Queen Marks Battle Of Britain Anniversary

The Queen has watched a flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, to mark the 75th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain.

She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and other members of the Royal Family in central London.

Four Spitfires and two Hurricanes, the iconic aircraft from the battle, led the flypast. They were followed by four RAF Typhoon fighter jets, representing the squadrons that flew in 1940.

The Battle of Britain was one of the most significant moments in British history. In the summer of 1940 Adolf Hitler, having captured France, looked to invade the last bastion of democratic Europe - Britain. The plan was known as Operation Sealion.

Hitler ordered the German Luftwaffe to bomb the country into surrender. The defence of Europe rested with the Royal Air Force.

On 10 July 1940, the Luftwaffe carried out a series of attacks on shipping convoys in the Channel.

Two hundred patrols, involving 641 aircraft were flown by the RAF that day . The pilots shot down 14 enemy aircraft and damaged 23 more. It would be the start of a battle for air supremacy that would take months to win.

The Spitfires and Hurricanes of Fighter Command were outnumbered by the German bombers, which flew over the English Channel in their hundreds.

Many of the pilots were young men still in their teens. From airfields around southern England, they would run to their aircraft at a moment's notice when the sirens sounded. They would take off, often more than once a day, knowing that their chances of returning alive were not good.

Nearly 3,000 aircrew served with Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. Around 30 are still alive, and six of those men are having lunch with the Queen at the RAF Club in Piccadilly today.

Leading the flypast in a Spitfire was Squadron Leader Duncan Mason, officer commanding the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby, who said: "For us, taking part today was an incredible honour.

"Events like these events don't happen, but today gave us - the RAF and the nation - the opportunity to commemorate and recognise those extraordinary feats 75 years ago.

"Knowing that six Battle of Britain veteran pilots were watching us, flying the very same aircraft they won the battle in, was humbling and I hope we did them proud."

By early September, Fighter Command was on the back foot. Squadrons were rotated around the country to allow them time to recover. Airfields were taking a pounding. Valuable aircraft were being destroyed by German bombs. Air crew were exhausted. German intelligence estimated that Fighter Command only had 150-300 aircraft left.

But Hitler was becoming impatient. He ordered the Luftwaffe to turn its attention on London, which had been largely untouched until now. Although this new campaign, the Blitz, destroyed large parts of London, it took some pressure off Fighter Command and allowed them to regroup.

The 15 September was Hitler's deadline for invasion plans to be finalised.

On that day the Luftwaffe launched a sustained wave of attacks on Britain believing the RAF to be close to collapse. But Fighter Command was refreshed and fought back hard. It was an enormous blow to German morale.

Two days later, on 17 September, realising the RAF wouldn't be defeated easily, Hitler suspended Operation Sealion. The RAF had won.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," said Winston Churchill during the bombing campaign on 20 August, 1940.