WHEN WAS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN?

During the latter half of 1941, the Air Ministry published a small HMSO booklet called The Battle Of Britain – August To October 1940. Here, for the first time, was an authorised narrative that also set the dates of the battle, stating authoritatively that it had commenced on 8 August with the launch of sustained air attacks. However, if the Air Ministry believed the Battle of Britain began on 8 August and ended on 31 October, why is it now officially marked as commencing on 10 July?

The truth of the matter is that the ‘battle’, per se, was an