Pilots of No. 1 Squadron RCAF with one of their Hawker Hurricanes at Prestwick, Scotland, 30 October 1940. Photo: Imperial War Museum (CH 1733).
The Battle of Britain
... in the summer of 1940 was the greatest aerial battle in history. As the German Luftwaffe sought to destroy the Royal Air Force, gain air superiority, and invade the British Isles, Commonwealth fighter pilots scrambled from U.K. airfields day after day and flew Hurricane and Spitfire fighter aircraft to thwart Hitler’s plan. They won, but paid dearly. Among the 2,937 aircrew in this first test of Allied skill, resilience, and courage, over 100 pilots flew with the “Canada” patch on their shoulder, and another 200 erks (ground crew) kept their fighters in the air.
In this talk at the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC), Ted Barris uncovers the unknown stories of Canadian airmen, ground crew, as well as engineers, aeronautical designers, medical officers and civilians who answered the call and turned back the very real threat of Nazi invasion.
Two ways to attend:
- In person at LCSC, 232 King St N, Waterloo (map below)
- Register for the Zoom livestream
Ted Barris
is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster. He has written 22 bestselling, non-fiction books, including Juno, Days of Victory and The Great Escape, for which he received the Libris Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2014. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Award and, in 2023, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.
Battle of Britain. Canadian Airmen in their Finest Hour, Sutherland House, 2024.
