British Royal Family Attends Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary Service

Senior members of the British Royal family attended a memorial service marking the 70^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Prince William, recently graduated as an RAF Search and Rescue Force helicopter pilot, will attend the service with the Duchess of Cornwall and his father, the Prince of Wales. Westminster Abbey, London, is the location for the memorial service honoring the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force (RAF) who defeated the Luftwaffe (Hitler's Air Force) during the Battle of Britain in WWII.

The Battle of Britain began in the early fall of 1940, after Hitler's forces had defeated the French. Hitler then turned his attention to England, and prepared for and executed air raids on the British Isles in preparation for an invasion of the UK. The RAF then began one of the most heroic efforts ever undertaken: Outnumbered by at least 4 to 1, the British fighter pilots rose to meet the German Luftwaffe bombers and fighters daily. Sometimes the same pilots flew three or even four sorties daily.

According to the Battle of Britain London Monument site, 2,937 British and Allied airmen were awarded the Battle of Britain ribbon after flying at least one sortie with a unit of RAF Fighter Command in the period of July 10 to October 31, 1940. During this time frame, 554 of these pilots were killed in the dogfights over the English countryside and cities. The lion's share of the pilots was from Britain (2,342) but pilots from 14 other countries also flew in RAF units.

This service is an annual event at Westminster; however the trappings are heightened during the 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It is especially important for Prince William, as he embarks on his career as an aviator in the RAF.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain during WWII, is noted for his memorable quotations. Perhaps the most famous of these quotes was spoken by Churchill on August 20, 1940 referring to the pilots of the RAF during the Battle of Britain:

"The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."