Patrick Bishop began his talk with a story about two pilots. The second of these was Ian Hutchinson. Having been shot down and hospitalised he was making his way home on public transport carrying his parachute under his arm and with only one shoe. Members of the public kept coming up to him just to touch him and show their gratitude for what the RAF were doing. The member of ‘the few’ described the it has highly embarrassing. One of Patrick Bishop’s great achievements is that he interviewed so many of the pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain and then using his experience as a journalist and historian presented a truly human story of this epic struggle. His lecture showed how the young men and women of 1940 did not appreciate the historical significance of the events they were participating in. They came from a wide range of backgrounds and did not see themselves as heroes. They were often very young and their life expectancy was very short. The longer they flew the better their chances of surviving the high speed and high altitude conflict. Meanwhile on the ground below them (particularly in Kent and London) the British people watched the specks shooting around the summer and early autumn skies leaving vapour trails behind them. Particularly striking was how he developed the argument that the Battle of Britain became the Battle for Britain; a post war more egalitarian society. There were many well informed questions from our audience including what the Luftwaffe thought of the Battle of Britain.
Bristol Historical Association 