HIGH DRAMA

KATE HUMBLE AND DAN SNOW BRING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S FLASHPOINTS TO LIFE

DAN SNOW and Kate Humble are broadcasting from a Spitfire, yelling history at us in this animated account of the Battle of Britain.

They certainly know how to bring history to life, reliving the twists, turns, terror and triumph of three critical days that saved Britain, exploring forgotten tales of those who put their lives on the line.

Telling the gripping events of the days in minute-by-minute detail, there are incredible stories of ground crew, pilots and ordinary Brits who battled to stop a Nazi invasion.

Beginning with August 15, 1940, Britain found itself under attack as Hitler ordered that the RAF should be wiped out to clear the path for invasion.

Dan and Kate reveal that meanwhile, in a top secret bunker in West London, a 19-year-old called Joan Fanshawe was tracking the battle.

Although her job was advertised as ‘clerk’, she actually plotted crucial information on a map. Later on, sitting in a Spitfire, Kate tries to imagine what it must have been like for the pilots.

“My goodness, I’m feeling every part of being in the air, I feel like I’m a bird!” she says. “It’s extraordinary and terrifying and I’m not in combat.”

She is investigating the story of young recruit William Hopkin who had never engaged in enemy combat before.

Dan and Kate also look into the tale of star pilot Archie McKellar, who led a surprise attack over Newcastle, and teenager Peter Comely who defended the West Country coastline from bombers. A thrilling account of some maverick heroes.