| THE OFFICIAL DATES FOR THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN ARE, FROM ITS BEGINNING IN JULY 1940 TO ITS END ON THE LAST DAY OF OCTOBER 1940. HOWEVER, THE LUFTWAFFE DID NOT END ITS CAMPAIGN UNTIL MAY 1941, A MORE REALISTIC DATE. NEITHER WAS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN THE AERIAL PART OF THE INVASION OF ENGLAND. PURE AND SIMPLY, IT WAS A BATTLE FOR AERIAL SUPREMACY BETWEEN RAF FIGHTER COMMAND AND THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
IT WAS, OF COURSE, THE IMMORTAL 'FEW' WHO DEFENDED THE SKIES OVER BRITAIN. SADLY, DUE TO MEDIA INTERVENTION, MANY OF THESE FEW ARE FORGOTTEN MEN TODAY WHILE OTHERS, IT HAS TO BE SAID, SEEM TO HAVE MADE A GOOD LIVING OUT OF IT. OF THOSE FORGOTTEN, AND THERE ARE MANY, SQUADRON LEADER JOHN SAMPLE DFC STANDS OUT. HE WAS COMMANDING OFFICER OF 504 SQUADRON DURING THIS BATTLE
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NUMBER 504 (COUNTY OF NOTTINGHAM) SQUADRON WAS FORMED AT HUCKNALL, MARCH 26, 1928. JUST PRIOR TO THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR TWO, 504 SQUADRON WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE HAWKER HURRICANE. FLYING FROM DEBDEN AND MARTLESHAM HEATH, THE SQUADRON WAS MOVED TO FRANCE IN MAY 1940 TO REINFORCE THE AIR COMPONENT OF THE BEF AFTER THE BLITZKRIEG. TAKING HEAVY CASUALTIES, 504 SQUADRON WAS MOVED TO CASTLETOWN , SCOTLAND ON ITS RETURN FROM FRANCE. THE NEW COMMANDING OFFICER WAS TO BE FLT LT JOHN SAMPLE ALSO A VETERAN OF THE FRENCH CAMPAIGN.
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