Just 60% of Brits know what the Battle of Britain was.

Figures revealed today – on the 75th anniversary of the start of the battle – show that 40% of 1,000 people surveyed were unaware of the battle and only 51% had heard of The Few.

The RAF Benevolent Fund, which supports veterans and ex-military pilots and carried out the survey, says it is shocked at the figures.

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It is a particularly pertinent statistic in Kent as the county was on the frontline of attack from the German air force.

Air battles raged in the skies above the south east throughout the summer of 1940 as the Royal Air Force took on the overwhelming numbers of the German Luftwaffe in one of the most decisive battles during the Second World War.

Adolf Hitler was planning to invade Britain in 1940 but the Nazis needed air superiority to launch their invasion from ports in occupied France.

All that stood in their way were 3,000 RAF pilots from Britain, her empire and allies including Poland, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) and the USA, who at the start of the battle were outnumbered four to one.

Wave after wave of German bombers attacked Britain during the summer months. But the RAF held off the threat of invasion by failing to break under the relentless raids.

They have since been immortalised as The Few following a famous speech by prime minister Winston Churchill, who paid tribute to them saying: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Of the younger age group questioned (18-24) 10% thought the Battle of Britain happened in 2014 and a further 10% said it was the name given to a Viking attack.

The findings also showed 84% of people knew about the Blitz when the Germans flattened London and other British cities and 65% correctly identified the Luftwaffe as the German Air Force.

Now the RAF Benevolent Fund want to want to encourage more people to learn about the battle and the sacrifices made by The Few to preserve the freedoms enjoyed today.

Air Marshal Chris Nickols, from the fund, said: “As the nation marks this milestone, it is my hope a new generation will take time to discover more about the pilots and the ground crew who bravely answered their country’s call.”

As part of marking the anniversary the fund has interviewed some of the veterans who lived through the battle.

Stan Hartill, a ground crew veteran for a Spitfire squadron, worked 15-hour days to ensure the planes stayed in the air. He said: “There was nothing between England and the German armies but the RAF. We knew we were fighting for our lives.”

The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust is holding a memorial day event with Spitfire and Hurricane display on Sunday at the National Memorial to the Few in Capel-le-Ferne.

The air cadets band will perform at 10.30am before the general salute at 1.30pm and the flypast and display at 3pm. There will be a sunset ceremony at 4pm to finish off the day of commemorations.

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