The Battle of Britain:
A beginner's guide
Researching the battle
The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
Tel: 020 8876 3444
Fax: 020 8392 5286
Textphone: 020 8392 9198
Website: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
The National Archives hold records that relate to Fighter Command and the Battle of Britain, stored on microfiche and microfilm. There are pilots' combat records, squadron reports and station reports, as well as information on the many important meetings that took place at the Air Ministry during the Battle of Britain. Check out Royal Air Force: Operational Records to see what is available.
Defence for researchers
www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/
Researchers/FindHistoricalInformation.htm
Access historical MOD and armed forces information and link to information of wider historical interest.
Battle of Britain Historical Society
Contact: Bill Bond
Gunthorpe
Melton Constable
Norfolk NR24 2N5
Tel: 01263 861 476
Fax: 01263 861 483
E-mail: BillatBOBHS@aol.com
The society's aims are to:
• perpetuate the memory of the Battle of Britain
• ensure that the Battle of Britain be properly commemorated in
future years
• find and record grave locations of Battle of Britain airmen
wherever in the world they are buried
• assist, wherever possible, in the renovation and maintenance
of neglected graves of Battle of Britain airmen
• give lectures on the Battle to students in schools throughout
Britain, the Commonwealth and the US
• pay regular visits to the graves of those Battle of Britain
airmen who no longer have family or friends to visit them.
The society also publishes the Scramble! newsletter, and has
an extensive website.
The Friends of the Few
Contact: Group Captain Patrick Tootal OBE RAF(retd)
4 The Croft
Leybourne
West Malling
Kent ME19 5QD
Tel: 01622 791 269 (office hours)
Formed on 1 January 2001, the Friends of the Few was created to pay
tribute not only to the airmen of Fighter Command, but also to the men
and women, military and civilian, who contributed to victory in 1940.
It has the close support and encouragement of the Battle of Britain Fighter
Association, to which belong most of the surviving airmen who fought
the battle. Members have privileged access to these veterans at the Memorial
Day held at the Capel-le-Ferne Memorial in July every year. They receive 1940 magazine at least once a year,
with newsletters at regular intervals. Annual membership costs £25
for individuals (£10 for those under 18); corporate membership is
also available.
