List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (S–U) facts for kids
The Battle of Britain was a huge air battle fought in the skies over Britain during World War II. It happened between 10 July and 31 October 1940. This article is about the brave pilots and other aircrew who flew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm during this time. They were given a special award called the "Battle of Britain Clasp" for their courage. These airmen are often called "The Few" because so few of them stood against so many enemy planes.
Remembering the Heroes
After the Battle of Britain, people wanted to remember the brave airmen who fought and gave their lives.
In 1942, the Air Ministry (which was in charge of the RAF) decided to make a list of all the pilots who died during the battle. This list was used to create a special memorial. This memorial became the Battle of Britain Chapel inside Westminster Abbey in London. King George VI officially opened it on 10 July 1947. Inside the Chapel, there's a "Roll of Honour" with the names of 1,497 pilots and aircrew who were killed or badly wounded during the battle.
It wasn't until 1960 that the government 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 RAF units that were part of RAF Fighter Command during the battle.
A serving RAF officer named Flt Lt John Holloway took on a personal challenge 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. Sadly, 537 of these airmen died during the battle or later from their injuries.
To further honour these heroes, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, started by Geoffrey Page, raised money to build another memorial. This one is at Capel-le-Ferne near Folkestone in Kent. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother unveiled it on 9 July 1993. At this memorial, there's a special wall called the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall. On it, you can find the complete list of all "The Few" engraved.
More recently, the Battle of Britain Monument was opened in London on 18 September 2005. It's located on the Victoria Embankment. Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) unveiled it. The idea for this monument came from the Battle of Britain Historical Society, who also raised money to build it. The outside of the monument has bronze plaques with the names of all the Allied airmen who took part in the Battle of Britain.
The Aircrew List
The original article included a very long list of the airmen who fought in the Battle of Britain. This list is a detailed record of each person, their rank, nationality, the squadron they flew with, any awards they received, and notes about their service or fate.
For example, the list shows names like:
- Sawicz, Tadeusz: A Polish Flying Officer who flew with 303 Sqn. He received many awards and was the last living Polish pilot from the Battle of Britain when he died in 2011. He was even promoted to Brigade General by the President of Poland!
- Smith, Norman Henry Jackson: A British Pilot Officer from 235 Sqn. He was one of the "surviving aircrew" and later changed his name to Jackson-Smith.
- Tuck, Robert Stanford: A famous British Flight Lieutenant who commanded 85 Sqn and 257 Sqn. He was a highly decorated pilot, receiving the DSO, DFC**, and AFC.
These lists are very important for remembering the individual contributions of each airman. They show the incredible bravery and sacrifice of people from many different countries who came together to defend Britain.
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 (O–R)
- List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain (V–Z)
