Special tours for Schools launched for 2024

Battle of Britain Tours is pleased to announce the launch of a new programme of talks and tours for Schools in 2024.

Aimed at pupils studying History at GCSE and A Level and who are exploring the theme of 'Why we fight', this special programme will focus on the case study of the fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain.

A preliminary talk in the classroom will be given by expert, Dr Anthony Medhurst, on the major aspects of the Battle of Britain. This includes the significance of the Dowding System, radar, Hurricanes and Spitfires, and the leadership of Sir Hugh Dowding and Keith Park.

This will be followed by a one day tour of iconic East Kent sites such as the Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge aerodrome and the Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne. Pupils will gain an understanding of how the fighter pilots themselves - Churchill's "Few" - ensured that victory was secured.

Using 92 squadron pilots as an example, the tour will explain:

· Who these men were - their backgrounds and why they joined up in the first instance

· What it was like to be in action

· How pilots lived closely with death and the near misses that many experienced

· The characteristics and skills that pilots needed to survive

· The critical role of the ‘ace’

· the necessity of using novices/inexperienced

· how they coped and carried on eg critical importance of camaraderie