Flying for Freedom

After the Dunkirk debacle in May 1940, Britain's primary weapon of defence was her air force. The exploits of the RAF's bomber crews and fighter pilots featured almost nightly on the radio and in the cinema newsreels; the men themselves were the objects of great admiration and respect. Yet, how many of these brave airmen were not British nationals? During the Second World War, exiled airmen from six occupied countries in Europe flew from British soil, fighting in or alongside the squadrons of th