Battle of Britain Campaign Diaries

[Peter Cook]

Can anyone help me to identify the original source for the 'official' Battle of Britain Campaign Diaries that are posted on the RAF web site (https://www.raf.mod.uk/history/campaign_diaries.cfm). Were they written at the time? Are they part of any official publication or in the National Archives?

[RodM]

Hi Peter,

the daily entries appear to be an amalgam of various reports archived at TNA.

The only one I can immediately give information on are the "Home Security Reports". I believe these to originate from the files HO 203/1 to HO 203/5 (Ministry of Home Security, Home Security Daily Intelligence Reports) at TNA (I've only worked with the same files from later in the war).

As to the rest, they could be contained in Air Ministry-level papers or the ORB of Fighter Command.

Cheers

Rod

[Peter Cook]

Thanks Rod, that makes sense. It is a pity that the RAF Web site doesn't give more information on the source material.

[SteveB]

The Air Ministry produced a variety of daily intelligence/operational summaries but unhelpfully the titles used seem to vary slightly through the War and for different commands. For example AIR16/936 contains "Fighter Command: Daily Summaries of Operations" for the period 1/2/40 to 31/7/40...
Steve

[Peter Cook]

Thanks Steve, I will follow up on the AIR16/936 lead.
Peter

[Chris Goss]

An easier source would be the Battle of Britain Then and Now

[Peter Cook]

Chris,

Apologies for the slow response, been away. I have Battle of Britain Then and Now Mk V and there is no daily chronology of the events, just lists of losses. with details, for the RAF and Luftwaffe. Any other thoughts?

Peter

[Chris Goss]

It depends what you are after. Narrow Margin by Wood and Dempster gave a daily synopsis which the Blitz T&N does similar