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Secret "despatch" on the Battle of Britain by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh C. T. Dowding, 8 x 13.25, 48 pages, signed on the title page in fountain pen, "H. C. T. Dowding." The report is bound in its original paper wrappers, marked "Secret, Copy No. 6," with "To Be Kept Under Lock and Key" printed in red. In the preamble, Dowding observes: "I have been instructed by the Air Council to write a Despatch on the Air Fighting of last Autumn, which has become known as the 'Battle of Britain.' The conditions are a little unusual because, firstly, the Battle ended many months ago, secondly, a popular account of the fighting has already been written and published, and, thirdly, recommendations for Mention in Despatches have already been submitted…I have endeavoured, therefore, to write a report which will, I hope, be of Historical interest, and which will, in any case, contain the results of more than four years' experience of the Fighter Command in peace and war."
Dowding's report offers details on the preliminary situation in Europe at the start of the battle, the readiness and methods of the Royal Air Force, the phases of battle, and night operations. The appendix includes a listing of the Fighter Command's order of battle, report of the 6th Anti-Aircraft Division, reports on allocation of armaments, lists of ammunition expenditures and aircraft destroyed, and notes on the offensive and defensive equipment of aircraft. Three separate maps and charts include associated hand-colored original copies: a map of the "A.A. Command, HY. A.A. & LT. A.A. Guns as Deployed 7/7/40," marked "Secret"; a map of the "Fighter Command and Layout, July 1940," marked "Secret"; and a chart of "Aircraft Losses: Comparison of R.A.F. Fighter Losses with Corresponding German Aircraft Losses by Day." Also includes a mimeographed draft of the despatch, plus the "Supplement to The London Gazette" published on September 10, 1946, printing the declassified text of Dowding's despatch. All are held together in a cardstock folder, stamped "Secret," and curiously marked as "Copy No. 8." In overall very good to fine condition, small tears to the spine of the printed report, and some wear and staining to the accompanying papers.
Consignor notes that this archive originates from the collection of Wing Commander Robert C. Wright, former PA to both Dowding and Sholto Douglas, 1940–1941; it was presumably given to him directly by Dowding, with the pre-production materials possibly sent to him for review or editing.
Written and submitted to the Air Ministry in 1941, Hugh Dowding’s official dispatch on the Battle of Britain has become the foundational narrative of the campaign, shaping its public understanding for the next eighty years. As the leader of the RAF Fighter Command—the 'Few' who defended Britain against the Luftwaffe—Dowding offered an authoritative, firsthand account of how the battle was fought and won. His dispatch not only set out the strategy, challenges, and outcome of the air campaign with unmatched clarity, but also formally established the very dates of its beginning and end. As such, it stands as both a definitive military report and a vindicating testament to Dowding’s leadership and vision.
