I'm not British so there is no emotional
baggage in saying this.
The 'few' quite simply preserved freedom and
democracy in Britain, yes, but ultimately in
Europe as a whole, ironically even the enemy
of the time owes it current status to it's
defeat back then. It would not enjoy the same
freedom and prosperity now, if it had won in 1940
If Britain had lost in 1940. Europe
would have been fought over by two gigantic
and terrible ideologies. Communism and Nazism.
The winner would control ALL of Europe, Middle
East and most surrounding countries.
Quite simply without Britain to act as a base for
America when it came into the war, if it came into
the war. Either the Soviet Union would have swept
up to and across the Channel or the Nazis would
have defeated them without the distraction of a war
on three fronts. Without the United States involvement
that would be our fate to this day. Critics of American
foreign policy please note, this fact still applies.
I'm not American either by the way.
So in my opinion it is impossible to
overstate the importance of the Battle of Britain
for all of us in Europe.
We owe them our freedom and for many of us
or lives. No amount of revisionism can change
that. It was the single most important moment
in modern European and world history.
We would do well to remember that every day.