Inside the RAF bunker that helped win the Battle of Britain

The station is best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF, which was responsible for the aerial defence of London and the south-east of England during the Battle of Britain.

Hillingdon House served as the group’s headquarters. A bunker, subsequently known as the Battle of Britain Bunker, was built nearby to house the 11 Group Operations Room, which controlled fighter squadrons operating within the group.

The Operations Room was also responsible for providing air support during the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 (Operation Dynamo) and the D-Day landings (Operation Overlord). It was here that Winston Churchill first said, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few”, which he repeated in a speech to Parliament four days later.

The Daily Mail reports:

It’s the scene of some of the most crucial developments in British history, where RAF commanders masterminded the defeat of the Nazis during the Battle of Britain.

The bunker was home to the division of Fighter Command responsible for striking down the enemy between July and September, 1940, after Hitler launched his campaign for superiority over the British air forces.

Known as the Battle of Britain bunker, the base in Uxbridge, west London, is now open to the public, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the Britain’s wartime past with its restored operations room and accompanying museum.

The commanders of No 11 Group, who destroyed more than two thirds of the 1,733 Nazi aircraft brought down by British forced during the battle planned their strategy from within the bunker.