royal air force

D-Day

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  It was one of the largest amphibious landings in history. On 6 June 1944 a huge Allied military machine embarked on the invasion of German-occupied France. Thousands of New Zealand sailors and airmen were on active duty that day.

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• Page 3 – Supporting acts

  Massive supporting actions, including a complex plan designed to fool the Germans, assisted the landings at Normandy.

• Page 7 – New Zealanders in the air

  By 1944 more than 6000 New Zealanders were based in the United Kingdom, serving in the RAF.

• Page 8 – The battle for Europe

  The landings on 6 June 1944 were just the first part in a sustained campaign to break the war in Europe. For months after D-Day, planes flew over European cities, and the

The Battle of Britain

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  2011 marks the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which was fought between July and October 1940. New Zealanders played a key role in this vital struggle, flying the Hurricanes and Spitfires of Fighter Command, or serving in other roles in the air, at sea and on the ground.

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• Page 2 – The invasion threat

  The origins of the Battle of Britain lay in the dramatic and unexpected collapse of the Allied front in Western Europe in May-June 1940.

• Page 3 – Opposing forces

  British preparationsSir Hugh Dowding with Battle of Britain pilotsWhile the military authorities struggled to make good post-Dunkirk deficiencies, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was

• Page 4 – The battle: July-August

  The battle: first phaseBritish pilots 'scramble', July 1940Luftwaffe (German air force) commanders recognised that their main task was to whittle down the strength of Royal Air

• Page 5 – The battle: September-October

  Tactical disputesPainting of Keith Park, 1940In early September 1940 Britons steeled themselves for the German invasion that now seemed imminent.

• Page 6 – New Zealand's contribution

  New Zealanders in the battleAlan Deere's Nine Lives memoirThere were many New Zealanders among ‘the Few’ – Churchill’s grateful description of the airmen who took part in the

• Page 7 – Aftermath

  The tollNew Zealand pilot's gravestoneBoth sides lost heavily during the Battle of Britain. More than 1700 Luftwaffe (German air force) planes were destroyed.

• Page 8 – Kiwi stories

  Selected biographies of New Zealanders involved in the Battle of Britain.

• Page 9 – Roll of honour

  List of New Zealand aircrew who died while serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, July-October 1940. Includes link to full list of those who served.

The War in the air

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  More than 800 New Zealanders served as air or ground crew in the war between 1914 and 1918, the vast majority of them in Europe. A handful saw action in Gallipoli and the Middle East.

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• Page 2 – Early military aviation

  Military aviation began with balloons. Powered aircraft were first used for military purposes just before the outbreak of the First World War