VIRTUAL RESOURCES

THE BUNKER

THE BATTLE UNDERGROUND

The new Controller’s Cabin soundscape at the Battle of Britain Bunker is now complete and ready to be enjoyed by visitors.

The Controller’s Cabin was an important location during the Second World War where vital decisions were made on how, when and where to intercept enemy aircraft. Inside that room Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group, worked alongside his Senior Controllers to determine how best to defend Britain.

The soundscape enables members of the public to hear the voices, sounds and decisions that would have been heard on the morning of 15 September 1940, now known as ‘Battle of Britain Day’, due to the decisive outcome of the fighting that occurred between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe.

The launch on 31 October 2020, marks the 80th anniversary of what is now recognised as the last day of the Battle of Britain. Although the end of the anniversary period, it is intended that this permanent installation will act as a legacy to all that served with No. 11 Group (Fighter Command) during the Second World War. No. 11 Group was at the heart of the Dowding System – the world’s first integrated air defence system – which coordinated fighter aircraft, ground defences, and cutting-edge technology to protect Britain during the war alongside organising offensive operations over Europe.

Visitors will learn about the role and duties of the Group Controller and see the brand new re-display of the Controller’s desk, which includes communications equipment, operational reports, maps and other intriguing items.

One object of particular interest is a 1930s dip pen that was found during a recent clean under the desk. The nib is twisted and broken, but given its age, where it was located and the style of pen it is very likely that this object was used by a controller during the war!

The pen is now back in its rightful home . . . on the desk.

Following extensive research, the floor has been changed to replicate the original appearance in 1940 and new chairs have been included in the Operations Room to complement the historic appearance and improve accessibility for visitors. The experience forms part of the guided tours of the Bunker and can be enjoyed at no extra cost. Please book tickets via the website.

The Battle of Britain Bunker would like to thank the Friends of No. 11 Group for donating historic objects for display on the Controller’s desk.

THE BUNKER

Please explore our gallery of photographs showing different interior shots of the Bunker. Completed in 1939, the Bunker housed the Operations Room for No. 11 Group (Fighter Command) during the Second World War. Located deep underground, the Bunker remained top secret throughout the war and was reopened alongside our Exhibition and Visitor Centre in 2018.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN 80

BATTLE OF BRITAIN 80: MEMORIAL EVENT

On the Sunday before ‘Battle of Britain Day’, we would like to take this time to remember the fallen; the men and women who gave their lives during the Battle of Britain eighty years ago. In lieu of hosting a live ceremony please watch our virtual event, which includes speeches from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Polish Embassy UK Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki, the Mayor of London Borough of Hillingdon Cllr Teji Barnes and representatives from the Royal Air Force, Polish Air Force Memorial Committee, Polish Airmen’s Assocation and Friends of No. 11 Group. We hope you enjoy this commemorative ceremony and take a moment to reflect and remember the fallen.

HOW THE HURRICANE CAME TO BE

Military aviation historian and historic aircraft pilot, Howard Cook, visited the Battle of Britain Bunker for a virtual lecture. In this video Howard discusses the history of the Hawker Hurricane, and how its design and purpose were influenced by previous aircraft from the First World War and the interwar years. The Hurricane is often referred to as the ‘workhorse’ of the RAF during the Battle of Britain and made up over half of the total number of fighter aircraft that participated. We hope you enjoy this virtual lecture – stay tuned for more to come!

THE LEGACY OF THE SPITFIRE

Historian and author Paul Beaver at the Bunker to discuss the legacy of the Spitfire. How did this fighter aircraft become so iconic and what makes it so special? We hope you enjoy another one of our virtual lectures and tune in tomorrow at 11:00 for our special 80th anniversary commemorative event.

THE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

Battle of Britain historian and author Stephen Bungay is in our underground Bunker to discuss the air defence system, commonly known as ‘The Dowding System’. From the First World War, developments in technology, communication, and detection allowed for the creation of the first integrated air defence system, a critical factor in winning the Battle of Britain.

PRIDE MONTH

Pride Month is dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities around the world. The Bunker has done a ‘virtual celebration’ of Pride Month by showcasing our colourful collection to form a rainbow. The rainbow flag is the symbol of the Pride movement, the colours reflect the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of collective pride during marches.

RED CONTROLLER’S TELEPHONE

This telephone was used by the Group Controller in the Controller’s Cabin. The Controller sat overlooking the plotting table and could see what was happening in real time. The Controller had as little as two minutes to analyse this information and make a decision on how best to respond to the threat and deploy available squadrons.

ORANGE PLOTTING MARKER

This arrow would have been used on the map table in the Plotting Room (Operations Room) in the Bunker. Arrows like this one could have pointed out important information, or shown the direction of travel for an enemy raid. Originally, these markers would have been made out of wood or Bakelite (an early form of plastic), but this one here is painted metal.

YELLOW LIFE PRESERVER

Life preservers were especially important during the Battle of Britain, when many fighter pilots found themselves flying over the English Channel. This particular version is the 1932 Pattern, and its waistcoat design closed with three buttons and two buckled straps. Some personnel painted their life preservers with bright yellow paint, so they could be easily spotted after baling out of the aircraft into water.

GREEN ANTI-AIRCRAFT SEARCHLIGHT

A searchlight would have been used throughout Britain to locate enemy aircraft at night. It produced a powerful beam (90cm in diameter) and had a five mile range. Once the enemy aircraft had been spotted, the searchlight would attempt to ‘lock on’ to the aerial target and anti-aircraft gunners would open fire. Many searchlights were operated by women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).

BLUE ROYAL OBSERVER CORP JACKET

Here is our blue Royal Observer Corp uniform jacket. The Observer Corps provided information about enemy raids and spotted, tracked and reported enemy aircraft as it passed over Britain. Any relevant information would be reported to the regional Headquarters and then passed to Group and Sector Operations Rooms. This jacket was part of the new issued uniform following the title change to Royal Observer Corps in 1941.

PURPLE NITRILE GLOVES

To complete our rainbow for the end of Pride Month, we’ve chosen a rather unusual item… nitrile gloves! Whilst these are not part of our collection, they play an important role in keeping artefacts safe when handling. We wear gloves when working with all of our objects, as our skin secretes oils and metabolic wastes (salts, etc) and these can react aggressively with some materials causing irreversible damage. For example, fingerprints can cause damage/corrosion on metals. Nitrile gloves can also protect us from any substances on objects that may be harmful to us, such as historic paints. Needless to say, we would not be able to do our jobs without them.

FOR FAMILIES

WOMEN IN THE BUNKER

Download our free resource pack about the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and ‘Women in the Bunker’. Learn more about women during the Second World War, and the important role they had here at RAF Uxbridge. Created by our Education Team, this pack is filled with information, photographs, and fun activities to do at home. This particular packet is aimed for Key Stage 2 students.

DOWNLOAD

CREATE YOUR OWN BUNKER

It’s time to get crafty, and create your own Bunker! Using recyclable materials found at home, we have created a miniature Bunker with plotting map, Tote Board, Dais and even the Controller’s Cabin. Why not download this free education pack and see if you and your family can recreate our Bunker.

DOWNLOAD

DUNKIRK 80

In 2020 we commemorated the 80th anniversary of Operation Dynamo (26 May – 4 June 1940) . It was launched to evacuate Allied service personnel from Dunkirk on the coast of France. It was a huge rescue mission resulting in the evacuation of over 338,000 servicemen. To commemorate this important anniversary, we have produced five panels providing information on the role of No. 11 Group and the Bunker.

On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded France and the Low Countries – the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg – and pushed back the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and French and Belgian troops to Dunkirk on the coast of France. Operation Dynamo, coordinated by Admiral Bertram Ramsay based at Dover Castle, was launched on 26 May 1940 to rescue Allied service personnel from Dunkirk. The Royal Air Force (RAF) sent all available aircraft to provide air cover for the evacuation and over 800 naval vessels and hundreds of ‘little ships’, privately owned boats, were used to transport personnel across the Channel back to the UK. By 4 June 1940, over 338,000 Allied servicemen had been evacuated from Dunkirk. During May and June, No. 11 Group squadrons operated over France, the Low Countries and south-east England. Aircraft provided air cover for ships evacuating troops from the beaches and ports, protected convoys, conducted patrols and countered enemy raids. The Group Controller working in the bunker scrambled fighter aircraft to perform the following three tasks: • provide air cover over France and Belgium and, during Operation Dynamo, over Dunkirk and its immediate surroundings • to counter enemy raids over south-east England • to continue with orders issued at the beginning of the Second World War, such as the protection of convoys and North Sea sweeps. Between 10 May and 25 June, approximately 4,903 aircraft, controlled by No. 11 Group, flew in excess of 438 missions over France.

An aircraft fitter examines the damaged tailplane of Defiant L6957/PS-T, from No. 264 Squadron, which returned to RAF Manston on 29 May 1940, missing its gunner who had baled out during the mission and was killed. The Squadron first saw action during patrols of the Channel during mid-May 1940 and joined the air battle over Dunkirk at the end of the month. The gunners’ initial claims of victories over enemy bombers were abruptly halted when Luftwaffe pilots became familiar with the aircraft and learned there were no forward-facing guns, which resulted in many Defiants receiving devastating damage.

This image was taken during the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk in June 1940. The photograph shows a Lockheed Hudson from No. 220 Squadron, Coastal Command, over the beach with burning oil tanks in the distance. No. 11 Group would organise sweeps of the North Sea when Coastal Command patrols reported the presence of enemy aircraft flying too low to be detected by Radio Direction Finding (RDF), later known as radar. When returning after a sweep, which had taken a squadron beyond 40 miles from the UK coast, the formation leader was to make an identification signal to the RDF units. This was repeated every three minutes until a distance of 40 miles from the coast was reached. This helped protect aircraft from friendly fire.

British troops on board a ship during the evacuation from France, c.18 June 1940. No. 11 Group squadrons operating from airfields in the UK were heavily employed in pushing back the Luftwaffe to protect the Allied troops on the beaches and the ships sent to evacuate them. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk I, Hawker Hurricane and Boulton Paul Defiant had to keep a close watch on fuel consumption and flight time over France, whilst engaging with German bombers and fighters over the Channel and trying to evade anti-aircraft fire from Royal Navy ships.

RAF airmen crowd the deck of a steam packet during Operation Ariel (15 to 25 June 1940), the evacuation of Allied forces from Brest in France. In June 1940, Operation Cycle (10 to 13 June 1940) and Operation Ariel were launched to bring Allied personnel back from France to the UK. During this period, the RAF provided support to the French Army, while evacuating Line of Communications soldiers and RAF ground crews from southern French ports. Operations Cycle and Ariel combined, evacuated a further 191,870 Allied service personnel including 18,000 French, 24,000 Polish and 5,000 Czechoslovak servicemen.

DUNKIRK 80: FIGHTER FACTS IN 80 SECONDS

PART I

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Dynamo we have created two short videos sharing a few facts about the Bunker and its role leading up to and during the evacuation. Content includes operations over France and operations over South-East England.

Image acknowledgements: Images 2 & 3: Ⓒ Crown copyright. Courtesy of Air Historical Branch, Image 4: The National Archives, Battle of Britain fighter defences map, 1940 (AIR 41/16).

DUNKIRK 80: FIGHTER FACTS IN 80 SECONDS

PART II

Content includes the protection of convoys and of the Herring Fleet.

Image acknowledgement: Image 1: Commonwealth War Graves Commission (cwgc.org)

D-DAY

D-DAY 76

IN 76 SECONDS

In 2020 we commemorated the 76th anniversary of Operation Overlord. Bunker volunteer – Chris – has provided a few facts on the site’s important role during the Normandy landings — all in 76 seconds! You can learn more about D-Day and Operation Overlord by exploring our D-Day exhibition, which will remain on display.