The three forgotten architects of victory

YESTERDAY a man knelt in Westminster Abbey giving thanks to God for the deliverance of his country.

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From the Abbey he returned to "the silence and the peace supreme" of his own garden at Wimbledon—Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, the man upon whom, five years ago, the fate of the world depended.

Stuffy Dowding was chief of Fighter Command in the proud and terrible months of 1940, when Hitler was threatening to "rub out" our cities.

The life of this community, the prospect of gathering our industrial strength and of sustaining the last "advanced base" against the enemy—all was at stake in the Battle of Britain.

Dowding had few machines; but they were the Hurricanes and Spitfires which he himself had helped to create.

He had few pilots; but they were the very life of this people, noble stewards of our traditions and brave skill.

And Dowding, a master of air tactics, had faith in his men and their machines.

His sleepless vigil was rewarded on August 15, 1940. On that day, 180 Nazi warplanes were swept out of our skies.

A month later, 183 enemy planes were destroyed.

On September 27 came the decisive triumph. By smashing 133 raiders, the RAF established, finally, their superiority over the Luftwaffe and began the process of breaking the weapon with which Hitler had won his greatest successes.