Never was so much owed by so many to so few


A ceremony was held Sunday morning (Sept. 16th) at the National War Memorial in St. John's, NL, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the biggest air battle ever fought in the history of human conflict.

The battle took place between July and November 1940 and was won by the Royal Air Force and allies, representing the first major German loss during the Second World War.

The British Fighter Command recorded 1,076 aircraft "written off", compared to 2,044 German Luftwaffe.

The killed, missing or POWs for the British totalled 483, compared to 1,334 Luftwaffe.

Of the 94 Canadian pilots who fought, 20 died in battle — including two Newfoundlanders.

Former British PM Winston Churchill was quoted during the ceremony in St. John's:

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," said Churchill.

 The Allied airmen of the battle ultimately became known as "The Few".

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