Stories from our community for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings In part 4 of our D-Day 80 community stories series, we meet James Tough Gibson, whose squadron was involved in…
Tag: RAF
The Great Escape: a true story
Researching the names of all 76 escapers during the real Great Escape. What does the term ‘great escape’ mean to you? For many, it conjures vivid images from the iconic 1963 prisoner-of-war…
The Dickin Medal: 80 years of recognising brave animals
Animals have provided a vital service to the armed forces for centuries, from delivering messages to carrying ammunition or offering companionship. 80 years ago, their bravery was recognised for the first time…
Story behind the image: smoke floats and WWII rescues
In the above photo, munitions workers at a factory in the south of England stack smoke floats for aircraft in October 1941, ready for despatch. These curious-looking items played an important role…
No. 303 Squadron RAF – names behind the image: Part II
In Part II of our Battle of Britain blog, we return to the photograph of 303 Squadron and explore the names behind the image. Read on to discover what we found in…
Researching Polish airmen and the Battle of Britain: Part I
In the first instalment of our Battle of Britain 2023 blog, we spotlight the Polish No. 303 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. After discovering a striking photograph of squadron members (above), we…
Coronation Medals: Four Recipients and their Stories
Military Genealogist Simon Pearce has been exploring our Coronation medals collections and delving into the stories of some of the recipients of the 1937 and 1953 medals. A Coronation is a significant…
Operation Chastise – Dambusters WW2 80th Anniversary
Dambusters 80th Anniversary The 16th May 2023 marks the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid, also known as Operation Chastise. An attack on the major dams of western Germany using the bouncing…
New Collection Release: Air Ministry – Casualty Communiques WWII
An exciting ‘new’ collection of records has been added to the Forces War Records database that may contain your WW2 Royal Air Force ancestor
‘RAF100’ – A centenary of the Royal Air Force
Founded on April 1st, 1918 during the First World War, the RAF is the oldest independent air force in the world. Today our nation will come together to recognise 100 years’ worth of innovation, comradeship, dedication, sacrifice and achievements. READ MOR