Skip to main content

Battle of Britain (1940)

 Subject
Subject Source: UK Archival Thesaurus

Found in 20 Collections and/or Records:

 Unknown

"Give us the tools", 9 Feb 1941

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/150A/52-75
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's broadcast (BBC) on the war situation including: the repulsion of the threat of German invasion, the Blitz and the bombing of Britain; the strength of British spirit; the Italian attack on Greece; successes in Libya and Egypt, including victory at Sidi Barrani under General Sir Archibald Wavell [Commander in Chief Middle East] and General [Henry] Wilson; successes of the British Mediterranean Fleet against the Italian navy under Admiral [Sir Andrew] Cunningham...
Dates: 9 Feb 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2 and appendices: 'Final' proofs., 16 Aug 1948 - 21 Feb 1949

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/183A-B
Scope and Contents Includes typescript and galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz"; Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 22 "The Mediterranean Passage"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 13 "At Bay" (provisionally entitled "Alone"); Appendix A "Minutes and Telegrams, May -...
Dates: 16 Aug 1948 - 21 Feb 1949
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2 and Appendices: Master copy proofs., 06 Dec 1948 - 21 Dec 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/181A-B
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz"; Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 22 "The Mediterranean Passage"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State for War]; Chapter 26...
Dates: 06 Dec 1948 - 21 Dec 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2 and appendices: Proofs for Sir Edward Marsh., 25 Feb 1948 - 25 Aug 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/188A-C
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz" (provisionally entitled "The Blitz Continues"); Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State for War]; Chapter 26...
Dates: 25 Feb 1948 - 25 Aug 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2 and appendices: Proofs for William Deakin., 21 Aug 1948 - 30 Nov 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/192A-C
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz"; Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 22 "The Mediterranean Passage"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State for War]; Chapter 26...
Dates: 21 Aug 1948 - 30 Nov 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2 and appendices: 'Starred final' proofs., 22 Oct 1948 - 16 Feb 1949

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/185A-B
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 7 "Back to France"; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz"; Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 22 "The Mediterranean Passage"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State...
Dates: 22 Oct 1948 - 16 Feb 1949
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Book 2: Proofs for CSC., 01 Mar 1948 - 29 Nov 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/190A-B
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs of: contents tables for Book 2; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 17 "The Blitz"; Chapter 18 "'London Can Take It'"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 24 "Dakar" [Senegal]; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State for War]; Chapter 26 "Relations with Vichy [France] and Spain"...
Dates: 01 Mar 1948 - 29 Nov 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Comments by Sir Norman Brook., 28 Jan 1948 - 01 Nov 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/193
Scope and Contents Includes notes by Sir Norman Brook [later 1st Lord Normanbrook, Secretary to the Cabinet] on Volume 2, on subjects including: Chapter 1 "The National Coalition"; Chapter 2 "The Battle of France. The First Week. [General Maurice] Gamelin"; Chapter 3 "The Battle of France. The Second Week. [General Maxime] Weygand"; Chapter 5 "The Deliverance of Dunkirk"; Chapter 8 "Home Defence. June"; Chapter 10 "The Bordeaux Armistice"; Chapter 13 "At Bay" (provisionally entitled "Alone"); Chapter 16 "The...
Dates: 28 Jan 1948 - 01 Nov 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Notes and comments by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall., 02 Mar 1941 - 16 Jun 1949

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/196A-C
Scope and Contents Includes notes and comments by Pownall on subjects including: factual and printing errors throughout Volume 2; the build-up to the German attack on the Soviet Union; the build-up to "Dynamo" [codename for the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France]; the British Expedition Force; the meeting between 6th Lord Gort [Commander-in-Chief of British Field Force, earlier John Vereker] and General Maxime Weygand [Commander-in-Chief, French Army], May 1940; British casualties; the defence of...
Dates: 02 Mar 1941 - 16 Jun 1949
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": 'Superseded' proofs., 01 Mar 1948 - 27 Aug 1948

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/186
Scope and Contents Includes galley proofs from: Chapter 12 "The Apparatus of Counter-Attack. 1940"; Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain"; Chapter 19 "The Wizard War"; Chapter 20 "United States Destroyers and West Indian Bases"; Chapter 21 "Egypt and the Middle East"; Chapter 23 "September Tensions"; Chapter 25 "Mr Eden's Mission" [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon, Secretary of State for War]; Chapter 27 [Benito] "Mussolini Attacks Greece"; Chapter 28 "Lend-Lease"; Chapter 30 "Ocean Peril" (provisionally...
Dates: 01 Mar 1948 - 27 Aug 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Various material., 22 May 1940 - 15 Jan 1949

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/198
Scope and Contents Includes: extracts from the Belgian press on the surrender of Belgium in 1940, with comments by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall; issue of the Air Ministry pamphlet "The Battle of Britain"; typescript draft of Chapter 16 "The Battle of Britain" annotated by WSC, Denis Kelly and [?] Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park [former Commander of No 11 Fighter Group]; supplements to the London Gazette on the Battle of Britain and the evacuation from Dunkirk [France], containing despatches from Air...
Dates: 22 May 1940 - 15 Jan 1949
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

"My family saga", 1955 - 1976

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/GALN 2
Scope and Contents Autobiographical account by George Allen written for his family covering his life and naval career, highlighting key events and turning points and analysing his response to them. Also includes details of people, colleagues and family members. Subjects, issues and people covered include: childhood and education; his mother, Beatrice Allen (née Wilkinson, known as Betty) and her circumstances and career; joining the Royal Navy aged 12, naval traditions, reforms to the navy by [Sir...
Dates: 1955 - 1976
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge.
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 23 May 1940 - 04 Jul 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/140A-B
Scope and Contents Statement by WSC (23 May) on fighting in France. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard. Published: Complete Speeches VI p 6223.Hansard copy of statement by WSC (28 May) on the fall of Belgium. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 6223-4.Notes for WSC's speech (4 June) entitled "Wars are not won by evacuations" on the fall of Belgium, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk [France] and the successes of the RAF. Speech includes the phrase "We shall fight on the...
Dates: 23 May 1940 - 04 Jul 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 08 Oct 1940 - 19 Dec 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/142A-B
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (8 October) on the Battle of Britain, the Home Guard and the Home Front, Hitler's threat to invade Britain, events at Dakar [Senegal], the desertion of Vichy France, the Burma road [between Burma, later Myanmar, and China] and events in Spain. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6284-94.Notes for WSC's statement (17 October) on Robert Boothby [Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Food] and Czechoslovak claims.Notes for WSC's speech (5 November) on the war situation,...
Dates: 08 Oct 1940 - 19 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 05 Nov 1940 - 19 Dec 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/175
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (5 November) on the war situation including the air battles, the bombing of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, the threat posed by U Boats, the possibility of invasion by Germany, civil defence and the Home Guard, affairs in Egypt and the Middle East, and the Italian invasion of Greece. Source material includes correspondence from 1st Lord Beaverbrook [earlier Max Aitken, Minister for Aircraft Production], Henry Strutt [Assistant Under-Secretary of...
Dates: 05 Nov 1940 - 19 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

"Their Finest Hour", 18 Jun 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/140A/32-55
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (18 June) entitled "Their Finest Hour" on subjects including: fighting in France; the importance of unity and respect for government Ministers; preparations, defence and forces for fighting invasion by Germany, the strength of the Royal Navy; the campaign in Norway; forecasting the Battle of Britain and the determination of the RAF; support from the Dominions. He ends "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and...
Dates: 18 Jun 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

"War cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: Weekly Resume (no.40) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation", 30 May- 6 Jun 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/5/1-14
Scope and Contents Detailed summary of the war situation including: the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk including the effect of weather conditions, numbers evacuated, naval losses and attacks by German bombers; attacks by U-boats on seaborne trade; anti-submarine operations; German trade; overview of the military and air situation covering Norway, Italy, the North Sea and coastal operations, the bombing of Great Britain, attacks on Germany by Bomber Command, French and German air...
Dates: 30 May- 6 Jun 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

"War Cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: Weekly Resume (no.56) of the naval, military and air situation from 12 noon September to 12 noon September 26th, 1940", 27 Sep 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/6/86-99
Scope and Contents Summary of events including: attempted landing at Dakar by General [Charles] de Gaulle; U boat activity in the North Atlantic and shipping losses; operations by German raiders; information about the disposition of German and Italian troops; events in Greece, Yugoslavia [later Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia], Bulgaria, the Mediterranean and the Middle East; air attacks on Germany (including Berlin) and on invasion ports in France and...
Dates: 27 Sep 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

"Wars are not won by evacuations", 04 Jun 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/140A/9-28
Scope and Contents Typescript copy of notes for WSC's speech on the fall of Belgium and surrender of King [Leopold] of Belgium; the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk [France]; the successes of the RAF; losses of men and weaponry; military development and the possibility of German invasion. Speech includes the phrase "We shall fight on the beaches . . . We shall never surrender".Carbon typescript copy with some manuscript annotations in ink [not by WSC] laid out in "psalm style" apart...
Dates: 04 Jun 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

"Westward, look, the land is bright", 27 Apr 1941

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/150B/124-142
Scope and Contents Speaking notes for WSC's broadcast (27 April, BBC) on the war situation including: public morale; his tours of bomb-damaged cities; General Sir Archibald Wavell's [Commander in Chief Middle East] successes in Libya; German successes in the Balkans and British support for Greece; admiration in the United States for Great Britain; praise for troops from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC); condemnation of [Benito] Mussolini "This whipped jackal"; the Battle of the Atlantic and praise...
Dates: 27 Apr 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open