One of the main stations in the real Battle, Duxford had lain unused since the RAF moved out in August 1961. Since then the airfield had been under Care and Maintenance, but basically remained unchanged from its wartime vista, save for the hard runway, which was built in 1951 to accommodate jet fighters. After the film company moved out there were several suggestions put forward for the future use of Duxford, one of them being that the site should be converted into an open prison! Thankfully the latter never came to pass. During the mid 1970s the London-based Imperial War Museum (IWM) used the airfield as a storage facility for some of its larger aircraft exhibits. This idea gained momentum and the airfield eventually became a fully-fledged arm of the IWM, which along with support from the Duxford Aviation Society, opened the complex to the public. Over the years the museum has gone from strength to strength and today ranks as the leading centre for historic aircraft preservation in Europe (some say the world!). Apart from the IWM's impressive collection of static aircraft, Duxford is home to an ever-increasing number of airworthy warbirds, operated by a host of private owners. One aircraft which 'starred' in Battle of Britain is resident with the Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC).

Spitfire IX MH434 (G-ASJV) was acquired by the OFMC in the mid 1980s, and has been flying on a regular basis ever since. The OFMC also operated another film star, in the shape of Hispano HA 1112 MIL Buchon C4 K -107 (G-BOML). This Merlin-engined Messerschmitt was restored to flying condition by Nick Grace in the late 1980s, and was acquired by OFMC in 1989. After ten years of operations with the company, the fighter crashed at Sabadell Airfield in Spain on September 25, 1999, its pilot, Mark Hanna, dying from his injuries some 24 hours later. This Buchon was one of the Spanish 'taxiers' used at Tablada. OFMC also has in its fleet Spanish CASA 2111, B.21-103, which at the time of writing was in store, pending a decision on its future.

Other regular 'film' visitors to Duxford are the Shuttleworth Collection's Sea Hurricane Ib Z7015 (G-BKTH) and Spitfire Vc AR501 (G-WWII), which participated as a 'taxier' and flyer ' respectively. Over the years Duxford has grown into one ofBritain's major aviation attractions, and although some may say that the airfield has lost its authentic wartime feel with the modem-looking 'Superhanger' and American Air Museum, it remains a magnet to anyone who has an interest in historic aviation. The house occupied by Sqn Ldr Skipper (Robert Shaw) in the film is located in Sawston Village north of Duxford, proving that filmatic licence came into play yet again, as Skipper was supposedly based at North Weald!

North Weald Airfield in Essex, like Duxford, had a genuine Battle of Britain history and apart from a jet extension to the main runway still retained that 'wartime look' so needed by the film producers. 'Weald was transferred to the Army in 1966 and was also being used as a gliding centre, but for filming purposes little had to be done to turn it back to a wartime Fighter Command airfield. The modem control tower was covered with camouflage netting and one of the T2 hangars was given a wartime hue. Dispersal huts and various other airfield buildings were hastily constructed on the northern side of the airfield, in front of the remaining wartime revetments and row of Poplar trees, the latter still giving North Weald its unmistakable 'signature' today.

On the night of May 9, 1968, Dragon Road was demolished for the Panavision cameras. Lorry loads of car windscreens were smashed up and piles of bricks and rubble were littered around the 'set' to create the devastation needed for the correct effect. By 4.30am the following morning the shooting was finished and the whole mess created for the cameras had to be cleared up so that the GLC could carry on with the development of the area. The following night the effects team set their sights on St Katherine's Dock, where an old tea warehouse 'bit the dust' for the cameras.

Even London's famous Underground train system did not escape the attention of the film company. One night, after the trains had stopped running, Aldwych Station, which is situated on a spur off the Piccadilly Line, was 'dressed' for jts part in Battle of Britain. Posters advertising the latest films and shows in London were covered over with wartime designs, Careless Talk Costs Lives, Churchill's Let Us Go Forward Together etc. Many Londoners who, as children, had lived through the real blitz were employed as 'extras' for the scenes in the 'Tube Station'.

One other location lingers in the memory of those who are keen Battle of Britain film enthusiasts, that being the Jackdaw Inn, where Sqn Ldr Colin Harvey, played by Christopher Plummer, ordered a 'large scotch' for the princely sum of' one and six'. This public house still exists and for many years the exterior was little changed from its persona on screen. However, a recent re-vamp has sadly seen it lose its film 'look'. The 'Jackdaw' is located on the A260 road at Denton, near Canterbury, in Kent.

One ground location, which played itself in the film, was Bentley Priory, near Stanmore in Middlesex. Home to Air Chief Marshall Dowding's Fighter Command Headquarters, it was obvious that this significant building would have to be portrayed at some stage in the production. While all the internal scenes, Dowding's office and the Operations Room, were re-created at Pinewood Film Studios, the external sequences were shot in the grounds of the Priory itself, including the final scene where Laurence Olivier (as Dowding) walks out onto the balcony while the end titles roll up the screen.

El Corpero Airfield, which adjoined Tablada was the main Messerschmitt 109 base in the film and a comer of this location was used for the scene in which Major Falke (Manfred Reddeman) returns from shooting down Pilot Officer Charlie Lambert. Obviously, both Tablada and El Corpero were supposed to be Luftwaffe forward operating airfields in northern France, so certain measures had to be taken to disguise their Spanish looks.

Hangars were camouflaged, modern buildings were disguised, sentry boxes were built, period vehicles were strategically positioned in front of modem airfield fittings, and, getting right down to the 'nitty gritty', it was also stipulated that a quantity of foliage had to be positioned to cover cactus plants. One doesn't find cactus plants in northern France! The attention to detail in the film's well known title sequence at Tablada is indicative of the efforts that went in to make this movie as authentic as was possible, 'dressing' requirements for this portion alone were, to say the least, immense!

Four Kubelwagons and eight lorries of suitable vintage had to be found, hired and utilised in this portion of the opening title sequence alone. 20 bomb trolleys, 70 50kg bombs, 30 250kg bombs, two 88mm guns along with their revetments, three light anti-aircraft guns and revetments, plus a wind sock all had to be sourced or specially made.

For the second portion of the title credits the inspecting officers were driven to the adjoining airfield (actually another corner of Tablada Airfield) and, as the procession exits one airfield, four Heinkel III s had to be moved from the large line-up re-coded and positioned 'in shot'. Two sentry boxes, an exit barrier along with appropriate signboards were made for the 'shot'.

It has to be said that this level of 'attention to detail', for what amounted to a three minute sequence in the film, sums up the painstaking determination of the film makers to 'get it right'. Sadly this level of dedication was lost on the average cinema audience and was only really appreciated by the aircraft enthusiasts who saw the film. That said, Battle of Britain would have been a much poorer production if the producers and director had not insisted that the only way to make this film was to do it properly! It is this, which has given the movie its lasting appeal with aviation aficionados.