It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit the world's best history documentary service with code 'WARSTORIES' for a huge discount! bit.ly/3wEyjQv
Thank goodness we did have men such as Sir Hugh Dowding, when it mattered the most. To him and his team, together with the brave aircrew and their ground support, we can watch historical documentaries such as this. We owe them so much.
Never forgotten by those of us who study military history. His foresight, planning, and shepherding of his resources to make the most effective use of them made him the *real* saviour of Britain and the western world.
Despite his nickname, he was perhaps a man ahead of his time. He recognised the threat years in advance, and harnessed new electronic technology to meet it.
In February 1947, at the New Zealand Society’s annual London dinner, Lord Tedder (head of the Royal Air Force) said of Keith Park: ‘If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don’t believe it is realized how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world’.
Completely agree having read many books and researched the events without Keith Park and his complete faith in his commanding officer, and the process which had been designed by himself and Dowding. Keith Park's subsequent appointment in Malta showed what an amazing tactical commander he was.
Keith Park, truly the right man, in the right place, at the right time. New Zealand should be incredibly proud of this man, Great Britain is certainly eternally grateful and proud of him... he has a road at RAF Uxbridge (as was) named after him, as well as statues London. Forever immortalized in the film the Battle of Britain, his group bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe's fury.....they did not let us down ! Half a world away from the country of his birth, his contribution to freedom and the first defeat in the air for the Nazi's was incalculable ! ❤🇳🇿🇬🇧
IMO Dowding was one of the first modern military commanders. He created a complex and intricate defense system, tried his best to keep his chicks alive and ultimately brought about a situation where Germany could not win the Battle of Britain. This man was quite something.
Dowding not only built the force and methods used to fight the Battle of Britain but he directed it before, during and after winning the Battle. His treatment by the country that he saved and served was a horrible gigantic disgrace. Without him there would've been no English victory and the great possibly of the invasion/occupation of England- the RAF was 1 of the major factors that prevened the invasion. The RAF was preserved as 1 of the factors/forces of victory for the Allies. England now should have him memorialised at Westminster Abbey- the national shrine- as the Protector/Saviour of England. Long may he live in the hearts of freedom loving people everywhere. W.
Its seems Dowding was shafted by Trenchard and Salmond . Trenchard had a run in with Dowding in WW I because he thought he was a bit "soft" and set him back to Britain . After WW I , Trenchard built up the the RAF on bomber theory and "the bomber must always get through " But in the 1930's , bomber theory became obsolete due to the development of RDF . However Trenchard built up his reputation on this, and being as logical as Dowding was , its doubtful Dowding would have supported a bomber campaign . So after the BoB , Trenchard and Salmond pushed Newall out and replaced him with Portal . This blocked Dowding from being promoted to Air Marshall of the RAF . The ambitious Leigh Mallory , Douglas , Sinclair & Lindermann would have been all to pleased to have gone along with this . Churchill was a huge supporter of Dowding , so when Sinclair informed him of this , Churchill just about blew him out of the room . However, Churchill eventually went along with this , possibly to keep the peace , and also because so many wanted a bomber campaign .
English victory? Dowding was from Moffat in the Scottish borders. There is a memorial to him there. It was the Battle of Britain, not the battle of England.
@@clivemitchell43 - " Leigh Mallory was over promoted and his 'rodeos' achieved nothing significant, but led to a wasteful loss of life. " This is basically what Trenchard did during WW I - when Dowding said the pilots needed a rest , Trenchard sent him back to Britain . . After the BoB , I suspect the real reason why Trenchard , Salmond , Douglas , Sinclair & Lindermann , the Air Ministry and eventually Churchill wanted Dowding out , is that is that its doubtful Dowding would have gone along with a Bomber Campaign , because they didn't have the navigational technology to hit strategic targets . .
I think history has vindicated him. I think the people of his time in the 50s and 60s venerated him irrespective of all the back room machinations. He knew all about politics and people getting railroaded because they came out on the wrong side of an argument with influential people. Anyone in his position certainly did it to a few people himself over the years. I would like to think that he did the work he did to defend Britain, which he succeeded in doing, rather than for promotions and recognition. The people who did shaft him went down in history as appearing petty and cowardly.
Dowding and Park saved our bacon. One of the factors that tipped the balance Britain's way was allowing the Polish squadrons to fight with their fanatical hatred of the Germans. Whatever the nationality of the RAF pilots Poles, Czechs,Canadian, etc etc they saved the planet.
WS: why do you say "forgotten " in reference to Dowding? Anyone who knows the slightest details of the RAF's heroic defense of 1940 recognizes his name. "Overlooked" or "unrewarded " might be more appropriate.
If you read the official RAF history of the battle you will find both Dowding and Park were omitted. This act caused Churchill to question if the RAF really wanted to do this. The RAF STAFF attempted to airbrush them from history. As a New Zealander I know that Park was most unhappy with the treatment meted out to Dowding. It is rarely mentioned that Park was Dowding's SASO prior to the war and worked closely with Dowding in the development of the air defense system even contributing significant improvements such as improved vetting and filtering of data sent to plotting tables reducing clutter and improving the real time decision making capabilities. When Park wielded the system in anger he understood it intimately because he had been intimately involved in its development.
I want to thank the British for for sending my country, the United States their most brilliant commanders. Even to this day the American Air Force continues to use his visionary ideas. You can always tell a great idea by how many enemies it makes! Send us more of the creative geniuses that you don not want! It is a disgrace that your country would get rid of the man who helped save your country but I am sure that he was a hugely positive influence on my country's Air Force regardless.
@@bobmartin7399 All commercial jet aircraft today utilize jet engines of the axial compressor design. The German jet engines were of the axial compressor design. British jet engines were of the radial compressor design. Make of that what you will.
Wait till you find out about how the government treated Alan Turing. TBF he is now on the British £50 note, but this hardly makes up for it. We did, however send you his work and out of that you got IBM. Our government kept the work secret.
The UK always does more harm to itself than the enemy ever could, basically we have many in power in the uk that actually hate the country they live in, not sure if that's the same in the USA?
Dowding had tough experience in WWI and confronted Trenchard regarding the high rate of attrition of our pilots. Dowding's experience was vital in minimizing RAF pilot losses in the Battle of Britain. He and Keith Park used radar effectively as possible, but also Ultra / signal intelligence very wisely, unbeknownst to Leigh-Mallory.
Thank you for this video of a forgotten war hero by the name of Sir Hugh Dowding. We need to remember and honor the courage and sacrifices of the men and women who joined the armed forces and fought to secure the freedoms we have. We also need to remember that freedom is not cheap, that it was bought at great cost. Therefore, we free people must not take freedom for granted because it can be easily taken away from us if we are not careful.
He isn't forgotten, where I live in Tunbridge Wells there are several places named after him also a stone with a plaque in the park. Great man he & keith park are heroes.
As an American student of the Battle of Britain, I can tell you I always think of Dowding, and to a lesser extent Park. I seem to recall Douglas Bader was a fan of the big wing as well, and although he wasn't in the top command positions of the others, his voice was heard because of his lost legs and heroism in the cockpit. Dowding was the right man, in the right place, for just enough of the right time, to make THE difference in the Battle. The world owes him a huge thank you for his excellent service. Had Britain not been so successful then, who knows where we would be today?
I thought that the real forgotten hero of the Battle of Britain was Sir Keith Park, the New Zealander who commanded the SE and therefore the London air defense and whose strategy was crucial to the eventual outcome. He also commanded the successful air defense of Malta later on.
Keith Park not forgotten by any stretch. If anything his name is more to the fore now than it was years ago. His statue was in Trafalgar square for a while.
@@jimnaylor6009 Yes but that was relatively recent after a lot of pressure. Dowding's statue has been in London a lot longer. Park now has a permanent statue in London too. I think it's in Grosvenor Square along with other military heroes from the past. I think Grosvenor Square is the name, I've seen it there myself on a recent visit to the UK.
Thank you for submitting this info, he was a family member of my mother. NZ. I’m reading Clive Ponting’s book, ‘Myth and Reality’. Warts and all of the entire government’s incompetence!!! Winston Churchill is not what we have been told to believe!,,,
Til I saw this documentary, the unmissable role of sir Hugh Dowding never was clear to me. It is a revelation, even after having read so many books about the WW2 and the air wars. I want to thank the British for their role, and sir Hugh Dowding in particular, that they fought this battle that played a key role in the victory of WW2 in the end, (when my parents were born), by which my parents and I could grow up in peace and having made me born in a world where I can express myself as a free individual. Thank you so much, England..
Thank you, but it’s is The United Kingdom, (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) not just England. Dowding himself was not English but Scottish. 👍
The men and women of the RAF under Dowding saved this country from certain invasion and defeat by the Nazis. We owe them our thanks, respect and a debt never to forget the sacrifices they made for our freedom. It was with great pleasure that I met one of those amazing men who fought in the Battle of Britain, Geoffrey Wellum, a great man with a wonderful sense of humour. Sadly he passed away in 2018. Read his book First Light,a great read. I have a very treasured copy signed by Geoff Wellum. Never forget!
Leigh Mallory was on the winning side in the actual battle but lost it when he was in charge, he simply didnt know what he was doing and would have lost the RAF in weeks. The decision to send tanks would have been viewed as another disastrous Churchill decision, if things had gone differently. Everyone today looks at what happened and writes it with their own agenda. Churchill was PM because of a narrow vote to fight, if the RAF was lost, the sentiment would certainly have been different.
Tributes and Respect for Sir Dowding and the entire Royal Airforce team who worked from up in the sky and ground for the protection of UK... Regards from 🇮🇳india.
Stuffy's REAL achievement wasn't RDF, Chain Home, the Observer Corps, or the Spitfire and Hurricane ... though they were all important. He created the first Integrated Air Defense System which combined them all into a smooth running and effective force with the new communications, command and control required. The Germans never had this level of organisation. In fact, it wasn't until much later, after the war that other Air Forces came to recognise IADS was vital
The genesis of the Integrated Air Defence System was before even RDF. There are still some huge concrete walls and dishes on the Romney Marsh which are the remains of a sound location system which was actually remarkably effective, and the reporting system was first developed for this system. RDF simply slotted into the whole system
Dowding and Park were the real heros, but stabbed in the back by the likes of Douglas, Leigh-Mallory and Bader. Churchill also behaved badly. Leigh-Mallory lost a lot of pilots for little gain during the 1941 offensive over Northern Europe.But due to his political connections was promoted. A transport aircraft he personally had ordered to fly in poor weather conditions, crashed in the French Alps 16 August 1944. Leigh-Mallory, his wife and eight others died in the crash.
@@Frserthegreenengine Yes Churchill was furious with Sholto Douglas and Leigh-Mallory when their report on the BofB never mentioned Dowding and Park. He tore it up and told them to re-write it. Douglas was another commander fooled by Bader's "Big Wing" lies, or simply used it politically to oust Dowding and Park.
They saved Western Civilization…no exaggeration…my father was in the Royal Navy during the war. The courage, inventiveness and brilliance of the Royal Air Force is beyond anything else.
Dowding is not "forgotten' but regarded as a prophet without honour for his accurate assessment of the German threat and the disgraceful way he was treated at the time.
Dowding deserved the highest medal/award Britain can give anyone not directly serving in combat. I may be wrong but it seems he created the modern day training tool of using combat air vets to teach new pilots combat tactics -- a key to surviving one's first air encounter with an enemy.
Dowding had retired in 1939, but had his contract extended twice up to Nov 1940. He wasn't fired, but simply didn't have his contract extended again as he wished.
@@Idahoguy10157 oh, there were a number of reasons, one being his spirituality. That wouldn't pass the newpaper litmus test, so he was also a credibility risk. Can't have Air Marshals talking to ghosts, but age was the biggest factor.
I was born 10 years after Second World War ended. My parents where kids when War started . My father in law was in the Royal Air Force but ground crew . Even during the Battle of Britain. . Thanks to the RAF I was able to be born . Plus my sons and grandsons
BoB Pilots rightly praise their ground crews at every available opportunity.....the ground crews worked through the night to return as many aircraft as possible to be ready for service by the following morning. In addition to refueling and rearming our fighters ready for the next sortie multiple times a day. BoB could not have been won without them ❤
@@jp-um2fr AS shown in the credits ,at the end of the 1969 film ''Battle of Britain''. The full list, of all crew who fought in that battle, thier country of origin, and number's of losses, including Luftwaffe. It was a wonderful memorial.
Bloody Foreigners who are given no credit or invited to the victory parade. I have absolutely no respect for Britain or France after their backstab double cross shame in WW2.. Especially knowing they were sued for Peace in both WW1 and WW2 and refused. All our men died so they could steal more Dynasties. Historians in Europe figure at least 300 million people died in WW2, not including all wounded physically, mentally and spiritually. Greed and power hungry with no respect for human life. Stoled all Germaine's Colonies, occupied Germany after blaming them for WW1, also blaming a Serb so must kill Serbs. They started it. Intentionally created the Great Depression with unknown number of deaths and suffering. 1953 Royal Crown coronation celebrating Peace and Prosperity. How many slave labor camps were around the world? They had to have all the supplies and building plans before the war started. Europe Royalty have been living off the backs of the "vulgers for generations. Bloodlands. 1000 years of mass murder.
Yes and 303's highest scoring pilot (indeed he achieved a full 30% of 303's confired kills) was CZECHSLOVAKIAN pilot Josef František. Credit where credits due !!!
Thank you. Good to learn this. People who are not afraid to speaking the truth to their superiors, are not liked. And thus this man is not mentioned after the war. He did not play ball. Very, very sad and unjustified. Today even more the case than 70 years ago...
I agree totally with you. The first time I heard of Dowling was the B of B film. Also I include the New Zealander Keith Parks who went onto defend Malta. Again like Dowling was not remembered.
@@davidbrown2571 there is a statue outside the RAF church in the Strand. His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey under the RAF memorial window there. At least they did that. But he and Keith Park were not as acknowledge as they should have been.
Dowding was by far the best airforce commander in WW II. If he wouldnt have been in command, Britain would have lost the battle of Britain. Although I am a German myself, I have a ton of respect for Dowding, as much as I hate Bomber-Harris.
All is well that ends well..AM Dowding got the recognition he deserved among'Saviour of Britain'.Great story wonderfully scripted and presented by producers of film.
Agreed William and like most heroes in this country, their recognition is like 'trying to get blood out of a stone' I think it's always been that way. 🇬🇧
@@gazza2933 oh yes, agreed. The 🇬🇧 are still not as good as they could be. The Royal Legion, Help for Heroes do a lot of work for injured soldiers, sailors and airmen.
@Jens Nobel well written Jens, all facts, refreshing to see someone's post that is actually historically correct, instead of the usual fanboys regurgitating some fuff piece they had watched and liked.
@Jens Nobel It's impossible to read about Leigh Mallory and not be appalled by him. He intrigued, schemed and ultimately stabbed Park in the back with the assistance of Bader and then came up with the halfwitted plan to spend the next year 'leaning in' to France with costly fighter sweeps that did absolutely nothing besides kill brave men in large numbers. I dislike the man. Thoroughly.
@Jens Nobel All true, and Dowding was disgracefully slated by L-M for not being aggressive enough, when L-M didn't know of Ultra and what Dowding knew of the enemy's strengths and forthcoming waves of bombers, simply because of Ultra. Dowding was desperately trying to husband resources for the coming peak of the battle, but L-M and others kept trying to undermine him, in their ignorance.
A great man indeed, who lived to advise on and see the film The Battle of Britain made and released showing his vital part in it and his own private battle with Trafford Leigh-Mallory. I seem to recall also that, in his opinion, the other unsung heroes of the battle were the telephone engineers and the GPO telecommunications system which acted as a vital back up when all the radar installations were taken out leaving us virtually blind except for them and the Observer Corps, who were another fine body of civillians that we fell back on proving that everyone was indeed involved during that summer of 1940.
Indeed. I would only add that this doco draws heavily on the film you mentioned. All the colour shots of combat, refugees, movements of troops and materiel , and ground scenes from the war, among others, are from that 1969 production. Dowding features pretty prominently in the movie, as Brad points out, making it a bit disingenuous of this doco to pretend to lift the lid on a forgotten figure. Some of the "facts" are actually incorrect: for instance in the segment beginning at 15:00 RDF (correctly identified as Radio Direction Finding) was and remains a completely different technology from RADAR (Radio Direction and Ranging): the former is used for navigation, and constitutes a radio receiver with a highly directional (rotatable) antenna, wihch gives accurate bearings on transmitting stations, whereas the much later and more technically challenging RADAR gives both direction and range on inanimate (and certainly non-transmitting) solid objects, using a completely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum, at which high energy pulses are sent out, to be reflected by the target, and the echo detected.
The radar systems were relatively unscathed during the BoB - the Germans never fully comprehended their role - Luftwaffe intelligence failed badly in numerous aspects.
@@maconescotland8996 Indeed. I believe Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight was put out of commission but the remainder of the network was able to quickly be reinstated. In the meantime, and in providing an adjunct capability, the Observer Corps were invaluable.
Like others have said if you're ignorant about the true record of WW 2 & especially of Britain's efforts in 1939 - 1942 then you probably won't have heard of Hugh Dowding. But the truth is he was brilliant, brave & dedicated to the defense of his beloved homeland. He got a raw deal from men many times his lessers. RIP sir. God bless you. ❤️🙏❤️🙏🫡 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
An excellent three quarter hour of one hours viewing. I've known about Dowding's unrecognised achievements for some many years. Like so many things in life, those that deserved the REAL credit never get it. Plus ca change.
Poor chap who was sidelined and brushed aside by his colleagues and then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, playing dirty petty politics over him a real Hero.
From what I've read Churchill tried to protect Dowding and keep him in position and it was Lord Beaverbrook who was eventually responsible for getting rid of him. It appears that Lord Beaverbrook was the man who sealed his fate when Dowding refused to cooperate with him. After that Churchill had little choice! I wish this doco had gone into that instead of joining the anti Churchill brigade. Both Dowding and Churchill were great men. Both true British heroes.
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG (24 April 1882 - 15 February 1970) was a HERO and a GENIUS of the 1st Magnitude. England was very lucky to have him and Sir Keith Park when they did. I suspect Dowding is an early example of the Sigma Male who make up only 0.1% of all males. Perfect example of this and his bravery, and his genius is the letter he wrote to Churchill, frankly pleading his case to stop sending his squadrons over to be wiped out in France. The level of passive/aggressive subtlety is amazing. And he got Churchill to give in so there's that too!! His integration of the then new fangled radar technology was a masterpiece. And little acknowledged maybe his most important contribution to fielding the radar was the sector station and the extensive landlines for outstanding communications/co-ordination. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Baron Dowding and Sir Keith Park.
Thank you for a brilliant narration of the Air-lift the word coined just for this operation. This undoubtedly shows the great resilience and endurance of the key allies - USA and UK and to a lesser extent the French who were preoccupied with Indo-China theater.
I thank you so much for this excellent account of the air war and for the well spoken and respectful narration. The war will always remain close to my heart and command my lifelong respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made , the sheer bravery and fortitude of all.All the men in the Services and women , to personally include my now late father, a Naval Officer , my grandmothers and all those who served in the Great War , to include my grandfather . Lest we forget. This history will always be close to my heart , it’s means so very much to me .My respect for The Services , all who gave their lives and their fortitude plus the strength and fortitude of the civilians on the ground , all so that we could be here today and me , writing this , in now my own dotage . I owe so much and with gratitude . May Lord Dowding forever Rest In Peace and know the huge respect which he earned , never to be forgotten. I’m just so saddened and appalled by what has happened to our once fine Country after all that stoicism and sacrifice .
The revolting politics that resulted in the removal of Air Marshal Dowding despite his incredible gifts, efforts and results in the success of the RAF during the Battle of Britain were evident also in Canada. Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles was the Chief of the Naval Staff of the Royal Canadian Navy for a decade and who displayed brilliant leadership during the darkest days at the start of WWII. He built up the RCN from a mere six destroyers at the outbreak of the war to the world's fourth largest fleet by the end. Vice Admiral Nelles was removed in a very similar manner to Air Marshal Dowding by Canadian politicians and his rival VAdm Jones who coveted the position, in 1944 not long before the surrender of the U-boats and the German Kriegsmarine.
Thank you for that nugget, I'm off to do some reading about that situation right now. The RCN did indeed save Britain via its sheperding of a large proportion of transatlantic shipping during WW2.
Its criminal the way Dowding was shafted. His brilliant defensive system of using the _"small wing"_ , saved Britain. This system had RAF aircraft only scrambling when Luftwaffe aircraft had been identified as nearby using radar, allowing resources to be conserved and protected, and allowing the pilots to rest so that they were at their best in combat. This hugely increased both the effectiveness and success rates of air defenses. Anyone who wants to know more minute detail about the Battle of Britain should read the book _"Narrow Margin: The Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-1949"_ By Derek Dempster and Derek Wood. By the way, great use of footage from the classic 1969 movie _"Battle of Britain"_
Wonderful history well told. One of my treasured memories from about 1960 was meeting one of my dad' fellow faculty member at the USAF School of Logistics in Dayton Ohio. His name was Wing Commander Joe May, RAF retired. At his home, I saw his RAF commission from 1939, initialed in pencil, in the margin "G VI" He was a Spitfire pilot in the battle of Britain. I also, briefly, dated his daughter. Thank you for this video.
@@rexbarron4873 Glad to meet someone who knew Joe May. He had some great war stories. Not about combat, just about the social aspects of young men trying to have fun while knowing their days might be numbered. I know that he was later posted to India, since that is where his daughter was born.
please can you feature the battle of the beams , Dowding himself knew how important this was to stopping the German night bombers. Yet it is never mentioned?
Amazing man. Disgraceful that he didn't get more attention nor the credit for his achievements One man fighting for the people, not for glory-or the stardom. Being shipped out of the country was a real slap in the face. A monument finally erected and never noticed was stain on the people. The men responsible are despicable 'warts'!
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG, Born in Moffat, Scotland, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC a New Zealander so naturally the english establishment wanted and tried to write both of them out of english history. Can't have those colonials upstarts taking the glory
Oh God, the inevitable well-balanced Australian bigot has emerged. I suppose your ankles are still chafing from the leg-irons. Yes Dowding and Park were badly treated but not because the were not English, it was more to do with class and the old-boy network.
I cannot believe Scottish and bigot in the same sentence! Surely not! Vote for independence and see how much NI, Wales and England enjoy sharing out your subsidy. Banana Republic without the bananas.
These lovely old gentleman. Who I'm sure we all wish we had as our grandfathers. Deserved to live forever. They fought a equally brave foe & and lived to tell the tale. Only to be beaten by the common enemy. Time! Sir Hugh Dowding is a national hero beyond measure. Shame on the egomaniacal Leigh Mallory & Bader.
Not disparaging the very real achievements of RAF Fighter Command, but the fact is Britain was under no threat of invasion in 1940. Operation Sealion was set for 15 September 1940. Thirty days either side of that date the German surface fleet consisted of one heavy cruiser, three light cruisers and about five destroyers. The British War Cabinet knew this, which is why the dispatched 150 tanks to Egypt in August.
If RAF fighter command was wiped out as others had been, in a matter of days, it is an unknown how long the UK could have gone without calls for peace and a settlement.
@@johnbrewer8954 RAF Fighter Command had the English Channel and the Royal Navy between them and the German armed forces. Find out about the size of the Royal Navy's home fleet, find out how many purpose built landing ships the Germans had and get back to me.
@@shanemcdowall I know that. After the Battle of Britain they "wargamed" it using Leigh Mallory's big wing tactics. He lost. If he was in charge of 11 group the RAF would have been wiped out in a couple of weeks. Then it is a question of how long the population would accept being bombed, with no possibility of retaliation. They needed air superiority for Sealion, but if they had air superiority Sealion possibly woulnt be needed.
@@johnbrewer8954 Operation Sealion was wargamed at Sandhurst in 1974. The Germans lost. Again, how big were the respective surface fleets, how many purpose built landing craft did the Germans have? And again, sending 150 tanks to Egypt in August - the long way around the Cape - is clear evidence that the British War Cabinet were aware there was no chance of invasion.
@@sirmeowthelibrarycat That was their rank was called, correct. But to all extents and purposes they were no different to generals in the army. Point I'm making such successful generals were never treated as badly as both Dowding and Harris was. After wining the battle of El Alamein Monty was promoted. After winning the battle of Britain Dowding was pushed aside.
Dowding DID save Britain. He resisted sending all fighters to cover Dunkirk, but they were there. He knew they would needed for the coming so called "Battle of Britain." Trafford Leigh Mallory and Douglas Bader supported the "Big Wing" however these took time to form up and could not engage the Luftwaffe quickly as required then. Once when Churchill visited RAF fighter command during the battle he asked where are our reserves seeing the scale of combat. He was told there are none, they are all engaged. Dowding was relieved not long after being seen as a prickly character and never received the recognition he deserved. This was a bit like Arthur "Bomber" Harris who might not have won the war, but as Armaments Chief Albert Speer later said his bombing tactics if continued was crippling their production, making people homeless meaning the Germans could not go on much longer. At this point Harris was rained in by Churchill, who was alarmed at the loss of civilian lives "area bombing" was causing.
Bader and Leigh Mallory had a hand in removing Dowding, not because was he was prickly, but because he opposed the big wing idea. Becuse the big wing took so long to form up, the damage caused by the Luftwaffe was done. That big headed pair also helped to get rid of Keith Park too.
@@josephmills7353 Keith Park a New Zealander was extremely capable he re-organised the air situation at Malta and later served in Middle East. He was highly regarded and finished up an Air Chief Marshal.
As a native born American and British subject, I hold this to be an entirely SHAMEFUL period in US history. That Britain stood entirely alone with only it's far flung empire as allies is so shameful.
Dowding had to fight 2 enemies simultaneously, the Luftwaffe and the mob of backward-looking but highly-placed RAF insiders who constantly stabbed him in the back, pushing for WWI-style dogfights that would certainly have lost the war for Britain. The best book I've read on the Battle of Britain is Fighter Command by Sinclair McKay. The Nazis' invasion plan was unutterably stupid (it involved towing long strings of overload troop barges across the English Channel without adequate naval or Luftwaffe protection) but that's not the kind of thing a wise commander bets the country on. It's too bad that this excellent production is damaged by excessive ads.
The radar system Dowding's idea was crucial in winning. Fighters in the right place at the right time. Toffs don't like giving credit to others. Goes across the armed forces.
Atleast the English and the World now knows who was the real Champion not Mallory but Downding who was the Ultimate Champion. Even though dead they have been ashamed in their graves.
My Grandfather was stationed in England (from rural Alberta, Canada) as a mechanic for the RCAF and married my English Grandmother who was involved i communication for the RAF. She was working in a church in London during bombings. She happened to move from her station, momentarily, and a bomb blew out a huge stained glass window. Needless to say, if she hadn't moved, I wouldn't be here.
When Winstone Churchill delivered his speech after the Battle of Britain stating "Never in the history of conflict has so much been owed to so few' I have no doubt he was referring to Sir Hugh Dowding. The so called Senior Officers responsible for his removal should have been put before a disciplinary board at the least or Court -Martialed for insubordination at the very least which is why they are not remembered in our history.
Did Dowding ever solve the problem of 12th group not protecting 11th group's airfields? Or was 11th group only saved by Germanys change of focus? Also, regarding use of resources, my readings suggested that a lot of airplanes in 12th group were laying idle while 11th group was stretched to the limit. Can someone comment on this??
I don't think it was a case of ''Well, you join us when you can catch up.'' The idea was of a BATTLE FORMATION' where-by ,11 group wait till 12 arrive on the scene, then form up the battle plan. It wasn't a free for all dogfight, though it probably ended that way. Trouble is--as the doubter said. The Bomber's will have smashed RAF Bases by then and, maybe, even on the way back home.
@@MrDaiseymay Thank you for the info. So, it sounds like the problem was never solved. I know the fog of war can affect people's judgement and we cant always expect people to be at their best, but I do wonder why more 12 Group squadrons weren't put under direct control of 11 group so they could get there quicker.
@@jamestwilkins875 The commanders of 12 Group insisted on forming "big wings" of 5 squadrons which took too long to form so by the time they arrived, the German bombers had already hit and left
What about Air Vice-M Kieth Park, commander of 11 Group? Also a forgotten hero. Victory would not have been possible but for him. We owe our freedom to these guys.
@ Ronald Harrison most of that was from the 1969 film the Battle of Britain. You can see that all the footage of the German bf 109's were planes got from the Spanish airforce you can see that the exhaust stubs are high up on the cowling. This is because the engines are actually Rolls Royce Merlins. The Daimler Benz DB 601's not available after WW2 the Spaniards had to get Merlin engines to keep their 109's in the air.
@@samrodian919Thanks for your keen eye. I love that movie, (BofB) It's up there with "A Bridge Too Far", and "Day of the Jackal". Therefore, I have decided to accept the Spaniards' improvisation, as a triumph over Truth, over mere "Facts".🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫🤨🤫
@@philevans3257 the Polish had the greatest kill rate per pilot and were better organised in combat, latter the English pilots adopted a lot of their tactics.
@@philevans3257 Dowding pushed to get the Polish pilots operative, the top brass felt having foreigners was not a good idea. As it was they proved to a great asset.
@@MrFergusferret Irrelevant. The item is about Dowding's strategic vision. And incidently he was keen to get as many pilots in to service as possible regardless of who they were. Unlike you he was not fixated on Poles.
It's both refreshing and long overdue to see that Air Marshal Dowding and Vice-Air Marshal Park receive the recognition they deserve for their roles during the Battle of Britain However, with no disrespect meant to the RAF or Fighter Command, and not to diminish their contribution to Britain's defence and success in the Battle of Britain, this documentary falls into the over-used trope of saying that the RAF "saved Britain from German invasion and defeat." This is merely hyperbole. One has to remember that on 6 June 1944 the Allies were extremely worried about the success of Operation Overlord , yet their preparations, weapons and equipment were far, far superior to what the Germans had in 1940. On top of that, the Royal Navy was at this time still the most powerful naval force on the planet and the British would have decimated any German forces trying to cross the English channel, with or without air superiority, no matter how many ships the RN lost in the process. Incidentally, members of the British forces DO NOT and HAVE NEVER saluted without headdress on in the 20th century. This is an Americanism that so many in the UK media and the general public seem to be adopting, despite being no part of British culture. It's lazy and disappointing to see.
It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit the world's best history documentary service with code 'WARSTORIES' for a huge discount! bit.ly/3wEyjQv
That makes me more reluctant.
I don't forget Air Marshal Dowding, he saved us ,Colin.
Thank goodness we did have men such as Sir Hugh Dowding, when it mattered the most. To him and his team, together with the brave aircrew and their ground support, we can watch historical documentaries such as this. We owe them so much.
Never forgotten by those of us who study military history. His foresight, planning, and shepherding of his resources to make the most effective use of them made him the *real* saviour of Britain and the western world.
Very well said.
no ... he destroyed brittain... nazis would have saved it
What a silly title Dowding's name is synonymous with the Battle of Britain those who do not know it simply know very little about the battle.
Despite his nickname, he was perhaps a man ahead of his time. He recognised the threat years in advance, and harnessed new electronic technology to meet it.
Western world? So Germany is not part of the Western world, but the semi-asian Soviet ally was part of the west... Very weird logic.
In February 1947, at the New Zealand Society’s annual London dinner, Lord Tedder (head of the Royal Air Force) said of Keith Park: ‘If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don’t believe it is realized how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world’.
Truly great tactical commander.
Completely agree having read many books and researched the events without Keith Park and his complete faith in his commanding officer, and the process which had been designed by himself and Dowding. Keith Park's subsequent appointment in Malta showed what an amazing tactical commander he was.
Keith Park, truly the right man, in the right place, at the right time. New Zealand should be incredibly proud of this man, Great Britain is certainly eternally grateful and proud of him... he has a road at RAF Uxbridge (as was) named after him, as well as statues London. Forever immortalized in the film the Battle of Britain, his group bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe's fury.....they did not let us down ! Half a world away from the country of his birth, his contribution to freedom and the first defeat in the air for the Nazi's was incalculable ! ❤🇳🇿🇬🇧
IMO Dowding was one of the first modern military commanders. He created a complex and intricate defense system, tried his best to keep his chicks alive and ultimately brought about a situation where Germany could not win the Battle of Britain.
This man was quite something.
Indeed. He invented the modern integrated air defense system.
Sir Hugh was a legend so was sir Keith, Leogh Mallory, ptah
What a Brilliant tactician Hugh Dowding was ,we owe this man more than we can pay he stood between tyranny and freedom.
Dowding not only built the force and methods used to fight the Battle of Britain but he directed it before, during and after winning the Battle. His treatment by the country that he saved and served was a horrible gigantic disgrace. Without him there would've been no English victory and the great possibly of the invasion/occupation of England- the RAF was 1 of the major factors that prevened the invasion. The RAF was preserved as 1 of the factors/forces of victory for the Allies. England now should have him memorialised at Westminster Abbey- the national shrine- as the Protector/Saviour of England. Long may he live in the hearts of freedom loving people everywhere. W.
Its seems Dowding was shafted by Trenchard and Salmond .
Trenchard had a run in with Dowding in WW I because he thought he was a bit "soft" and set him back to Britain .
After WW I , Trenchard built up the the RAF on bomber theory and "the bomber must always get through "
But in the 1930's , bomber theory became obsolete due to the development of RDF .
However Trenchard built up his reputation on this, and being as logical as Dowding was , its doubtful Dowding would have supported a bomber campaign .
So after the BoB , Trenchard and Salmond pushed Newall out and replaced him with Portal .
This blocked Dowding from being promoted to Air Marshall of the RAF .
The ambitious Leigh Mallory , Douglas , Sinclair & Lindermann would have been all to pleased to have gone along with this . Churchill was a huge supporter of Dowding , so when Sinclair informed him of this , Churchill just about blew him out of the room . However, Churchill eventually went along with this , possibly to keep the peace , and also because so many wanted a bomber campaign .
English victory? Dowding was from Moffat in the Scottish borders. There is a memorial to him there.
It was the Battle of Britain, not the battle of England.
Dowding was shamefully treated. Leigh Mallory was over promoted and his 'rodeos' achieved nothing significant, but led to a wasteful loss of life.
@@clivemitchell43 - " Leigh Mallory was over promoted and his 'rodeos' achieved nothing significant, but led to a wasteful loss of life. " This is basically what Trenchard did during WW I - when Dowding said the pilots needed a rest , Trenchard sent him back to Britain .
.
After the BoB , I suspect the real reason why Trenchard , Salmond , Douglas , Sinclair & Lindermann , the Air Ministry and eventually Churchill wanted Dowding out , is that is that its doubtful Dowding would have gone along with a Bomber Campaign , because they didn't have the navigational technology to hit strategic targets .
.
I think history has vindicated him. I think the people of his time in the 50s and 60s venerated him irrespective of all the back room machinations. He knew all about politics and people getting railroaded because they came out on the wrong side of an argument with influential people. Anyone in his position certainly did it to a few people himself over the years. I would like to think that he did the work he did to defend Britain, which he succeeded in doing, rather than for promotions and recognition. The people who did shaft him went down in history as appearing petty and cowardly.
Dowding and Park saved our bacon. One of the factors that tipped the balance Britain's way was allowing the Polish squadrons to fight with their fanatical hatred of the Germans. Whatever the nationality of the RAF pilots Poles, Czechs,Canadian, etc etc they saved the planet.
Not forgetting the 75% of Fighter Command pilots that were British born.
saved the planet. lol i dont think so.
@@PIRANHA_MAN "lol" your entitled to your opinion.
And don't forget the American pilots, small in number tho they be, who violated the Neutrality Act to fight in the RAF's Eagle Squadrons.
@@rikkidelavega No Americans served in the RAF. They were all Canadian. They swore to that fact. ;) :)
Hugh Dowding and Keith Park saved Britain.
Belize central america I'm from and i agree totally !! May Jehovah bless him
Canada & Australia also supplied Brittain with pilots & airmen.
@@suecollins8199 New Zealand too, the 3rd most after Poland and the UK itself.
Both got screwed over
As a 58 year old American man I and most of my friends know of the work of this amazing fellow
He certainly hasn't been forgotten by England, he was undoubtedly the key (along with Keith Parks) to the BoB success.
WS: why do you say "forgotten " in reference to Dowding? Anyone who knows the slightest details of the RAF's heroic defense of 1940 recognizes his name. "Overlooked" or "unrewarded " might be more appropriate.
If you read the official RAF history of the battle you will find both Dowding and Park were omitted. This act caused Churchill to question if the RAF really wanted to do this. The RAF STAFF attempted to airbrush them from history. As a New Zealander I know that Park was most unhappy with the treatment meted out to Dowding. It is rarely mentioned that Park was Dowding's SASO prior to the war and worked closely with Dowding in the development of the air defense system even contributing significant improvements such as improved vetting and filtering of data sent to plotting tables reducing clutter and improving the real time decision making capabilities. When Park wielded the system in anger he understood it intimately because he had been intimately involved in its development.
He was replaced just after 1940 his caution saved this country, Bader kept pushing for a big wing attack which would have been a disaster.
Keith Parks was instrumental in setting up the information train to fighter command from radar to scramble of spitfires.
Agree @jeremykeller211
@te_piriti thanks for your post I never knew some of the things you speak of, shocking
Dowding is not forgotten by clear thinkers.
Park was sidelined to Malta. What a lucky break? He saved Malta.Not really recognised but probably New Zealand's greatest warrior.
I want to thank the British for for sending my country, the United States their most brilliant commanders. Even to this day the American Air Force continues to use his visionary ideas. You can always tell a great idea by how many enemies it makes! Send us more of the creative geniuses that you don not want! It is a disgrace that your country would get rid of the man who helped save your country but I am sure that he was a hugely positive influence on my country's Air Force regardless.
I suppose that is why all modern jet aircraft have engines based on the German design, as opposed to the Brit's ideas???
@@BasementEngineer Complete opposite of the truth!
@@bobmartin7399 All commercial jet aircraft today utilize jet engines of the axial compressor design.
The German jet engines were of the axial compressor design.
British jet engines were of the radial compressor design.
Make of that what you will.
Wait till you find out about how the government treated Alan Turing. TBF he is now on the British £50 note, but this hardly makes up for it. We did, however send you his work and out of that you got IBM. Our government kept the work secret.
The UK always does more harm to itself than the enemy ever could, basically we have many in power in the uk that actually hate the country they live in, not sure if that's the same in the USA?
He was Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, a hero not so much known to the world.
Hugh Dowding was a British legend, but he was a Scotsman & to us Scots he is up there with our greatest legends & heroes. 💙🏴✊🏻
Dowding had tough experience in WWI and confronted Trenchard regarding the high rate of attrition of our pilots. Dowding's experience was vital in minimizing RAF pilot losses in the Battle of Britain. He and Keith Park used radar effectively as possible, but also Ultra / signal intelligence very wisely, unbeknownst to Leigh-Mallory.
Thank you for this video of a forgotten war hero by the name of Sir Hugh Dowding. We need to remember and honor the courage and sacrifices of the men and women who joined the armed forces and fought to secure the freedoms we have. We also need to remember that freedom is not cheap, that it was bought at great cost.
Therefore, we free people must not take freedom for granted because it can be easily taken away from us if we are not careful.
They are the Greatest Generation. We stand on the shoulders of giants. 🗽
The Greatest Generation is just another American illusion they were all fighting for the same people all along War is a racket
Lord Dowding will never be forgotten
Lord Dowding is not forgotten. The world would be a darker place without him.
He is not forgotten by me. Never was.
Architect for the victory in Battle of Britain.. thank him for so much
He isn't forgotten, where I live in Tunbridge Wells there are several places named after him also a stone with a plaque in the park. Great man he & keith park are heroes.
As an American student of the Battle of Britain, I can tell you I always think of Dowding, and to a lesser extent Park. I seem to recall Douglas Bader was a fan of the big wing as well, and although he wasn't in the top command positions of the others, his voice was heard because of his lost legs and heroism in the cockpit.
Dowding was the right man, in the right place, for just enough of the right time, to make THE difference in the Battle. The world owes him a huge thank you for his excellent service. Had Britain not been so successful then, who knows where we would be today?
I thought that the real forgotten hero of the Battle of Britain was Sir Keith Park, the New Zealander who commanded the SE and therefore the London air defense and whose strategy was crucial to the eventual outcome. He also commanded the successful air defense of Malta later on.
Well said.
Keith Park not forgotten by any stretch. If anything his name is more to the fore now than it was years ago. His statue was in Trafalgar square for a while.
Also provided air support for the reconquest of Burma later in the war
@@jimnaylor6009 Yes but that was relatively recent after a lot of pressure. Dowding's statue has been in London a lot longer. Park now has a permanent statue in London too. I think it's in Grosvenor Square along with other military heroes from the past. I think Grosvenor Square is the name, I've seen it there myself on a recent visit to the UK.
Thank you for submitting this info, he was a family member of my mother. NZ. I’m reading Clive Ponting’s book, ‘Myth and Reality’. Warts and all of the entire government’s incompetence!!! Winston Churchill is not what we have been told to believe!,,,
Til I saw this documentary, the unmissable role of sir Hugh Dowding never was clear to me. It is a revelation, even after having read so many books about the WW2 and the air wars. I want to thank the British for their role, and sir Hugh Dowding in particular, that they fought this battle that played a key role in the victory of WW2 in the end, (when my parents were born), by which my parents and I could grow up in peace and having made me born in a world where I can express myself as a free individual. Thank you so much, England..
Thank you, but it’s is The United Kingdom, (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) not just England. Dowding himself was not English but Scottish. 👍
@@johnnunn8688 you are right. Thank you, UK.
@@johnnunn8688 Yes, and it was a Scotsman who invented radar.
@@tetrahedron1000, indeed. I’m not going to look it up but Robert Watson Watt, rings a bell?
The men and women of the RAF under Dowding saved this country from certain invasion and defeat by the Nazis. We owe them our thanks, respect and a debt never to forget the sacrifices they made for our freedom. It was with great pleasure that I met one of those amazing men who fought in the Battle of Britain, Geoffrey Wellum, a great man with a wonderful sense of humour. Sadly he passed away in 2018. Read his book First Light,a great read. I have a very treasured copy signed by Geoff Wellum.
Never forget!
Leigh Mallory was on the winning side in the actual battle but lost it when he was in charge, he simply didnt know what he was doing and would have lost the RAF in weeks. The decision to send tanks would have been viewed as another disastrous Churchill decision, if things had gone differently. Everyone today looks at what happened and writes it with their own agenda. Churchill was PM because of a narrow vote to fight, if the RAF was lost, the sentiment would certainly have been different.
We now know a German invasion of Britain was never going to happen.
@@Coltnz1 You cannot un know the result of the Battle of Britain and you cannot know what would have happened if things had gone differently.
@@johnbrewer8954 I repeat, we now know a German invasion of Britain was never going to happen.
@@Coltnz1 How do "we" know that? We also know that Germany lost, so Germany shouldnt have started, is that how it works?
What a great man at the right place at the right time…
Tributes and Respect for Sir Dowding and the entire Royal Airforce team who worked from up in the sky and ground for the protection of UK... Regards from 🇮🇳india.
Thank you for your amazing witness testimony about real hero. 👍👍👍
Stuffy's REAL achievement wasn't RDF, Chain Home, the Observer Corps, or the Spitfire and Hurricane ... though they were all important. He created the first Integrated Air Defense System which combined them all into a smooth running and effective force with the new communications, command and control required.
The Germans never had this level of organisation. In fact, it wasn't until much later, after the war that other Air Forces came to recognise IADS was vital
The genesis of the Integrated Air Defence System was before even RDF. There are still some huge concrete walls and dishes on the Romney Marsh which are the remains of a sound location system which was actually remarkably effective, and the reporting system was first developed for this system. RDF simply slotted into the whole system
@@johncunningham6928 If that was the case, the story certainly needs to be told. You aren't by any chance called 'Cats Eyes' by your mates? :)
Dowding and Park were the real heros, but stabbed in the back by the likes of Douglas, Leigh-Mallory and Bader. Churchill also behaved badly. Leigh-Mallory lost a lot of pilots for little gain during the 1941 offensive over Northern Europe.But due to his political connections was promoted. A transport aircraft he personally had ordered to fly in poor weather conditions, crashed in the French Alps 16 August 1944. Leigh-Mallory, his wife and eight others died in the crash.
Churchill actually supported Park and Dowding. He tried to keep them in their posts.
@@Frserthegreenengine Yes Churchill was furious with Sholto Douglas and Leigh-Mallory when their report on the BofB never mentioned Dowding and Park. He tore it up and told them to re-write it. Douglas was another commander fooled by Bader's "Big Wing" lies, or simply used it politically to oust Dowding and Park.
Born to make a difference, such a remarkable human being.
They saved Western Civilization…no exaggeration…my father was in the Royal Navy during the war. The courage, inventiveness and brilliance of the Royal Air Force is beyond anything else.
Dowding is not "forgotten' but regarded as a prophet without honour for his accurate assessment of the German threat and the disgraceful way he was treated at the time.
Dowding deserved the highest medal/award Britain can give anyone not directly serving in combat. I may be wrong but it seems he created the modern day training tool of using combat air vets to teach new pilots combat tactics -- a key to surviving one's first air encounter with an enemy.
Dowding had retired in 1939, but had his contract extended twice up to Nov 1940. He wasn't fired, but simply didn't have his contract extended again as he wished.
However the mechanism used Dowding was pushed out. Britain needed him. He was reassigned not for failing but for political reasons
@@Idahoguy10157 oh, there were a number of reasons, one being his spirituality. That wouldn't pass the newpaper litmus test, so he was also a credibility risk. Can't have Air Marshals talking to ghosts, but age was the biggest factor.
What a beautifully presented and informative video. Thank you.
I was born 10 years after Second World War ended. My parents where kids when War started . My father in law was in the Royal Air Force but ground crew . Even during the Battle of Britain. . Thanks to the RAF I was able to be born . Plus my sons and grandsons
BoB Pilots rightly praise their ground crews at every available opportunity.....the ground crews worked through the night to return as many aircraft as possible to be ready for service by the following morning. In addition to refueling and rearming our fighters ready for the next sortie multiple times a day. BoB could not have been won without them ❤
Hugh Dowding should be recognised as one of the greatest Britains.
I am proud of the role of the Canadian Royal Air Force, played in the Battle of Britain.
And so you should be without our Commonwealth friends who were at our side so quickly (unlike some) I shudder to think what might have happened.
@@jp-um2fr AS shown in the credits ,at the end of the 1969 film ''Battle of Britain''. The full list, of all crew who fought in that battle, thier country of origin, and number's of losses, including Luftwaffe. It was a wonderful memorial.
Along with the Poles and Czechs, all of which played a massive part in the effort
And well you may, in both wars the Canadians were with us in great numbers in just days.
Bloody Foreigners who are given no credit or invited to the victory parade. I have absolutely no respect for Britain or France after their backstab double cross shame in WW2.. Especially knowing they were sued for Peace in both WW1 and WW2 and refused. All our men died so they could steal more Dynasties. Historians in Europe figure at least 300 million people died in WW2, not including all wounded physically, mentally and spiritually. Greed and power hungry with no respect for human life. Stoled all Germaine's Colonies, occupied Germany after blaming them for WW1, also blaming a Serb so must kill Serbs. They started it. Intentionally created the Great Depression with unknown number of deaths and suffering. 1953 Royal Crown coronation celebrating Peace and Prosperity. How many slave labor camps were around the world? They had to have all the supplies and building plans before the war started. Europe Royalty have been living off the backs of the "vulgers for generations. Bloodlands. 1000 years of mass murder.
Polish 303 Sqn was highest scoring fighter squadron in Battle of Britain
Yes that England forgot how Polish payot help them and they didn't.t invited Polish to defilade of and that ll War
Yes and 303's highest scoring pilot (indeed he achieved a full 30% of 303's confired kills) was CZECHSLOVAKIAN pilot Josef František. Credit where credits due !!!
Thank you. Good to learn this. People who are not afraid to speaking the truth to their superiors, are not liked. And thus this man is not mentioned after the war. He did not play ball. Very, very sad and unjustified. Today even more the case than 70 years ago...
I agree totally with you. The first time I heard of Dowling was the B of B film. Also I include the New Zealander Keith Parks who went onto defend Malta. Again like Dowling was not remembered.
Superb and majestic document! A million thanks for promoting it for our viewing! Thanks again!
Dowding has a memorial in Moffat in Scotland. But there should be one in Parliament Square
We don't honour our heroes in this country.
@@davidbrown2571 there is a statue outside the RAF church in the Strand. His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey under the RAF memorial window there. At least they did that. But he and Keith Park were not as
acknowledge as they should have been.
Dowding was by far the best airforce commander in WW II. If he wouldnt have been in command, Britain would have lost the battle of Britain. Although I am a German myself, I have a ton of respect for Dowding, as much as I hate Bomber-Harris.
In the movie, Dowding - head of fighter command - was very well plyed by Sir Laurence Olivier.
All is well that ends well..AM Dowding got the recognition he deserved among'Saviour of Britain'.Great story wonderfully scripted and presented by producers of film.
He was a fine man and hero.
Agreed William and like most heroes in this country, their recognition is like 'trying to get blood out of a stone'
I think it's always been that way. 🇬🇧
@@gazza2933 oh yes, agreed. The 🇬🇧 are still not as good as they could be. The Royal Legion, Help for Heroes do a lot of work for injured soldiers, sailors and airmen.
I used to live near Duxford and loved seeing and hearing the Spitfires unique sound you could tell instantly when they were flying.
It often happens that the real heroes and experts are pushed out by those with jealousy and malice as their motivational compass.
@Jens Nobel well written Jens, all facts, refreshing to see someone's post that is actually historically correct, instead of the usual fanboys regurgitating some fuff piece they had watched and liked.
@Jens Nobel It's impossible to read about Leigh Mallory and not be appalled by him. He intrigued, schemed and ultimately stabbed Park in the back with the assistance of Bader and then came up with the halfwitted plan to spend the next year 'leaning in' to France with costly fighter sweeps that did absolutely nothing besides kill brave men in large numbers. I dislike the man. Thoroughly.
@Jens Nobel All true, and Dowding was disgracefully slated by L-M for not being aggressive enough, when L-M didn't know of Ultra and what Dowding knew of the enemy's strengths and forthcoming waves of bombers, simply because of Ultra.
Dowding was desperately trying to husband resources for the coming peak of the battle, but L-M and others kept trying to undermine him, in their ignorance.
Montgomery?
@@Hartley_Hare Well Leigh Mallory got his in the end ..taken out in a B24 transport plane crash in '44!!.
A great man indeed, who lived to advise on and see the film The Battle of Britain made and released showing his vital part in it and his own private battle with Trafford Leigh-Mallory. I seem to recall also that, in his opinion, the other unsung heroes of the battle were the telephone engineers and the GPO telecommunications system which acted as a vital back up when all the radar installations were taken out leaving us virtually blind except for them and the Observer Corps, who were another fine body of civillians that we fell back on proving that everyone was indeed involved during that summer of 1940.
Hear Hear 👍
Indeed.
I would only add that this doco draws heavily on the film you mentioned.
All the colour shots of combat, refugees, movements of troops and materiel , and ground scenes from the war, among others, are from that 1969 production. Dowding features pretty prominently in the movie, as Brad points out, making it a bit disingenuous of this doco to pretend to lift the lid on a forgotten figure.
Some of the "facts" are actually incorrect: for instance in the segment beginning at 15:00 RDF (correctly identified as Radio Direction Finding) was and remains a completely different technology from RADAR (Radio Direction and Ranging): the former is used for navigation, and constitutes a radio receiver with a highly directional (rotatable) antenna, wihch gives accurate bearings on transmitting stations, whereas the much later and more technically challenging RADAR gives both direction and range on inanimate (and certainly non-transmitting) solid objects, using a completely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum, at which high energy pulses are sent out, to be reflected by the target, and the echo detected.
@@davidw.robertson448 I stand corrected
The radar systems were relatively unscathed during the BoB - the Germans never fully comprehended their role - Luftwaffe intelligence failed badly in numerous aspects.
@@maconescotland8996 Indeed. I believe Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight was put out of commission but the remainder of the network was able to quickly be reinstated. In the meantime, and in providing an adjunct capability, the Observer Corps were invaluable.
Loved that information.
Like others have said if you're ignorant about the true record of WW 2 & especially of Britain's efforts in 1939 - 1942 then you probably won't have heard of Hugh Dowding. But the truth is he was brilliant, brave & dedicated to the defense of his beloved homeland. He got a raw deal from men many times his lessers. RIP sir. God bless you. ❤️🙏❤️🙏🫡 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
An excellent three quarter hour of one hours viewing. I've known about Dowding's unrecognised achievements for some many years. Like so many things in life, those that deserved the REAL credit never get it. Plus ca change.
Poor chap who was sidelined and brushed aside by his colleagues and then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, playing dirty petty politics over him a real Hero.
From what I've read Churchill tried to protect Dowding and keep him in position and it was Lord Beaverbrook who was eventually responsible for getting rid of him. It appears that Lord Beaverbrook was the man who sealed his fate when Dowding refused to cooperate with him. After that Churchill had little choice! I wish this doco had gone into that instead of joining the anti Churchill brigade. Both Dowding and Churchill were great men. Both true British heroes.
Thank you Stuffy 🙏
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG (24 April 1882 - 15 February 1970) was a HERO and a GENIUS of the 1st Magnitude. England was very lucky to have him and Sir Keith Park when they did. I suspect Dowding is an early example of the Sigma Male who make up only 0.1% of all males.
Perfect example of this and his bravery, and his genius is the letter he wrote to Churchill, frankly pleading his case to stop sending his squadrons over to be wiped out in France. The level of passive/aggressive subtlety is amazing. And he got Churchill to give in so there's that too!!
His integration of the then new fangled radar technology was a masterpiece. And little acknowledged maybe his most important contribution to fielding the radar was the sector station and the extensive landlines for outstanding communications/co-ordination.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for Baron Dowding and Sir Keith Park.
Maybe a better nickname for Stuffy, could have been Steady? We owe him so much.
Not forgotten... he and Keith Park will always be remembered for their vital role in defending England from the hun....
LEST WE FORGET!....
Thank you for a brilliant narration of the Air-lift the word coined just for this operation. This undoubtedly shows the great resilience and endurance of the key allies - USA and UK and to a lesser extent the French who were preoccupied with Indo-China theater.
Sad ending for the 2 real architects of how Britain was saved……
Park went on to lead the defence of Malta and then Burma, so proved his worth many times over.
I thank you so much for this excellent account of the air war and for the well spoken and respectful narration. The war will always remain close to my heart and command my lifelong respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made , the sheer bravery and fortitude of all.All the men in the Services and women , to personally include my now late father, a Naval Officer , my grandmothers and all those who served in the Great War , to include my grandfather . Lest we forget. This history will always be close to my heart , it’s means so very much to me .My respect for The Services , all who gave their lives and their fortitude plus the strength and fortitude of the civilians on the ground , all so that we could be here today and me , writing this , in now my own dotage . I owe so much and with gratitude . May Lord Dowding forever Rest In Peace and know the huge respect which he earned , never to be forgotten. I’m just so saddened and appalled by what has happened to our once fine Country after all that stoicism and sacrifice .
Why this man is not on top of the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square is beyond me!?
The revolting politics that resulted in the removal of Air Marshal Dowding despite his incredible gifts, efforts and results in the success of the RAF during the Battle of Britain were evident also in Canada.
Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles was the Chief of the Naval Staff of the Royal Canadian Navy for a decade and who displayed brilliant leadership during the darkest days at the start of WWII. He built up the RCN from a mere six destroyers at the outbreak of the war to the world's fourth largest fleet by the end. Vice Admiral Nelles was removed in a very similar manner to Air Marshal Dowding by Canadian politicians and his rival VAdm Jones who coveted the position, in 1944 not long before the surrender of the U-boats and the German Kriegsmarine.
Thank you for that nugget, I'm off to do some reading about that situation right now. The RCN did indeed save Britain via its sheperding of a large proportion of transatlantic shipping during WW2.
Its criminal the way Dowding was shafted. His brilliant defensive system of using the _"small wing"_ , saved Britain. This system had RAF aircraft only scrambling when Luftwaffe aircraft had been identified as nearby using radar, allowing resources to be conserved and protected, and allowing the pilots to rest so that they were at their best in combat. This hugely increased both the effectiveness and success rates of air defenses.
Anyone who wants to know more minute detail about the Battle of Britain should read the book _"Narrow Margin: The Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-1949"_ By Derek Dempster and Derek Wood.
By the way, great use of footage from the classic 1969 movie _"Battle of Britain"_
History is kinder to Dowding and Parks than RAF was.
Odd because I had lots of books about the B of B and he and Keith Park were always praised in them.
Wonderful history well told. One of my treasured memories from about 1960 was meeting one of my dad' fellow faculty member at the USAF School of Logistics in Dayton Ohio. His name was Wing Commander Joe May, RAF retired. At his home, I saw his RAF commission from 1939, initialed in pencil, in the margin "G VI" He was a Spitfire pilot in the battle of Britain. I also, briefly, dated his daughter. Thank you for this video.
did the relationship take off ?
May.....Joined 1 Squadron early 1940, then posted to 43 Squadron 16/9/40
@@rexbarron4873 Glad to meet someone who knew Joe May. He had some great war stories. Not about combat, just about the social aspects of young men trying to have fun while knowing their days might be numbered. I know that he was later posted to India, since that is where his daughter was born.
@@MrDaiseymay No, but we remained friends and kept in touch for many years even after each of us had married.
please can you feature the battle of the beams , Dowding himself knew how important this was to stopping the German night bombers.
Yet it is never mentioned?
A great insight of a true leader in a time of crisis.
Spoilt by 22 adverts in 47 minutes. @#^/!( ridiculous.
Hugh Dowding defined Force Multiplier.
Amazing man. Disgraceful that he didn't get more attention nor the credit for his achievements One man fighting for the people, not for glory-or the stardom. Being shipped out of the country was a real slap in the face. A monument finally erected and never noticed was stain on the people. The men responsible are despicable 'warts'!
We owe him our lives!
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG, Born in Moffat, Scotland, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC a New Zealander so naturally the english establishment wanted and tried to write both of them out of english history. Can't have those colonials upstarts taking the glory
Oh God, the inevitable well-balanced Australian bigot has emerged. I suppose your ankles are still chafing from the leg-irons. Yes Dowding and Park were badly treated but not because the were not English, it was more to do with class and the old-boy network.
@@photoisca7386, If you plan to call me a bigot please get it right, I am Scottish.
Ah, a Scottish bigot if you please! Lols
@@leddieliveEnglish Exceptionalism I presume
I cannot believe Scottish and bigot in the same sentence! Surely not! Vote for independence and see how much NI, Wales and England enjoy sharing out your subsidy. Banana Republic without the bananas.
Brave men without leaders like Dowding, are just a rabble.
These lovely old gentleman. Who I'm sure we all wish we had as our grandfathers.
Deserved to live forever.
They fought a equally brave foe & and lived to tell the tale.
Only to be beaten by the common enemy.
Time!
Sir Hugh Dowding is a national hero beyond measure. Shame on the egomaniacal Leigh Mallory & Bader.
Not disparaging the very real achievements of RAF Fighter Command, but the fact is Britain was under no threat of invasion in 1940. Operation Sealion was set for 15 September 1940. Thirty days either side of that date the German surface fleet consisted of one heavy cruiser, three light cruisers and about five destroyers. The British War Cabinet knew this, which is why the dispatched 150 tanks to Egypt in August.
If RAF fighter command was wiped out as others had been, in a matter of days, it is an unknown how long the UK could have gone without calls for peace and a settlement.
@@johnbrewer8954 RAF Fighter Command had the English Channel and the Royal Navy between them and the German armed forces. Find out about the size of the Royal Navy's home fleet, find out how many purpose built landing ships the Germans had and get back to me.
@@shanemcdowall I know that. After the Battle of Britain they "wargamed" it using Leigh Mallory's big wing tactics. He lost. If he was in charge of 11 group the RAF would have been wiped out in a couple of weeks. Then it is a question of how long the population would accept being bombed, with no possibility of retaliation. They needed air superiority for Sealion, but if they had air superiority Sealion possibly woulnt be needed.
@@johnbrewer8954 Operation Sealion was wargamed at Sandhurst in 1974. The Germans lost. Again, how big were the respective surface fleets, how many purpose built landing craft did the Germans have? And again, sending 150 tanks to Egypt in August - the long way around the Cape - is clear evidence that the British War Cabinet were aware there was no chance of invasion.
Dowding and Harris, two RAF generals who were not given the recognition they deserved for the role they played.
😠 They were not Generals. Their RAF ranks were Air Chief Marshall and Air Vice Marshall. The highest RAF rank is Marshall of the Royal Air Force.
@@sirmeowthelibrarycat That was their rank was called, correct.
But to all extents and purposes they were no different to generals in the army. Point I'm making such successful generals were never treated as badly as both Dowding and Harris was.
After wining the battle of El Alamein Monty was promoted. After winning the battle of Britain Dowding was pushed aside.
Dowding DID save Britain. He resisted sending all fighters to cover Dunkirk, but they were there. He knew they would needed for the coming so called "Battle of Britain." Trafford Leigh Mallory and Douglas Bader supported the "Big Wing" however these took time to form up and could not engage the Luftwaffe quickly as required then. Once when Churchill visited RAF fighter command during the battle he asked where are our reserves seeing the scale of combat. He was told there are none, they are all engaged. Dowding was relieved not long after being seen as a prickly character and never received the recognition he deserved. This was a bit like Arthur "Bomber" Harris who might not have won the war, but as Armaments Chief Albert Speer later said his bombing tactics if continued was crippling their production, making people homeless meaning the Germans could not go on much longer. At this point Harris was rained in by Churchill, who was alarmed at the loss of civilian lives "area bombing" was causing.
Bader and Leigh Mallory had a hand in removing Dowding, not because was he was prickly, but because he opposed the big wing idea. Becuse the big wing took so long to form up, the damage caused by the Luftwaffe was done. That big headed pair also helped to get rid of Keith Park too.
@@josephmills7353 Keith Park a New Zealander was extremely capable he re-organised the air situation at Malta and later served in Middle East. He was highly regarded and finished up an Air Chief Marshal.
As a native born American and British subject, I hold this to be an entirely SHAMEFUL period in US history. That Britain stood entirely alone with only it's far flung empire as allies is so shameful.
Not the American peoples fault, but I think the government made a lot of money from the war.
Dowding had to fight 2 enemies simultaneously, the Luftwaffe and the mob of backward-looking but highly-placed RAF insiders who constantly stabbed him in the back, pushing for WWI-style dogfights that would certainly have lost the war for Britain. The best book I've read on the Battle of Britain is Fighter Command by Sinclair McKay. The Nazis' invasion plan was unutterably stupid (it involved towing long strings of overload troop barges across the English Channel without adequate naval or Luftwaffe protection) but that's not the kind of thing a wise commander bets the country on. It's too bad that this excellent production is damaged by excessive ads.
I've heard over & over 🙂, "we knew he was fighting for us." If more bosses would do that it would not only be better work place, but better world.
The radar system Dowding's idea was crucial in winning. Fighters in the right place at the right time. Toffs don't like giving credit to others. Goes across the armed forces.
Not forgotten at all, what happened was there was about to be a great issue of glory and he was moved aside to allow that glory to go to others.
What wonderful treatment of elderly world war 2 films. the digital enhancement is fabulous.
Atleast the English and the World now knows who was the real Champion not Mallory but Downding who was the Ultimate Champion. Even though dead they have been ashamed in their graves.
We have always known have you not watched the battle of Britain
@@pilkipilki4472 . . . that's 'Battle of Britain' !
He built from the eyeball Mk 1 observer Corp to RDF, later called Radar to front line fighter squadrons. The first complete Air Defence System ever.
My Grandfather was stationed in England (from rural Alberta, Canada) as a mechanic for the RCAF and married my English Grandmother who was involved i
communication for the RAF. She was working in a church in London during bombings. She happened to move from her station, momentarily, and a bomb blew out a huge stained glass window. Needless to say, if she hadn't moved, I wouldn't be here.
He's not forgotten. Years ago, I met someone who grew up in Hamburg. They remember him very well. There's probably a statue...
When Winstone Churchill delivered his speech after the Battle of Britain stating "Never in the history of conflict has so much been owed to so few' I have no doubt he was referring to Sir Hugh Dowding. The so called Senior Officers responsible for his removal should have been put before a disciplinary board at the least or Court -Martialed for insubordination at the very least which is why they are not remembered in our history.
He was referring to the RAF in general, more specifically to those who died.
What amazing foresight.
Did Dowding ever solve the problem of 12th group not protecting 11th group's airfields? Or was 11th group only saved by Germanys change of focus? Also, regarding use of resources, my readings suggested that a lot of airplanes in 12th group were laying idle while 11th group was stretched to the limit. Can someone comment on this??
I don't think it was a case of ''Well, you join us when you can catch up.'' The idea was of a BATTLE FORMATION' where-by ,11 group wait till 12 arrive on the scene, then form up the battle plan. It wasn't a free for all dogfight, though it probably ended that way. Trouble is--as the doubter said. The Bomber's will have smashed RAF Bases by then and, maybe, even on the way back home.
@@MrDaiseymay Thank you for the info. So, it sounds like the problem was never solved. I know the fog of war can affect people's judgement and we cant always expect people to be at their best, but I do wonder why more 12 Group squadrons weren't put under direct control of 11 group so they could get there quicker.
@@jamestwilkins875 The commanders of 12 Group insisted on forming "big wings" of 5 squadrons which took too long to form so by the time they arrived, the German bombers had already hit and left
What about Air Vice-M Kieth Park, commander of 11 Group? Also a forgotten hero. Victory would not have been possible but for him. We owe our freedom to these guys.
Already historical record was Hugh Dowding's 'Fabian Strategy', contrary to the enjoinders of Churchill.
Great film footage, amazing.
@ Ronald Harrison most of that was from the 1969 film the Battle of Britain. You can see that all the footage of the German bf 109's were planes got from the Spanish airforce you can see that the exhaust stubs are high up on the cowling. This is because the engines are actually Rolls Royce Merlins. The Daimler Benz DB 601's not available after WW2 the Spaniards had to get Merlin engines to keep their 109's in the air.
@@samrodian919Thanks for your keen eye. I love that movie, (BofB) It's up there with "A Bridge Too Far", and "Day of the Jackal". Therefore, I have decided to accept the Spaniards' improvisation, as a triumph over Truth, over mere "Facts".🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫🤨🤫
A mention also must be made of the contribution of Polish pilots of 303 Squadron
Why?
@@philevans3257 the Polish had the greatest kill rate per pilot and were better organised in combat, latter the English pilots adopted a lot of their tactics.
@@MrFergusferret What's that got to do with Dowding and his contribution?
@@philevans3257 Dowding pushed to get the Polish pilots operative, the top brass felt having foreigners was not a good idea. As it was they proved to a great asset.
@@MrFergusferret Irrelevant. The item is about Dowding's strategic vision. And incidently he was keen to get as many pilots in to service as possible regardless of who they were. Unlike you he was not fixated on Poles.
It's both refreshing and long overdue to see that Air Marshal Dowding and Vice-Air Marshal Park receive the recognition they deserve for their roles during the Battle of Britain
However, with no disrespect meant to the RAF or Fighter Command, and not to diminish their contribution to Britain's defence and success in the Battle of Britain, this documentary falls into the over-used trope of saying that the RAF "saved Britain from German invasion and defeat." This is merely hyperbole. One has to remember that on 6 June 1944 the Allies were extremely worried about the success of Operation Overlord , yet their preparations, weapons and equipment were far, far superior to what the Germans had in 1940. On top of that, the Royal Navy was at this time still the most powerful naval force on the planet and the British would have decimated any German forces trying to cross the English channel, with or without air superiority, no matter how many ships the RN lost in the process.
Incidentally, members of the British forces DO NOT and HAVE NEVER saluted without headdress on in the 20th century. This is an Americanism that so many in the UK media and the general public seem to be adopting, despite being no part of British culture. It's lazy and disappointing to see.
Great man
Fantastic aerial shoots !