User:Sailor Malan

From The Air Combat Wiki

I've been playing FighterAce for five years now, in Apr 2004 I joined TheFew.

I took over as CO of TheFew, when Bruv left FA around 2 1/2 years ago.

If you're British or a from a Commonwealth country, you are welcome to apply to join TheFew. We use ventrilo voice comms. Visit our website at http://www.thefewsquadron.co.uk/

The Few is a term used to describe the Allied airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) who won the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. It comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "never was so much owed by so many to so few". This phrase was likely inspired at least in part by Shakespeare's Henry V St. Crispin's Day speech.

Contrary to popular belief, The Few were not just a couple of dozen Spitfire Pilots; in fact nearly 3,000 men were awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp. As of 2005, there were fewer than 90 alive.

The flyers were overwhelmingly Britons in the RAF (2,353 out of a total of 2,927, by one counting; of them, 407 were killed, out of a total death roll of 510). However, there were many from other British Empire countries (particularly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada), as well as exiles from many conquered European nations. In particular, there were several squadrons of men from Poland, and many from Czechoslovakia as well. Although this action took place well before the USA entered the war, there were a handful (seven) of US pilots involved.

There is a preserved Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft known as "The Last of The Many" (as it was the last production model of that type - and therefore did not itself fly in the Battle) - which may be a play on words with "The Few" - that flies as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, along with a Supermarine Spitfire that flew in the Battle (one of 5 Spitfires in the Memorial Flight).

The pilots themselves are remembered on the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne and all the names are listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London. The Battle of Britain Roll of Honour is held in Westminster Abbey in the RAF Chapel, and is paraded annually during the Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on Battle of Britain Sunday.