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The Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 when the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps were combined to form the world’s first independent Air Force. Although this landmark date marks the beginning of the recording of events and activities in The Royal Air Force Day by Day, it would be entirely inappropriate to ignore the key milestones that led to this momentous event and, therefore, they have been included for completeness.

Many of the major events that feature in this book will be well known to the reader. However, the rich tapestry of the history of the Royal Air Force is made up of countless other less publicised aspects that also contribute to the traditions and ethos of the Service. These have been included where it has been possible to attribute a specific date. All serve to highlight that the Royal Air Force is never 'off duty'.

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Royal Air Force Day By Day

ISBN-13
978-0750943093

Author
Graham Pitchfork

Publisher
The History Press Ltd

Format
Hardcover

Pages
432 pages

Price: £35.00

Online Price: £28.00

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RAF Timeline

1 January 1920 - The RAF Police School (Flt Lt F.E. Bishop) was established at RAF Halton.
16 April 1968 - MRAF Sir John Salmond, former Chief of the Air Staff, died.
22 August 1941 - A meeting at the Air Ministry recommended that glider pilots should be Army volunteers.
2 May 1940 - The Night Interception Committee decided to fit 100 Blenheim fighters with AI equipment with the highest priority.
8 September 1943 - The armistice between the Allies and Italy was made public.
22 July 1950 - Reserve Command was renamed Home Command.
12 March 1930 - Wg Cdr W.G. Barker VC, DSO & Bar, MC & 2 Bars, RCAF died in an aircraft accident in Canada.
9 November 1981 - The first hardened aircraft shelters to be erected in the United Kingdom came into use at RAF Honington in Suffolk.
24 February 1991 - Operation Desert Storm: the Allied coalition air forces undertook an intensive bombing campaign in advance of the ground offensive to liberate Kuwait, which began at 0400hr.
4 June 1983 - MRAF Sir Thomas Pike, former Chief of the Air Staff, died.
1 October 1925 - The first University Air Squadron (UAS) was formed at Cambridge, followed by Oxford UAS on 11 October 1925.
3 November 1958 - Signals Command (AVM L. Dalton-Morris) was formed at RAF Medmenham from No. 90 (Signals) Group.
11 November 2001 - MRAF Sir Denis Spotswood, former Chief of the Air Staff, died.
28 September 1939 - The RAF Staff College yearly courses and qualifying examination were suspended after the 17th Course for the duration of the war.
12 July 1944 - The RAF's first operational jet aircraft the Gloster Meteor entered service with No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron based at RAF Manston, Kent.
20 May 1937 - The single-engine Battle bomber, which was to suffer such severe losses in France in 1940, entered squadron service with No. 63 Squadron at RAF Upwood.
1 August 2003 - ACM Sir Jock Stirrup was appointed Chief of the Air Staff.
19 September 1970 - HRH The Princess Anne presented the Queens Colour of the Royal Air Force Germany.
6 November 1992 - ACM Sir Michael Graydon was appointed Chief of the Air Staff.
31 December 1996 - The RAF Staff College Bracknell closed and a new Joint Services Command and Staff College was established at Bracknell on 1 January 1997.
  1. 1918
  2. 1930
  3. 1940
  4. 1950
  5. 1960
  6. 1970
  7. 1980
  8. 1990
  9. 2008