'Stuffy' Dowding

[Pips]

This is the best summation I've read on Lord Dowding's achievement of defending Britain in 1940. It's from the introduction of Norman Gelb's book 'Scramble'. It was written by Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone.

"After Stuffy was made to retire, the war blew up into a global thing. Great names arose - Eisenhower, Montgomery, Alexander, Bradley. Great battles were won - Alamein, D-Day, the crossing of the Rhine.
But they were all courtesy of Stuffy Dowding. None of those people would even have been heard of if Stuffy hadn't been there, if he hadn't won the Battle Of Britain."

[John(txic)]

Damn right!