Spitfires and Hurricanes take to the skies as the RAF's 90th birthday approaches

Side by side, in perfect formation, these two old warriors soar above the white cliffs and lush fields of the south coast just like they did all those years ago.

This breathtaking photograph shows a Spitfire and Hurricane performing a spectacular aerial ballet in the peaceful East Sussex skies over Beachy Head.

Today, it is an idyllic scene, a brief burst of late summer sunshine bouncing off the Channel and that emblematic sheer-white shoreline with England's green and pleasant land beyond.

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A Spitfire and a Hurricane perform in the skies above the South Downs in Sussex in preparation for the RAF's 90th birthday

Back in that blistering summer of 1940, this was a battleground.

That is why these scenes are much more than a pretty picture. They represent this nation's darkest (and finest) hour  -  and, indeed, victory itself.

As the annual commemorations of the Battle of Britain approach, there can be no more eloquent reminder of the heroic efforts of 'the Few'.

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The Spitfire and Hurricane over Beachy Head for the 68th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a lot of which was fought over this landmark.

In the foreground, we see the immortal lines of the Supermarine Spitfire, R.J. Mitchell's brilliant creation with those famous elliptical wings, which gave it extra speed and the crucial edge over the Messerschmitt 109.

To the rear, we see Sir Sydney Camm's Hawker Hurricane, the workhorse of the Battle of Britain (there were 35 Hurricane squadrons compared to 19 of the relatively new Spitfire).

Back in the late summer of 1940, it was only planes like these  -  and the 2,936 men who flew them  -  which stood between Nazi Germany and total domination of Europe.

Now these two veterans are patrolling the skies over Beachy Head once again. Both of the pilots flying the aircraft are serving RAF officers; the Spitfire is being flown by Flight Lieutenant Charlie Brown, while Flt. Lt. Dave Harvey is flying the Hurricane.

RAF 90th

A Eurofighter Typhoon alongside a WWII Spitfire in an aerial display at The Battle of Britain Memorial, Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

Many brave men lost their lives up here while, down below, frantic Royal Observer Corps units alerted the country to raid after raid from their exposed perches.

These pilots  -  both serving officers in the RAF  -  are here to raise public awareness ahead of this year's commemorations. This year is the RAF's 90th birthday and the 68th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

In other words, this earnest young branch of the Armed Forces was only 22 years old when it won the most important victory in its history.

What a way to come of age.

Of those Allied airmen who flew in the battle, 544 were killed, 370 were seriously wounded and another 795 would not survive the war.

That means that nearly half the men who did their bit over these very cliffs never lived to see the freedom which they won not just for Britain but for the Western world.

Battle Of Britain Monument

The Battle of Britain monument on the Thames Embankment, central London

Many were not British. More than 500 men from overseas, especially the old Commonwealth countries and Poland, took part.

Look carefully at the front of the Spitfire and you will see it says 'Poland' beneath a chequered badge. This Spitfire Mk V flew with 317 (Polish) Squadron.

Though it entered service after the Battle of Britain, it saw plenty of action later in the war.

Similarly, this Hurricane MkXII distinguished itself in the service of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Together, these planes are a powerful reminder that Britain would never have triumphed without her allies.

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Both the Spitfire MK.Vb and Hurricane Mk.XII are owned and operated by the Historic Aircraft Collection based at Duxford airfield near Cambridge.

Today, there are only around 70 air-worthy Spitfires and a dozen Hurricanes left. As for 'the Few', just 121 survive around the globe.

The names of all who served, however, are to be found on the banks of the Thames near Westminster Bridge at the magnificent Battle Of Britain Monument (much it funded by generous Daily Mail readers).

And it is there that around 20 of 'The Few' will gather a week today to salute those who never came home.

They can never forget those young men  -  average age 22  -  who took to the air with less than 12 hours of training and paid the price.

'If you survived a fortnight, you were a veteran,' explains Geoff Simpson, historian and trustee of the Battle Of Britain Memorial Trust.

Peter Brothers

Air Commodore Peter Brothers in front of a Spitfire. Brothers flew a Hurricane in the Battle of Britain, which commemorates its 68th anniversary on September 15.

The survivors are too modest to call themselves 'the Few'. They call themselves the Battle Of Britain Fighter Association. There is an annual general meeting and dinner but, inevitably, numbers are falling.

They always get there if they can and, on the 20th, a wreath is due to be laid by their chairman, Air Commodore Peter Brothers.

On the 21st, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, will lay a wreath at the monument ahead of Westminster Abbey's annual Battle of Britain service.

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Flt Lt John Down AE (left), who was a Spitfire fire pilot during the Battle of Britain with Flt Lt Albert E Gregory DFC, both 91, a WWII Air Gunner

Although these events will take place next weekend, Battle of Britain Day itself has long been established as September 15, the day the battle turned in Britain's favour and Hitler shelved his invasion plans.

'The Battle of Britain stands up there alongside Trafalgar or Waterloo because, if it had gone the other way, the world would be very different,' says retired Group Captain Patrick Tootal, 67, who serves as secretary to the Battle of Britain Fighter Association.

Group Capt. Tootal is trying to raise funds for a visitor centre alongside the Battle Of Britain Memorial on the Kentish coast.

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A Typhoon alongside a Spitfire: there are only around 70 airworthy Spitfires left

'These men changed the entire course of the war,' says Bill Bond, the founder of the Battle Of Britain Historical Society. 'It's not asking much to remember  -  and thank  -  them once a year.'

And that is why two old planes enjoying the view over Beachy Head are so important.

Neither of these actual aircraft were in service in time for the Battle of Britain (they both saw plenty of action later in the war).

But this scene is more inspirational and uplifting than any words.

It is, very simply, the sight of freedom.



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