Now commemorated as “Battle of Britain Day”, today was the day people in Kent and London witnessed large battles between Fighter Command and the Luftwaffe.

Just before noon, a Hurricane of No 229 Squadron from Northolt crashed at Staplehurst railway station in Kent; the Belgian pilot, Pilot Officer Georges Doutrepont, was killed, as was 18-year-old booking clerk Charles Ashdown, who had agreed to change his shift that day to help a colleague.

German casualties were heavy, although not nearly as heavy as was claimed at the time.

Many would remember the Dornier, part of which fell on the forecourt of Victoria station in London, having been attacked by a number of fighters. Sadly the idea that it was deliberately rammed by a Hurricane of No 504 Squadron holds little water.

Large formations of German aircraft were detected building up across the Channel at around 11 am. A second attack would follow at lunch time. Squadrons from Nos 10, 11 and 12 Groups all took part in the actions against these formations.