I recieved a message yesterday from an interested reader regarding the information I have placed in this thread as follows ...
... buts whats the Source, book, ISBN, pamphlet, article
The figures I have quoted do not come from a single source as there is so much out there regarding the BoB including many sources that contradict each other. As part of a timeline I am currently involved in writing (
Ready to be shot out of the sky) I set out to compile as much data as possible so that I could analyse the campaign myself rather than relying on other peoples opinions and conclusions.
The following list of sources is not exhaustive; many others have been used in my research of the subject and to fill in specific holes that the following sources hint at. For instance where there are confused or conflicting details of downed RAF aircraft other sources have been accessed to give clarity. I have always consciously avoided referencing personal biographies and autobiographies of historical events or books that contain the authors analysis of events as they can tend to be a little one sided and lead the reader down a path guided by the author despite them often being a very good read and full of useful information … but I have found that information regularly needs to be verified.
The Battle Re-Thought – A symposium on the Battle of Britain; Sponsored jointly by the Royal Air Force Historical Society and the Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell dated 25th June 1990. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the battle a seminar was held at Bracknell on 25th June 1990 attended by 300 delegates. Those present included students of the RAF Staff College, serving airmen, historians, men who were involved in the battle and a group of similar delegates from Germany. The morning session was devoted to six papers presented to those gathered covering various aspects of the battle and the afternoon involved group discussion between those present about the aspects presented in the morning. This 120 page document contains edited text of the talks and a summary of the main discussion points.
The Defence of the United Kingdom, Basil Collier 1957 (Part of the History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Series). This publication provides details of the actions taken by the UK to ensure that threat of invasion was negated including not only those taken during the war but also the thinking behind the strategies devised between the wars. It includes a wealth of knowledge gleaned from official War Office documents, for which the author was given full access, including very useful maps and illustrations.
RAF Aircraft L1000-N9999. James Halley. Air Britain
RAF Aircraft P1000-R9999. James Halley. Air Britain
RAF Aircraft T1000-V9999. James Halley. Air Britain
RAF Aircraft W1000-Z9999. James Halley. Air Britain
This series of books contain listings of aircraft built and supplied to the Royal Air Force. The listings include delivery dates by month and year, the registration number of each plane, the units the aircraft served in and what the final fate of the aircraft was.
For example –
- P2535 was a Hawker Hurricane delivered in November 1939 which served in 85 squadron and was lost in France in May 1940.
- P2681 was a Hawker Hurricane Delivered between Nov ’39 and July ’40 which served in 245 Sqn, 238 Sqn, 59 Operational Training Unit (OTU), 55 OTU, 9 Flying Training School, 116 Sqn, 245 Sqn, 87 Sqn, 55 OTU before being retired on 27th May 1944.
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net – a comprehensive listing of Spitfire/Seafire aircraft which expands greatly and adds more detail to the entries found in the RAF Aircraft listings above.
www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk – a good site that includes a list of all pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain and a summary of the actions they were involved in.
www.raf.mod.uk – a good source for all things Royal Air Force which includes a useful section on the Battle of Britain particularly useful as a tool for cross referencing other sources and checking information found elsewhere. Includes summaries of each days action, the targets, the state of the RAF and statistics.
www.battleofbritain1940.net – The Battle of Britain Historical Society website. An excellent website that includes a chronology of the Battle of Britain in detail describing the major actions of each day and providing useful background information on the strategies used and the equipment involved. It also provides eye witness accounts from those involved and relevant passages from the numerous books written on the subject by a number of different authors.
www.naval-history.net – a good source of information relating to naval operations, ship movements, battles and air attacks.
www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar - a series of individual articles written by various authors on the events of World War 2.
www.pastscape.org.uk – contains information on historical sites across England.
In his opening introduction to the Symposium on the Battle of Britain, Air Chief Marshall Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris spoke of an exercise he had been asked to conduct, See Adler –
“… I will tell you one thing about this exercise which I hope will give you food for thought. I was detached as a member of the Directing Staff to write a big appreciation exercise on the Battle of Britain and after a week I sought an interview with the Assistant Commandant. I said ‘I am awfully sorry, but I have applied all the usual considerations to the exercise – such as factors affecting the attainment of the aim and the balance of the forces – and the Germans must win. What do I do? He said ‘Go and fudge it!’, so I did and it has been fudged ever since.
This brings me to the only other thing that I am going to say in the short time that I have been allotted. We really do want to know not only why we won, but whether we did win. So please do not toe the party line when you are studying and reporting on this exercise. If you are merely going to repeat what everyone else has said – and there are twenty-eight new books this year on the subject (1990) – it really is rather a waste of time. But if you can think of anything original that might possibly have affected the battle, for heaven’s sake bring it up. I know that I reflect the views of the Commandant and the Directing Staff in saying this.”