20 August 1940

Aviation, , , , , ,
The Few. RAF fighter pilots run toward their Hawker Hurricanes. © IWM (HU 49253)

20 August 1940: During World War II, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke to the House of Commons on the state of the war. As he talked about the role of the Royal Air Force in the defense of England, he said,

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.“

(Printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Lowe & Brydon Printers, Ltd.)

To this day, the RAF is known as The Few.

A full transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech can be found at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20161114105625/http://www.winstonchurchill.org:80/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/113-the-few

Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses Parliament.

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes

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