Few visits were as interesting as this one. Few places will be more memorable than The Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge (UK).Few museums have been so kind as this one. Honestly I have been extremely lucky in many ways.In the spring of 2023, I needed to follow a course in Oxford. After the course my group went to Milton Keynes to visit Bletchley Park. We had about one day left when I incidentally found out the drive back to Heathrow would take me along Uxbridge, home of the bunker. For one or another reason I always thought the bunker was located elsewhere.

The Battle of Britain Bunker Exhibition and Visitor Centre includes a detailed exhibition of the development of the UK’s air defence system from the First World War to the end of the Second World War.

You can see real artefacts including aircraft wreckage, uniforms, and telecommunications equipment used by the RAF.

The bunker is part of the defences against German bombers and fighters attacking the country in preparation of the invasion (Operation Sea Lion). When starting the air war, the German Luftwaffe had 2.550 aircraft available, the RAF only 749. In order to withstand attacks, there was a need to dispatch aircraft efficiently.

For this reason, the RAF developed the Dowding System, named for Fighter Command’s Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding . The system brought together technology (radar), observers of the Observer Corps, ground defences and fighter aircraft into a unified system of defence. It not only controlled the fighter force, but other elements of the defence network as well, including anti-aircraft guns, searchlights and barrage balloons. The Dowding System is the world’s first fully integrated air defence system.

The exhibition provides insight into how the Dowding System worked, featuring a replica of the original 1940 plotting map and a 360-degree touch screen experience for those unable to go underground to visit the Bunker and the original Operations Room.

The soundscape enables you to hear the voices, sounds and decisions that would have been heard on the morning of 15 September 1940, now known as ‘Battle of Britain Day’.

The exhibition clarifies the role and duties of the Group Controller, and you can see the brand-new re-display of the Controller’s desk, which includes communications equipment, operational reports, maps and other intriguing items.

One object of particular interest is a 1930s dip pen that was found during a recent clean under the desk. The nib is twisted and broken, but given its age, where it was located and the style of pen it is very likely that this object was used by a controller during the war!

In the museum you may find a Hurricane and a Spitfire, the iconic fighters of the battle.

One of the objects is the red phone which was used by the Group Controller in the Controller’s Cabin. The Controller sat overlooking the plotting table and could see what was happening in real time. The Controller had as little as two minutes to analyse this information and make a decision on how best to respond to the threat and deploy available squadrons.

Another object is the anti-aircraft search light. A searchlight would have been used throughout Britain to locate enemy aircraft at night. It produced a powerful beam (90cm in diameter) and had a five-mile range. Once the enemy aircraft had been spotted, the searchlight would attempt to ‘lock on’ to the aerial target and anti-aircraft gunners would open fire. Many searchlights were operated by women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).

Many tasks were performed by the women of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and there are many objects proving this.

There is a number of interactive displays, such as a radar and a plotting table which are interesting to younger visitors and their parents.

The upper part of the museum is interesting but descending the 76 steps to the operations room is a must. If you bear in mind that decisions made may have decided on the Battle of Britain, you realise you are in the epicentre where it all happened.

The exhibition is very interesting and may appeal to younger and older visitors of both genders alike!

The museum was used as a film location for the classic was movie “Battle of Britain”.

After the Second World War the museum was used by the RAF for communication purposes.

The huge board indicating the squadrons of the 11th Fighter Group is based on the displays used to bet on horse racing (the tote board).

When I arrived in the museum late in the afternoon, I was informed that the last tour had already departed. You can imagine I was quite disappointed, especially since I am trying to build a replica of the tote board (I did not succeed yet). The lady must have noticed how sad I must have looked and shortly afterwards she told me “Let me we see what I can do”. She recommended to visit the regular exhibition on the ground floor.

When looking around experimenting with the radar display, I was kindly asked to follow another lady, who appeared to be the manager of the museum. To make a long story short, within minutes I was in the operations room, and I got a private tour, when later being joined by another very friendly member of the staff. I was also shown an underground room used for NATO purposes, which is not part of the regular tour.

Over the last few years, I have been to many military museums, but this is definitely the most special one.

Even when your are not as lucky as I was, I am confident you will enjoy a visit to the museum as much as I did.