List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (O–R) facts for kids

A list of pilots and other aircrew who fought in the famous Battle of Britain is very important. These brave airmen were given a special award called the Battle of Britain Clasp. To get this award, they had to fly at least one mission with the Royal Air Force (RAF) or Fleet Air Arm between July 10 and October 31, 1940. This period is known as the Battle of Britain. These pilots are often called "The Few" because so few of them defended Britain against a much larger enemy air force.

Remembering the Heroes

In 1942, during World War II, the Air Ministry decided to create a list of pilots who died fighting in the Battle of Britain. This list was for a special memorial. This memorial became the Battle of Britain Chapel inside Westminster Abbey in London. King George VI officially opened it on July 10, 1947. The Roll of Honour in the Chapel lists 1,497 pilots and aircrew who were killed or badly wounded during the battle.

It wasn't until November 9, 1960, that the Air Ministry officially decided who counted as a Battle of Britain airman. They published a document called AMO N850. This document explained the rules for getting the Battle of Britain Star award. It also listed the 71 air force units that were part of RAF Fighter Command during the battle.

A serving RAF officer, Flt Lt John Holloway, started his own project in 1955. He wanted to make a complete list of "The Few." After 14 years of hard work, he had 2,946 names on his list. Out of these airmen, 537 were killed during the battle or died later from their injuries.

The Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne in Kent.

Later, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust was created by Geoffrey Page. This group raised money to build the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne in Kent. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother unveiled this memorial on July 9, 1993. Next to it is the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, which has all the names of "The Few" carved into it.

Even more recently, the Battle of Britain Monument was built in London. It stands on the Victoria Embankment. Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) unveiled it on September 18, 2005. The Battle of Britain Historical Society came up with the idea for this monument and raised money to build it. The outside of the monument has bronze plaques. These plaques list all the Allied airmen who took part in the Battle of Britain.

Who Were "The Few"?

This list includes some of the brave airmen whose last names start with 'O', 'P', 'Q', and 'R'. You can see their names, ranks, nationalities, and what happened to them. Some were killed in action (KIA), meaning they died during the battle. Others were wounded in action (WIA) or went missing in action (MIA). Some were taken as prisoners of war (POW).

See Also

• Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain
• List of World War II aces from the United Kingdom
• List of World War II flying aces by country
• List of World War II flying aces
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (A–C)
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (D–F)
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (G–K)
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (L–N)
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (S–U)
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (V–Z)