page_title: Battle of Britain Bunker
section_title: Second World War
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Britain Bunker / History / Second World War
caption_attribution_description: English: ROC Uniform
context_page_description: The Battle of Britain Bunker is an underground operations room at RAF Uxbridge, formerly used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during the Second World War. Fighter aircraft operations were controlled from there throughout the War but most notably during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day. Today it is run by Hillingdon Council as a heritage attraction with attached museum. A new visitor centre above ground opened in March 2018.
  The Bunker is located at RAF Uxbridge, not far from Uxbridge town centre and Uxbridge Underground station.
context_section_description: On 6 September 1939 in the Battle of Barking Creek, three days into the Second World War No. 11 Group was involved in an incident of friendly fire. The Chain Home radar system reported incoming enemy aircraft for the first time and the No. 11 Group Controller, working in the Bunker, despatched 56 Squadron and 74 Squadron to deal with the threat. Unfortunately the Spitfires of 74 Squadron mistook the Hurricanes of 56 Squadron for the enemy and shot two of them down. In April 1940 Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park was posted to No. 11 Group as its Air Officer Commanding and joined the team in the bunker.
  The Luftwaffe waged a campaign against the Royal Air Force aimed at destroying Fighter Command. Of the four Fighter Command groups, No. 11 Group, controlled from the bunker, saw the most action and shot down many of the 1,733 German aircraft lost. On 12 August 1940, the Luftwaffe which had been attacking British ports, switched targets and attacked the Chain Home radar system but only minor damage to the radar system was sustained. On the following day, known to the Germans as "Eagle Day", they started targeting British airfields. The prime minister, Winston Churchill, visited the bunker on 16 August 1940 and spoke the famous words "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed, by so many, to so few". He said the phrase as he got into his car, close to the entrance of the Bunker, then repeated them in the House of Commons on 20 August 1940. The King and Queen visited the bunker on 6 September 1940. After the Luftwaffe switched its target to London on 1 September 1940, Churchill visited again on 15 September 1940 and wrote in his memoirs about the moment at which "all of the bulbs glowed red", referring to the squadron state boards in the Operations Room and indicating that every No. 11 Group squadron was engaged in combat at the same time.
  In December 1940 Air Vice Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, became air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group. The old plotting system of wooden markers and wooden croupier-style pushing sticks were replaced with metal plotting markers and magnetic sticks, and the old tote system of light-indicators was replaced with a slat-board system with hanging information. After the final stages of the Battle of Britain, No. 11 Group was largely occupied with defending London against the Blitz. No. 11 Group was involved in providing air support for the Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee) on 19 August 1942. The air operations section of Operation Overlord, the 6 June 1944 Normandy landings (D-Day), was also controlled from RAF Uxbridge.
caption: Royal Observer Corps Uniform displayed in Battle of Britain Bunker
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