BRITONS whose freedom was saved by the allied airman in the Second World War need a lesson in history, according to a new survey.

Some people were not even sure that Britain was fighting the Germans, saying instead that they thought the enemy was the Romans or Normans, while 10 per cent thought the French were the foe.

But a quick poll conducted by The Northern Echo found that the region has a much better grasp of Second World War history.

People surveyed on Teesside managed to get every answer correct and could not believe the strange answers given to researchers nationally.

A poll carried out by ICM Research to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Briton found that people were confused as to whether their wartime leader was Winston Churchill or King Alfred - who was born in 849 AD and reigned from 871 to 899.

A thousand people were asked four key questions about the Battle of Britain but fewer than half of those aged between 18 and 24 knew that those engaged in the campaign were airmen - dubbed The Few by Churchill.

Only half knew that the Battle of Briton took place in 1940 13 per cent said it was in 1914, ten per cent believed it was in 1815 - the date of the Battle of Waterloo - and 10 per cent confused it with the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

It was not just people at the younger end of the age spectrum who failed to recognise what this anniversary was marking.

Only two out of three people aged between 45 and 54 got all four answers right