Never was so much owed by so many to so few was a wartime speech written and spoken by Winston Churchill on the 20 August 1940.
Background of the Speech
The speech written by Winston Churchill was addressed to the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, who at that time were about to engage the invading German Luftwaffe forces.
This was an important battle that would play an crucial role in determining the outcome of the war.
In this speech, Churchill sought to inspire his troops, after a series of losses to rise up to the occasion. Shortly thereafter, the British won their first battle against the Nazis and marked the first noteworthy defeat of the Axis Forces in World War II.
Never Was So Much Owed By So Many to So Few Speech
The great air battle which has been in progress over this island for the last few weeks has recently attained a high intensity. It is too soon to assign limits either to its scale or to its duration. We must certainly expect that greater efforts will be made by the enemy than any he has so far put forth.
The gratitude of every home in our island, in our empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day. But we must never forget that all the time, night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim their attacks, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power.
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