Listen to Air Chief Marshall Sir Keith Park explaining in a 1961 interview the inside story of the Battle of Britain.
Keith Park never had an opportunity to contribute to the official report into the Battle of Britain. That report today is considered to be highly inaccurate. When Winston Churchill received the report he wrote on it, “This report is not good” and concluded by saying,”What would have been said if the Admiralty had told the tale of Trafalgar and left Lord Nelson out of it?”
So here is a rare opportunity to hear from the RAF’s Commander in the battle especially as he tells for the only time on record about what actually happened in the battle.
Keith Park was one of the most important and successful RAF Commanders of World War Two. He was an Air Ace during the First World War when as a Squadron Leader he shot down numerous German planes. By the late 1930’s he was a senior ranking RAF Officer and as Chief of staff of Fighter Command became instrumental in setting up the radar and communications systems (The Dowding System) that would become so important in the Battle of Britain.
It fell to him to command the RAF during the British Expeditionary Force’s (BEF) withdrawal in France and its evacuation at Dunkirk. He led the RAF in the Battle of Britain and, later in the war, was the victor of the crucial Battle of Malta.
Today the Battle of Britain story is surrounded by an element of myth. This in some respects has taken over from fact. However, in this unique and rare interview you can hear what actually happened from the the man who commanded the RAF in the battle.
Learn more about Keith Park’s involvement in these Battles: