"All our hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston Churchill, 20th August 1940

The 'few' were 2,927 young men, 2,353 from Great Britain and 574 from overseas, who formed the flying force of Fighter Command and became known as the 'Fighter Boys'. What makes these pilots so remarkable is that they were a part of a turning point in history. It was up to the young men of the R.A.F. to not only defend their country and way of life, but to protect the world from the tyranny of the Nazi regime. If they had failed life today would have been very different.

One thing you would never expect them to be called is ordinary, considering the amazing feats they performed. But this is just how an artist visiting one squadron described the men he saw. He wasn't referring to their flying ability, because this was truly incredible, but to the fact that these pilots came from every walk of life and social class. They were all drawn to the R.A.F. because of their love of flying and it was the R.A.F which made it possible for them to fly no matter what their background.

Young Hopefuls
Most of the young men who flew Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Second World War between 19 and 26 years old. The R.A.F. accepted them from the age of 17 ? and many joined straight from school. Others were in flying corps at university and some came through apprenticeships within other parts of the service.

Their heroes were the fighter aces of the Great War, the young men who had fought courageously in dog fights over France. One of these pilots, Alan Cobham, ran a Flying Circus which toured the country after the war. For five shillings anyone could take a ten minute ride in a biplane and experience the wonder of looking down at the earth from the sky. Planes were still a rarity at that time and so Cobham's Flying Circus attracted attention wherever it went. For many of the young pilots who would later fight in the Battle of Britain this was their first experience of an aircraft up close. Other young hopefuls had their first flights at small, local flying clubs. And some had never flown before they joined the R.A.F. to train as pilots.

The Few were not just young British men. Over 500 came from overseas, including parts of the Commonwealth like Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Others were pilots who had escaped to fight in the R.A.F. from countries after they were over-run by the Germans, including Polish, Czech and French flyers.

A Breed Apart
It has been said that fighter pilots are a breed apart from other flyers. Once in the air they were on their own. A successful fighter had to have a lightness of touch with the controls and have eyes in the back of his head. He must be alert at all times with lightening reflexes and excellent gut instincts. Finally it was important to have an aggressive nature, always on the offensive against the enemy.

A typical day for a fighter pilot could start at 4am, first light, when they would prepare themselves and their planes for battle. Then it was either routine patrols or waiting for the phone to ring in a dispersal hut on the airfield, signalling incoming enemy aircraft. Sometimes the waiting would seem endless and pilots would pass the time playing cards, chatting or trying to catch up on sleep. During times of fierce combat they would hardly have time to catch their breath before their plane was refuelled and re-armoured and they were back in the thick of battle.

In the evening, pilots would dress for dinner, eat in the mess and have a few drinks at the bar. Trips to local pubs with comrades provided a welcome diversion and for a few valuable hours took pilots minds off what lay ahead the next day.

The Battle of Britain elevated the 'few' to star status, and rightly so. Fighter pilots had always been considered to be brave and talented but during the summer of 1940 the British public witnessed this first hand. As dog fights raged all over the South of England people saw their 'Fighter Boys' shoot down enemy planes. They saw Luftwaffe bombers crash to earth but also saw British pilots hit. It was not uncommon for pilots who had been forced to bail out to be taken in by a friendly farmer for a cup of tea or a pint before returning to base. Ordinary people witnessed the terrible reality of war as their boys were shot down and truly came to appreciate the sacrifice they were making.

In all, 544 pilots were killed during the Battle of Britain and a further 791 died in service before the end of the war. What 'the few' did for Britain should never be forgotten.