Historian and TV presenter

time and time again, bravely, blindly in defence of their country. Ground crews below slept under the wings of the aircraft they serviced, all ready to respond at the ring of a bell.

And the often overlooked Bomber Command crews were flying sorties over Germany, targeting the

Luftwaffe on the ground.

But we must always remember this victory came at a cost. And we must always remember The Few and the ultimate sacrifices they and their families made for our freedom.

I have been privileged to hear from pilots and crew at the heart of that, to hear their extraordinary experiences, to learn of their unimaginable courage, selflessness, comradeship and stoicism. Their stories are utterly

humbling, yet they never saw themselves as heroes – they had a job to do. We owe them and all those serving then in the RAF, whether in the air or on the ground, a huge debt.

It is vital that we listen to these stories, while we still have these veterans to tell them, to hear of the sacrifices they made and ensure history is never repeated.

■■Dan will host the RAF Benevolent Fund’s Great Big Battle of Britain Virtual Quiz on Saturday. Sign up – and find out about the Fund’s Battle of Britain podcast – at rafbf.org.