Victory in the Air

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 738, 4 September 1953, Page 17

Victory in the Air

HITLER'S oe the invasion of s- Britain. a September 15, 1940. The invasion never eventuated, but the day saw the turning point in the battle for supremacy in the air. The position was so critical on that day that the Prime Minister himself drove to No. il Fighter Group Headquarters to learn at first hand what was happening in the skies of Britain. In the bomb-proof operations room, 50 feet below street level, Churchill

watched the flashing electric bulbs indicating which squadrons were airborne. As the enemy swarmed over--40-plus here, 60-plus there — more and more squadrons rose to meet them. The Prime Minister watched the bulbs

closely. Finally,-he turned to Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park, the New Zealander in charge of No. 22 Group: "What further reserves have we?" And the Air Vice Marshal’s answer was: "We have none, sir." Every available plane was in the air, Altogether, there were 84 days in which Britain was subjected to almost continuous aerial attack. But in its contest with the Luftwaffe, the RA.F, scored a complete and decisive victory -achieved at a cost of 375 pilots killed and 358 wounded. The drama and the sacrifice of this crucial period in Britain’s history is vividly captured in Salute to the Few, a. half-hour documentary programme commemorating Battle of Britain Day. It was adapted from the Air Ministry’s _ official report of the battle and produced by Allan Sleeman at the Christchurch studios of the NZBS. At the conclusion of the programime, Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park voices his tribute to "the few." Salute to the Few will be broadcast on Sunday, September 13. It will be heard from 1ZB at 4.0 p.m., 2ZB at 11.30 am., 3ZB at 6.30 p.m., 4ZB at 2.30 p.m., and 2ZA at 4.45 p.m.’ ae