9:30am Tuesday 9th March 2010
SEVENTY years ago this July saw the start of one of the major battles of the Second World War.
The Battle of Britain was fought in the skies from July 10, 1940 until the end of October the same year and turned the tide of the war in favour of the Allied forces.
Yet when it began, the odds were fiercely stacked against the Allies, with the RAF mustering 640 fighters compared to the Luftwaffe’s 2,600 bombers and fighters.
Most of the action took place above the Channel, with the German forces targeting strategic British ports including Weymouth and Portland, the Solent and those along the Kent coast.
But despite incredible odds and many losses – 544 young men lost their lives between July and October – the Allies were triumphant and the tide of the war turned.
The Dorset Echo will be celebrating the battle of Britain and remembering those who lost their lives in the fighting.
Were you in the forces or the Home Front at that time? Did you fly a Spitfire or Hurricane? What are your memories of the Battle of Britain?
Please tell us your memories and show us any photographs you have from that historic time.
Call 01305 830973.
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