Search results for Royal Air Force.

Above the Trenches - Supplement

/world-war-i-book-reviews/above-the-trenches-supplement/

Book review by Gary Sheffield. Above the Trenches - A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-20 first appeared in 1990 and was a mine of useful information. This Supplement consists of more of the same: brief biographies of pilots omitted from the original book, plus other information that the indefat...


The RAF Centenary Anthology 1918-2018

/latest-news/2018/january-2018/the-raf-centenary-anthology-1918-2018/

This massive commemorative RAF Centenary Anthology 1918-2018 has been an enormous undertaking. It comprises 650 pages of documents, orders, diaries, letters and ephemera to mark 100 years of of service by the Royal Air Force. It weighs 7kg. You can see its size from the photograph it is a whopping 39cm x 27cm (15.35 inches x 10.63 inches). The...


Remember RAF 100

/latest-news/2018/march-2018/remember-raf-100/

Join the Remember RAF100 project and commemorate air service personnel who lost their lives in WW1 2018 marks the centenary of the Royal Air Force. The Remember RAF100 project commemorates those who have died in RAF service with a special focus on the First World War and on British war graves and memorials. The programme is an opportunity for...


Over and Above

/world-war-i-book-reviews/over-and-above/

By Captain John E Gurdon DFC Grub Street, £16.00, hb. 224pp, 12 ills. ISBN: 978–1–911621–08–9 John Everard Gurdon, commissioned into the Suffolk Regiment, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917. After pilot training and a period of instructing, he was posted to 22 Squadron in France in February 1918. He flew two–seat Bristol F.2B figh...


8 June 1919: Lt William ‘Billy’ Nichol Wilson

/on-this-day/8-june-1919-lt-william-billy-nichol-wilson/

His father was Twentyman Wilson and mother Sarah; they were both from Dalston Cumberland and had agrarian backgrounds: the Wilsons were blacksmiths and wheelwrights, while the Nixons and Nichols on Sarah's side worked a small holdings.  Twentyman got work in the then booming industrial town of Consett. Starting out as the head groom he went on...


24 May 1918 : Lieut. Charles Edward Reynolds, Royal Air Force

/on-this-day/24-may-1918-lieut-charles-edward-reynolds-royal-air-force/

2nd son of the late James (solicitor) and Annie (née Lowe) Age 5 at the 1901 Census, Charles was living at home with his parents, older brother James and younger sister Florence, a cook and nurse.  Educated at Dulwich College. Articled to his father.  Volunteered soon after the outbreak of war, joined the First Surrey Rifles as a 2nd Lieut bein...


Royal Flying Corps - Ken Delve

/branches/united-kingdom/thames-valley/events/royal-flying-corps-ken-delve/

Ken Delve : 'Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force in the First World War' “Had some hot fire on way back, one of those occasions when one wishes the Wright Brothers had never invented aeroplanes.” Maj Roderic Dallas, DSO MC*. From the early days of military aviation, the Army was ‘less than keen’ on machines that, to many, “frightened the horses”...


Five RAF Indian Pilots of the Great War - Stephen Barker

/branches/united-kingdom/midlands-east/events/five-raf-indian-pilots-of-the-great-war-stephen-barker/

This talk discusses five Indian pilots who served with the RFC / RAF during the Great War.Stephen will particularly focus on Hardit Singh Malik the subject of his book 'The Flying Sikh'. Hardit Singh Malik started his life in Britain as a 14 year old at Eastbourne College, who then  progressed to Balliol College, Oxford. At the start of the war...


Ep.295 – The birth of the RAF – Prof. Richard Overy

/the-latest-wwi-podcast/ep-295-the-birth-of-the-raf-prof-richard-overy/

Professor Richard Overy, Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter, talks about his recent book on the formation of the RAF in April 1918. Your browser does not support the audio element.   He describes how the Royal Flying Corp...


The First Air War - Grant Cullen

/branches/united-kingdom/midlands-east/events/the-first-air-war-grant-cullen/

* Note this talk replaces the previously published talk. Grant Cullen from the Chesterfield Branch of the Western Front Association will be revisiting the branch to talk about 'The First Air War'. Grant's talk will look at various aspects of the first air war and he has advised me that the talk will include photographs which are not generally i...


'No.16 Squadron RFC - The Great War History of an Army Cooperation Squadron' with Colin Buxton

/branches/united-kingdom/scotland-south/events/no-16-squadron-rfc-the-great-war-history-of-an-army-cooperation-squadron-with-colin-buxton/

Colin Buxton's presentation covers the history of the Army Cooperation role seen through the experiences of one unit: No.16 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.  From early in the war, until its conclusion, the squadron flew many dangerous and demanding missions over the Western Front - including Artillery Spotting, Reconnaissance, Photography and Cont...


"Dear Billie" - Killed on Flying Duty - The Changing Role of the Castle Bromwich (Birmingham) Airfield in the Great War, Chris Johns

/branches/united-kingdom/midlands-east/events/dear-billie-killed-on-flying-duty-the-changing-role-of-the-castle-bromwich-birmingham-airfield-in-the-great-war-chris-johns/

From a basic training airfield using 'canary cages' in 1915 to an operational centre in 1918 for giant Handley Page 0/400 bombers destined for WW2-style bombing raids against Germany. In particular the talk looks at the stories of the many pilots buried in local cemeteries around North Birmingham and their many fascinating histories. The talk, f...


Laugh or Fly: The Air War on the Western Front - Peter Hart

/branches/united-kingdom/essex/events/laugh-or-fly-the-air-war-on-the-western-front-peter-hart/

On Wednesday February 12th we welcome to return of Peter Hart to our Hornchurch Venue. In this talk, based on a recent book by him and Gary Bain, Peter will address the two sides of air warfare: the relative safety and comfort of the airbase and the stresses and dangers of flying patrols and air warfare within minutes of leaving base, and how th...


"First Things First; The Early Days, RFC Suttons Farm - Richard Smith

/branches/united-kingdom/essex/events/first-things-first-the-early-days-rfc-suttons-farm-richard-smith/

This talk will cover the origins and history of RFC Suttons Farm in Hornchurch. It was from here that William Leefe Robinson shot down a Zeppelin in September 1916, the first downed by air combat over the UK. Suttons farm was a key part of home defence in the First World War and continued this role as RAF Hornchurch in World War Two. This talk b...