Battle of Britain

Looks like a French château. The scenes set on the AEF airfield in France were shot on the south side of Duxford airfield, Cambridgeshire, looking south towards the gently rising hills in that direction. Behind the camera viewpoints were the runway, hangars and camp on the north side. The Château was set dressing, possibly not even a full scale facade. To get comparison shots with proper perspective would probably need access to the set area, as it's not as obvious looking across from the public access on the IWM side of the runway. Much of the southern section of the airfield, probably including the set's location, has been returned to farmland and the M11 Motorway has severed the eastern end of the runway.

Off angle but what an appropriate shot! As contributor Paul Brennan puts it, "This shows the trees on the hill which are just above the windscreen of the plane, unfortunately someone parked the Spitfire in the way." (SJ)

The old southern taxiway is visible as crop marks in some Google Earth imagery, but the abandoned runway looks like it was completely obliterated. Great information from Mike Tighe. Adding to this information, Mike says that the set, including 'château' is visible in the background of the photo at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3773965 showing the camera ship taxiing at Duxford during production. The caption gives more details. Looking at the full size photo, the set is definitely in the area that reverted to farmland since 1968. (Photo taken from tower, pavement joint marks are visible on Google Earth, giving an approximate line towards the set's location.) Also confirmed by the memories of the filming by Michael Flude, ex Parachute Regiment and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, that can be read in full via the link in the Header Section of this film.

Paul Dunn was directed to the spot by the owner of College Farm who recalled filming taking place when he was 16 years old and provides this comparison taken with permission. Paul adds that, after 55 years, the background trees now obscure the horizon but the position of the château can easily be made out.

The German Wehrmacht marches through Dunkirk. It seems that the US White Half-Track Car M2 stands in for the German Wehrmacht Leichter Schützenpanzer type Sd.Kfz.250. So far unknown location.

The Wehrmacht still in the streets of Dunkirk. Actually we see a Cadillac M37 Howitzer Motor Carriage, probably from the Spanish Army. So far, an unknown location.

Dunkirk beach, with the leftover of the British Expeditionary Force after the "Operation Dynamo". Actually filmed in the Gulf of Cádiz near Huelva, supposedly on Playa de Mazagón, Andalusia, Spain.

The German airbase stuff salutes during the inspection by Generalfeldmarschall Milch (Dietrich Frauboes) in front of the large hangar on the western edge of Tablada Air Force Base in Seville, Andalusia, Spain.

Norman adds a better view of the curved roof hangar (behind the 2nd motorcyclist's head in the previous capture) seen from the film at 11:33 min.

There has been a big change since 1968 as a huge ring road was builtright through the airfield. The work in making the ring road (Ronda de Circunvalacion) the SE-30, which runs parallel to the hangars, is visible from 6:43 on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxG1AbnlhA (At 7:34 you can see a “Heinkel” parked outside one of the hangars!), adds Norman.

An exterior shot of the British Embassy in Switzerland. Indeed, Switzerland, but not at Berne. Standing in as the British Embassy, it's actually the Villa Cranz at General-Guisan-Strasse 43 in Interlaken, located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Canton of Bern.

Villa Cranz is now used as the town hall, of course without Union Jack, but served as HQ of the Swiss Army under General Guisan during World War II. The information board at the fence has no hint, that the villa was once a filming location too. So the subsequent interiors with Curd Jürgens as Baron von Richter and Ralph Richardson as Sir David Kelly must have been shot at Pinewood Studios. Information and shot provided by Manuel Gurtner who took on a 3 hour train journey for this comparison. (SJ)

An airfield, maybe North Weald, Essex. Paul Atkinson confirms that it is indeed North Weald. (RL)

Paul supports his confirmation with this shot of the airfield as it is today. (RL)

An additional shot, provided by Norman Ferguson. Here Milch arrives in a motorcade to meet the young fighter pilots before the battle begins on a hotel terrace overlooking the sea, filmed in Zarauz in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country.

With the help of Google, Norman tracked down the hotel, the grounds of which the motorcade drives into, as the Palacio del Marques de Santillana, which has now gone, unfortunately, along with a few others in the street. The only one remaining has the distinctive raised angle roof, peeping above the trees. (SJ)

Milch's 1937 Mercedes-Benz 230 Lang Cabriolet passes the guarded gateway to the grounds of the "Hotel de la Plage".

As the camera pans over the fence, actually the Villa Santillana comes into view. The former residence was damaged in 1974.

Milch is urged by General Osterkamp (Wilfried von Aacken in white) to take a look at the Dover coast through the binoculars. Filmed on the Villa Santillana terrace, where in the background the tiny rock island Isla Mollarri (also called Isla Malla Arria) can be recognized.

The approach to Denton, Kent.

Now, with phone box and bus shelter intact. SJ.

The Jackdaw, Denton, Kent.

A new garden in front to prevent Plummer parking nowadays. SJ.

The interior of the Jackdaw. Ron Lamberton tells us that the interior shot for the "Jackdaw" pub was actually "The Hoops" pub in Bassingbourne near Royston, Hertfordshire. Michael Jackson, on the other hand, says that this interior was indeed the 'Jackdaw' he visited Denton, Kent many years ago and sat in those very seats. (RL). Decision made, thanks to some research from Ken Moore: click the date. (SJ)

Ken Moore has provided this from The Hoops website after finding a picture of Susannah York (who shared this scene with Plummer) outside the pub during filming also on the net. As he says, "Take down the partition behind Plummer, open up the fire place, and one can make out the door on the right at the end of the bar." We both visited the Jackdaw on separate occasions and agree that the interior was not the same. Dave Oxley additionally noticed that the cottage seen through the pub window where York is sitting still stands (SJ)

Still in Denton.

Now. SJ.

Major Falke (Manfred Reddemann) and Major Föhn (Paul Neuhaus) on the way to Wissant, a seaside commune between Boulogne and Calais. The 1940 VW-Typ 82 "Kübelwagen" has to wait at the then junction with today's waterfront called Ramon Iribarren Pasealekua Ibilbidea until the long motorcade has passed by. In reality the French territory already begins beyond the breakwater.

The view alongside the Basque coastline at Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia) with the Wehrmacht convoy on its way towards the harbour in the background.

August 10, 1940: Luftwaffe General Fink (Wolf Harnisch) gives out the orders to the Bomber crews for "Adlertag" (Eagle Day). Filmed inside the Tablada hangar from Capture 6 in front of a Spanish CASA 2.111 "Pedro" as German Heinkel He 111. Nick Boorman discovered that the plane is painted in its original colours of the Spanish Airforce as an exhibit in the Deutsches Museum on Effnerstraße in Oberschleißheim near Munich where mention of its appearance in the film is displayed.

The opposite grounds of Tablada airbase along Guadalquivir river was used for the scenes at the German Luftwaffe Fighter squadron base at Wissant. Squadron leader Major Föhn gets into his Messerschmitt Bf 109, actually a Hispano Aviación HA-1112 "Buchón".

Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

Now by Paul Brennan "taken from the top of Duxford's control tower last summer during the Flying Legends air show. The area next to the double decker bus was the location of the hangar that was blown up during the filming."

Duxford.

William Worthington provides a shot that he took last year showing the extensive development that has taken place to what is now a branch of the Imperial War Museum. The Ministry of Defence declared the site surplus to requirements in 1969 when the film was released. (RL)

Major Brandt (Alexander Allerson) arrives at Berlin-Staaken airport. Standing in for a German Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52 the CASA 352 of Spanish Air Force comes to a halt in front of the hangar next to the Tower of Tablada airbase, Sevilla, Spain.

Berlin's boulevard Charlottenburger Chaussee at the entrance to the Subway station "Ruhleben". But in fact we see the nocturnal Avenida de la Libertad in San Sebastián (Donostia), Gipuzkoa, Spain.

While the sirens sound due to the air raid alarm, the streets and buildings of the city are darkened and the anti-aircraft searchlights roam the sky for catching the RAF bomber squadron. Still in San Sebastián, at the corner of Avenida de la Libertad with Getaria Kalea.

Reichsmarschall Göring’s special train pulls into Nielles-lès-Calais station nearby the Strait of Dover. Actually also filmed in Spain, as the Mikado 1-4-1 type loco of RENFE-141F class proves. However not in the Guipúzcoa province, where the NORTE main line between Alsasua (Altsasu) and Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia) is electrified with DC catenary since 1929. For the actual location see the last capture.

Göring on the way from the railway station to the coast. Actually driving down the curvy Pierre Lhande Kalea above Hondarribia, the 1935 Horch Sport Cabriolet passes the San Telmo Castle, built in 1598 and locally known as the "castle of the pirates".

The Reichsmarschall takes a look across the Dover Strait. But in fact the Germans are standing at the Cabo Higuer area, located west of Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia), the easternmost cape of the Cantabrian Sea.

The river Thames, London. The paddlers debate whether the attackers are Messerschmitts or 'Einkels.

Paul Brennan identifies this location as the beach behind the Metropolitan Wharf, Wapping Wall, London E1. There are steps along side the Prospect of Whitby pub that take one down on to the beach. Unfortunately the weather in London was rubbish this morning.

London in the blitz. This is Rephidim Street at the corner of Weston Street in London SE1. Ken Hoskins tells us "As 12 year old schoolboys we were up every night watching the filming and even had a searchlight in the grounds of the flats where we lived. Every morning my brother would come home from work and talk about the mess the film company made."

McShane leaves a church. James White advises that the Air Raid, Ambulance Bell and Church Hall bombing scenes were located in SE1 near the New Kent Road flyover and this ties in with the Rephidim Street identification.

And another shot of the church but it gets bombed in the film so perhaps a set or a street set aside for demolition.

Another London street. Mike Tighe says: "Scenes each side of this still, showing a bomb damaged terrace were done in Dragon Steet, just off St Georges Way, Camberwell. The area was being cleared to make way for the Gloucester Grove estate and the film company just demolished and set dressed parts of the existing terraces before the bulldozers arrived. Dragon Road on the new estate is in the approximate location, but nothing remains for comparison shots. The church hall / community centre may be elsewhere."

A country cottage. After years of research Paul Atkinson has established that this is 'Hedgerow', Mill Street, Hastingwood, Harlow, Essex (51° 45'06"N 0° 09'04"E), a fact confirmed by the owners of the neighbouring property. And subsequently confirmed to Paul by a previous land owner. (RL)

A Google Earth View from Paul to confirm his identification. (RL)

This may be Huelva Beach, Spain standing in for northern France. Actually, says Bob Yareham, author or "Movies made in Spain", it is Hondarribia, Guipozcoa in Spain. (RL)

Atop an official Whitehall building, the cabinet war rooms I reckon. Any roof-inclined civil servant able to take a "now"? MIchael Chilestone suggest the DEFRA building between the Clarence and Old War Office...The Treasury/HMRC building at 100 Parliament Street/1 Horse Guards Road, states Richard Miller who works there... David Buckley, citing the similarity to the angle in the Skyfall capture 51 and as a former employee, believed at first it was the roof of 55 Whitehall (DEFRA’s legal department) looking south, but, after considering no 55's balustrade on the top (which this still lacks) plumbs for 3-8 Whitehall Place West block, also home to DEFRA and the old Scotland Yard building. The towers belong to the old War Office.

Jonathan G took the shot in March 2017 from 55 Broadway. As he says, "similar height but a bit too far west which I think adds weight to the suggested Cabinet War rooms location". It perhaps proves the point and certainly hold good for now. (RL)

Oops the Heinkel seems to be heading for Trafalgar Square. No, other way ... see my comparison... Christopher Trice adds that both this shot and the one of it apparently flying over Buckingham Palace were actually both shot at Duxford, with all the buildings actually very large photos in the camera foreground. Similarly, Victoria Station which the aircraft crashes into was done with large photo and in the latter case, using a model for obvious reasons... And this was based on a real event: see the banner for more. (SJ)

Oops, got that wrong initially. Heading over the square into St James's Park. SJ.

Edward Fox parachutes into this suburban house's conservatory.

A helpful sign saying Chilham. Just outside Canterbury. Couldn't be further off the mark, identified by Paul Atkinson as Saffron Walden, Essex. Shying away from grid references let us say it is opposite 32 Church Street. (RL)

And here's Paul's comparison in a wider shot. Some alterations but the brickwork on the left looks a match. (SJ)

Plummer at an airbase. Spike Howells suggests "this may be Duxford airfield not Hawkinge" and Jim Emery agrees, "The building on the right in the background looks like the officers' mess, which is regularly hired out for functions these days.

Confirming the location, this is Duxford Officers' Mess now captured by Paul Dunn.

More at Hawkinge, Kent... on the contrary Christopher Trice says that they’re part of the old crew quarters on the north side of the A505 adjacent to Duxford Aerodrome. It makes sense since all Susannah York’s and Kenneth More’s exterior scenes were shot at Duxford. (SJ)

York at Hawkinge too, ... or as established in 2025 by Christopher Duxford as above. (SJ)

The corner of Surrey Street and Strand, London WC2, has since been rebuilt.

Sometimes Aldwych, sometimes Strand, but definitely closed. SJ.

But this is the real old Aldwych tube station on Strand, often used for filming.

Now. SJ.

And the interior stands in for many tubes. The cream and green tiling on platform 1 gives it away as the location also used in 'The Black Windmill', 'The Bed Sitting Room', 'Gumshoe', 'Death Line', ‘V for Vendetta’, 'Their Finest', 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace' and 'Tube Tales'.

Don't they know the War is over? With thanks to David and Christian from TfL for arranging access to the station. (RL)

Possibly Huelva, Spain. But no Google matches there. Looks Cornish on second thoughts. Now identified, click the date.

Richard Doust, sent this in: Le Port Hondarribia on the northern coast of Spain, about 10 miles east of San Sebastian. Photo pulled from Panoramio, so their copyright. The fishing harbour has been extended, but round quay on the right and the two breakwaters in the background confirm the location. And another one bites the dust. Well done Richard. Bob Yareham, author or "Movies made in Spain," confirms that it is Hondarribia, Guipozcoa in Spain. (RL)

Olivier at Bentley Priory, near Stanmore. Chris McDonnell tells us: Bentley Priory is being converted to housing but the main building as seen in the film is preserved and the ground floor is becoming the Battle of Britain museum, opening in 2013.

Peter Wilton sent us a pic of Bently Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex. It's the bit on the right which is of interest.

It is interesting to see the changes that have been made to Bentley Priory since Peter Wilson's visit in 2012 (RL)

A good comparative shot from Phil Marshall who only found our Website 24hrs AFTER taking the shot. I am sure he would have taken a few paces left had he known. (RL)

His view of the Italian Gardens. Bentley Priory is occasionally open to the public.

Peter Wilton also took this one.

A b/w still of Goering's arrival in believe or not "Calais". There is a distinctive rock face on the distant hill (a semi-circle with a line bisecting it) that is on the left of the Calvet building. This is filmed at Irurtzun, Navarre, Spain (about 45 miles from the hotel scene,captures 9 to 12).

"The buildings are all gone and the platform has been redesigned so it looks very different. There are a couple of other clues that made me sure this is the spot. First was that in the Leonard Mosley book on the making of the film it mentions 'Irurtzun' as the location and why the mountains don't really reflect the terrain of Calais as it's intended to be." Norman Ferguson with the detective work.