Our little band of light blue in a small joint hidden place spent lunchtime on the 15th commemorating what I have always considered the most important day in the RAF Calender after Remembrance Day. We had all chosen a favourite quote or passage relating to the event and shared these with each other.
On getting back to work a FAA colleague had some banter of the effect "none event - the RN would have stopped them in the Channel anyway". A good humoured discussion unfolded before glasses were raised in memory of the "the few".
To me, the 15th September is the RAF's Day, pure and simple. Its the day I deliberately have a bottle of Port and glasses at work (Including OOA on a few years) and take some time to think of the few. Its also the day that I forget about the frustrations of the modern RAF and why I am always about to leave, and remember why I am, at heart, really proud to wear the uniform.
As for the reasons, the excellent Battle of Britain Historical Society website highlights them much better than I ever could. Churchill called it the "the crux of the Battle of Britain". If he thought it was, who am I to argue?