinge (previously Folkestone New) Cemetery.

Haze was the problem for those on both sides today. A combat developed over Dover in mid afternoon, involving Spitfires of No 74 Squadron, during which Pilot Officer Gunn and Sergeant Eley were shot down and killed.

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Fred Eley, a bank clerk who had trained in the RAFVR, had lived with his uncle and aunt in Aston, Cheshire. In recent years his cousin, Brian George, recalled how he learned of Fred's death. He was in the garden with his father when his mother came out of the house. She was holding a telegram and crying.

The city of Norwich was attacked in the afternoon. Bombs fell on the Boulton and Paul aircraft factory, setting fire to the offices and the joinery works. There were a number of deaths. Streets in the city were machine gunned. The following day Norwich City Council demanded that the government improve the warning system.

One of the more unusual incidents of the Battle of Britain occurred today when Heinkels attacked the SS Highlander. The ship shot one down and may have brought down a second which struck the ship and was still on its deck when the Highlander sailed into Leith.

In London Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, was made a member of the war cabinet, partly in recognition of his work in ensuring supplies of new and repaired aircraft for Fighter Command.

There were no Fighter Command combat casualties. Luftwaffe targets included Orkney and the Firth of Forth.

A very quiet day, although the onslaught would come soon. The Germans were gearing up for Adler Angriff (Eagle Attack) during which they planned that Fighter Command would be finished off. For today, though, reconnaissance sorties along the south coast and the Bristol Channel were the main activities.

Action started early, with Spitfires of No 65 Squadron attacking a number of Messerschmitt Bf 109s off Calais, sending one into the sea and damaging two more. In the afternoon there was further fighting over the Channel involving Hurricanes, Spitfires and Bf 109s.

A day that highlighted the fact that for a considerable number of Battle of Britain airmen, death came not in action, but in accidents, sometimes unexplained. Shortly after 10 am, 19-year-old Pilot Officer "Billie" Britton of No 17 Squadron took off from Debden on a routine test. Almost immediately his Hurricane crashed and burned out, with the pilot being killed

Action was light and Fighter Command losses were not combat related. In one incident a Spitfire of No 616 Squadron crashed and exploded near Leconfield during night flying practice. The pilot, Pilot Officer Donald Smith, a geography teacher before he joined the RAF, is believed to have baled out unhurt. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 3 September and fatally wounded in action on 27 September.

Another crash involved the first production Westland Whirlwind allocated to No 263 Squadron at Grangemouth. During a training flight it crashed near Stenhousemuir; Pilot Officer I M McDermott descended by parachute. He was slightly injured.

The RAF fought "The Battle of Convoy Peewit" after German radar picked up the convoy and attacks were launched by both E boats and the Luftwaffe. The aerial battle was particularly intense off the Isle of Wight at lunchtime. Another major assault took place off Swanage in the late afternoon and the convoy suffered considerable casualties.

There were Fighter Command losses too, including the No 257 Squadron Hurricane of Sergeant Kenneth Smith, which fell into the sea off St Catherine's Point. The pilot was killed and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. Remarkably, though, two days later "Lord Haw Haw" broadcast Smith's name and address on German radio, stating that he was a Prisoner of War. This caused Kenneth Smith's mother to leave his room untouched for many years, convinced that he would one day return home.

Another familiar scene from the Battle created by the fighting off Swanage was the sight of a wrecked Spitfire on its nose in a Dorset field. Sergeant Denis Robinson of No 152 Squadron was unscathed.

Weather conditions meant it was a quieter day. The shipyard at Sunderland was bombed, convoys along the east coast came under attack and an attempt was made to destroy balloons protecting Dover.

There was only low key German activity today, with bombs falling near West Malling airfield in Kent. Norwich was once again a target, with bombers attacking the Boulton Paul factory. Other raiders failed to find the Rolls-Royce factory at Crewe. Mines were laid in a number of coastal areas.

The day began with attacks on Dover and nearby convoys, but these actions were a feint. The true purpose of German operations today was to deal a major blow to the Portland naval base, a frequent target in 1940.

And so the "Battle of Portland" came to be fought, the Chain Home station at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight giving some of the first warnings of what was to come. Heavy casualties on both sides developed.

Twenty miles off Swanage a fellow pilot saw Flying Officer Dick Demetriadi of No 601 Squadron chasing a hostile aircraft, with fuel leaking from his Hurricane. He did not return and the CO, Squadron Leader the Hon Edward Ward, led an unsuccessful search. Demetriadi's father later donated land at Ditchling Beacon to the National Trust in his son's memory.

Flight Lieutenant Robert "Social Type" Jeff of No 87 Squadron (he was always immaculate) was last seen diving to attack an enemy machine off Portland Bill. Jeff (who had already been awarded the DFC and bar and the French Croix de Guerre) was also unaccounted for at the end of the day.

Portland, however, survived.

With excellent weather over southern Britain forecast for the 13th, today saw attempts to soften up the defences. Dover Chain Home station was damaged and more severe harm was caused at Ventnor. Manston airfield was temporarily put out of action and there was serious damage in Portsmouth.

Amongst the RAF casualties was Sergeant Sydney Stuckey, who had served in France with No 73 Squadron before transferring to No 213 Squadron. Today he did not return from an action over the Channel. He is commemorated on panel 20 of the Runnymede Memorial

13th August 1940

The Luftwaffe finally launched Adler Tag (Eagle Day), which was intended to be the beginning of the end for Fighter Command.

A major reason for the failure of this objective was poor German intelligence, something that handicapped them throughout the Battle. As an example, Detling airfield in Kent was attacked today and nearly 70 people were killed but this was a Coastal Command station and therefore not key to the Battle.

After the day's fighting, wrecks of enemy aircraft lay across southern England. Associated Press photographed a smashed Dornier of the Holzhammer Geschwader, shot down by RAF fighters, lying across the railway line at Barham between Canterbury and Folkestone. The crew, including Oberleutnant Oswald, Staffel Fuehrer, were taken prisoner. Another Dornier from the same unit came down not far away at Paxton Farm, Stodmarsh, with the crew being captured.

Less fortunate was the crew of a Junkers Ju 88 from the Death's Head Geschwader. Attacked by Hurricanes from Nos 43 and 601 Squadrons, the aircraft crashed and exploded by Arundel Castle. All on board were killed or died later.

As if wearied by its efforts of the previous day, the Luftwaffe flew far fewer sorties. Manston and Middle Wallop airfields were amongst the targets and the main line of the Southern Railway was blocked at Southampton by debris.

Three instructors at No 7 Operational Training Unit at Hawarden took off in Spitfires and shot down a Heinkel He lll near Chester. Because they were not serving with a "designated unit" their sortie, despite its success, did not qualify them for the Battle of Britain Clasp. The strict rules regarding who qualified for the Clasp continue to provoke debate and discussion to this day.

For the Luftwaffe this was "Black Thursday", as it deployed major forces to attack airfields and Chain Home stations, while seeking to bring up Fighter Command to battle. The Germans suffered casualties on a large scale.

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Once again, faulty intelligence was part of the problem. Believing that Fighter Command was not in a position to resist in the area, a significant force was sent to north east England from airfields in Norway and Denmark. The mistake became apparent off the Farne Islands when Flight Lieutenant Ted Graham led the Spitfires of No 72 Squadron into action. Other squadrons joined in.

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In the south the Stukas suffered. While trying to escape from RAF fighters, one struck power lines and crashed in Shornecliffe Crescent, Folkestone. Unteroffiziers Weber and Krauss died. A few years ago signs of the damage to property could still be detected.

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A sense of great events reached 10 Downing Street. John Colville, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, noted that the reports of enemy losses "kept on mounting". Eventually, that evening, Mr Churchill described today, 15 August as, "one of the greatest days in history."

Soon after 1 pm Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson of No 249 Squadron was about to abandon his burning Hurricane over the outskirts of Southampton when a Bf 110 flew in front of him. "Nick" Nicolson remained in the cockpit to shoot down the enemy aircraft.

At first Nicolson was not expected to survive his burns, although as he waited to be taken to hospital after descending by parachute he dictated a telegram to his wife Muriel, in Yorkshire: "Shot down, very slightly hurt. Full particulars later." He eventually recovered and returned to operations.

More than two months later a recommendation for a DFC for Nicolson was upgraded by Air Vice Marshal Park at No 11 Group to a recommendation for the Victoria Cross. This was endorsed by Air Chief Marshal Dowding and shortly afterwards the award was announced the only VC ever awarded for service in Fighter Command.

Elsewhere today the sector station at Tangmere was bombed, with 13 people killed. Considerable damage was done at RAF Brize Norton, not part of Fighter Command, and the Chain Home station at Ventnor, Isle of Wight was put out of action.

Today say the death of Pilot Officer Billy Fiske of No 601 Squadron, one of the American volunteers to fly with the RAF in the Battle.

Fiske's Hurricane had been hit by return fire from a Ju 87 over Bognor Regis the day before and had forced-landed back at Tangmere on fire. At the time the airfield was being bombed, but groundcrew carried him clear. He had appeared to be recovering in hospital before his death from burns and shock.

In 1941 a memorial plaque was unveiled in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, praising Billy Fiske as, "An American Citizen Who Died That England Might Live".

Luftwaffe activity was limited to scattered raids and reconnaissance.

RAF airfields were targeted today, including Kenley and Biggin Hill. Part of the German plan was to send bombers across the Channel at very low level to beat the British defences, but the Observer Corps post on Beachy Head gave an early warning of what was happening. Among a series of spectacular photographs of the low level formation taken by a German official photographer flying in a Dornier was one of people running for cover in Burgess Hill, Sussex, as the force crossed the town.

Both sides suffered heavy casualties in intense fighting. It was claimed that the Dornier that crash landed at Leaves Green near Biggin Hill had been brought down by fire from the Home Guard, but the evidence, including that of the pilot, Oberleutnant Lamberty, indicates that the Kenley ground defences and RAF fighters deserve the credit.

The Stukas suffered. Another memorable photograph, taken from the ground, shows one tumbling to destruction on the outskirts of Chichester.

Among the RAF pilots lost was Sergeant Peter Walley of No 615 Squadron, whose Hurricane crashed at Morden. Witnesses suggested that he had stayed with the stricken aircraft to steer it away from houses. Others described another piece of heroism; Flight Lieutenant "Conny" Connors of No 111 Squadron still firing at a German bomber from his burning Hurricane, moments before it crashed. The aircraft had been hit by anti-aircraft fire over Kenley.

While there was far less activity than on the previous day, there were several attacks, including one on Dover. Various cities suffered at night, including Liverpool, Southampton, Bristol, Leicester and Sheffield.

Pembroke Dock in south west Wales, where there was a Coastal Command base, was attacked, leaving oil tanks blazing. It was claimed that the fire, which lasted well over two weeks, was the greatest conflagration in the UK since the Great Fire of London.

Although activity was restricted by cloud and rain, Pembroke Dock was bombed again and there were attacks on various towns and airfields, shipping and the Dover balloon barrage.

A Blenheim of No 236 Squadron, based at St Eval in Cornwall, was hit by anti aircraft fire over Pembroke Dock, but managed to return to its base. One of the Fleet Air Arm pilots attached to RAF squadrons was lost when a Hurricane flown by Midshipman P J Patterson dived into the sea off the east coast during a patrol by No 242 Squadron. The cause was not discovered. Patterson's body wasn't found and he is remembered on the Fleet Air Arm Memorial, Lee-on-Solent.

More poor weather was a problem for the Luftwaffe but it mounted "tip and run" raids that resulted in a significant number of German casualties. A Dorner, for instance, tasked to attack North Weald airfield, fell in the early evening at Gippeswyk Park, Ipswich. It was claimed by Flight Lieutenant "Squeak" Weaver and Flying Officer Brooker of No 56 Squadron. The crew survived to be taken prisoner.

Brooker was slightly wounded by return fire from the Dornier and his aircraft was damaged. It burned out after he forced-landed at the village of Bramford, west of Ipswich.

Ten days later Weaver was shot down in combat with enemy fighters over Colchester. His Hurricane fell into the River Blackwater and his name appears on the Runnymede Memorial.

"Squeak" Weaver's initials were P S W, hence his nickname, which was a reference to the long running Daily Mirror/Sunday Pictorial cartoon characters, Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. The set of three medals most commonly awarded to soldiers who served in the Great War was also known by those names.

In what was a day of limited enemy activity, Fighter Command nevertheless suffered a number of casualties. In the early evening, two Spitfires of No 616 Squadron were hit in combat with Bf 109s over Dover. Pilot Officer "Buck" Casson managed to return to Kenley, but Flying Officer "Cocky" Dundas, after struggling to escape from his stricken aircraft, took to his parachute and landed on Adam and Eve Hill at the village of Elham, with a dislocated shoulder. His aircraft fell nearby.

At much the same time a Spitfire of No 65 Squadron, flown by Sergeant Michael Keymer, crashed at the village of Bazinghen, in the Pas de Calais. French civilians later reported that a German officer shot the badly injured pilot as he lay on the ground. He was buried in the village churchyard and local people established the custom of holding a service every year at his grave.

Michael Keymer's brother John was lost as a Sergeant in Bomber Command. The Wellington from No 149 Squadron, of which he was skipper, failed to return from an attack on Hamburg in May 1941. One of the air gunners who was lost with him was Sergeant Thomas Nathan Menage, who had flown in Blenheims of No 29 Squadron in the Battle of Britain.

The Fort Dunlop tyre works in Birmingham was attacked, as were targets in south Wales and various other locations including Tangmere, Maidstone, Colchester and Harwich. Bombs were jettisoned in the London suburbs.

A Dornier attacking factories in Coventry fell to anti aircraft fire and made a forced landed at Lodge Farm, Wickham Brook, near Bury St Edmunds. The crew was captured, including Oberleutnant Hellmers, a Staffel Kapitan.

With fine and clear weather across southern England, the Luftwaffe began to put into practice orders issued a few days previously by Goering. They were aimed at weakening Fighter Command "by means of ceaselss attacks".

Manston, North Weald and Hornchurch were among the airfields hit. About 100 people were killed during an attack on Portsmouth. Poor navigation was the main reason why bombs intended for Rochester and the oil installations at Thameshaven fell in various parts of London.

At East Langdon near Dover, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 forced landed in a field after combat with RAF fighters over Manston. The pilot, Oberfeldwebel Beeck, surrendered to an armed police officer.

A Heinkel He lll of Legion Condor crash landed at Bulphan, Essex. The crew, some wounded, escaped before it exploded. Later the News Chronicle newspaper photographed the remains being guarded by men of the Home Guard, with a very young ARP messenger also present.

The Heinkel had been attacking Hornchurch airfield when it fell to the Hurricanes of Squadron Leader Kayll and Pilot Officer McClintock of No 615 Squadron. Joe Kayll had been one of a very small number of pilots awarded both the DSO and DFC for the Battle of France. He later led the Hornchurch Wing, became a PoW and was persistent in escape activities.

What began as a quiet day significantly changed its character from the late afternoon. A considerable force of bombers, with heavy fighter escort, headed towards Dorset with the airfield at Warmwell as one of its targets. Soon afterwards another large force headed towards Dover and the Thames estuary. Both attacks were heavily engaged by RAF fighters.

This was a period when there were moves to improve the British ability to rescue downed aircrew from the sea, something at which the Germans were considerably better at that stage of the war. For example, former army co-operation Lysanders were being used to search for downed airmen and were now under the control of Fighter Command.

Packs containing flourescine, a chemical that caused the sea around an airman to turn bright green, were being issued. This morning they were handed out to Hurricane pilots of No 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill, who were told to sew the packs on their lifejackets. Not everyone did so immediately, but one who did was Pilot Officer Jack Rose. He was shot down into the Channel during the evening, and two hours later a searching aircraft spotted the dye and directed a ship to his position. Rose survived into old age.

There was heavy fighting, with airfields including Debden, Hornchurch and Biggin Hill targeted. Bombs fell across Kent, in many cases jettisoned by bombers that had failed to reach their targets.

Today was the day the "Goodwin Sands Dornier", raised in 2013 under the auspices of the RAF Museum, went into the sea.

The RAF casualties included Pilot Officer William Walker of No 616 Squadron, who baled out wounded, was rescued from the Channel by the Navy and brought ashore at Ramsgate to be greeted by a cheering crowd. A collection of William's poetry was published by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust not long before his death in 2012. Copies are still available including some signed by William.

In contrast to yesterday, the Luftwaffe posed little threat today.

This was the period of the Battle when a number of squadrons that had been depleted and wearied by their time on the front line were sent north for a rest. Today No 32 Squadron left Biggin Hill for Acklington in Northumberland. A number of recently arrived pilots, not considered to be in need of a rest, were sent to No 501 Squadron at Gravesend. No 32 Squadron returned south in mid December, with a move to Middle Wallop.