Acknowledgements
When this project to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force was first considered, the then Chief of the Air Staff, and now Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, gave it his full support. His successor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, endorsed the project and kindly agreed to write the Foreword. I am grateful to them for their staunch support.
In compiling this record of RAF activities it has been my policy to use primary sources where they existed and could be traced. Much of the research has been carried out at the Air Historical Branch where the Head of the Branch, Sebastian Cox, has given me wise counsel and guidance in addition to allowing me complete access to the comprehensive records held in the Branch. Among his helpful staff, Clive Richards gave me expert advice, opinion and a great deal of his time, and Graham Day and Flight Lieutenant Mary Hudson were most helpful. Without the support of the staff of the Air Historical Branch, this book would not have been possible.
Mr Chris Hobson, the Head Librarian at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Watchfield, gave me a very great deal of help and advice and full access to the College’s excellent library where he allowed me to spend many hours. At the RAF Museum, Hendon, Peter Elliott and Andrew Cormack responded to all my requests and provided a great deal of information. I am also indebted to the Keeper of The National Archives at Kew where I consulted a wide variety of sources, the major documents being listed in the Bibliography.
Many individuals have given me specialist advice and I want to thank them all. Group Captain Chris Morris has been an immense help, providing much information and checking the narrative. Others who have made significant contributions are: Paul Baillie, Professor Dugald Cameron, Alan Carlaw, Wing
Commander Colin Cummings, Stephen Davies, Ray Deacon, Flight Lieutenant Tom Draper, Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, Peter Green, Stuart Haddaway, Wing Commander Martin Hooper (RAF Regiment Museum), Wing Commander Jeff Jefford, Bill Jordan, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight, Air Commodore Ben Laite, Group Captain Min Larkin (Halton Aircraft Apprentices Association), Stuart Leslie, Sergeant Rick Mellor (RAF Cottesmore), Roy Nesbit, Group Captain Kingsley Oliver, Tom Patterson, Tim Pierse (RAF College Cranwell Library), Group Captain Jeremy Saye, William Spencer, Roger Stanton, Squadron Leader Andrew Thomas, Air Commodore Philip Wilkinson. At the Ministry of Defence,
Squadron Leader Brian Handy has been my point of contact and has been most helpful.
Many of the photographs are from the Air Historical Branch and the Ministry of Defence and I am indebted to the MOD’s Intellectual Property Rights Group for permission to include Crown Copyright images. Andy Renwick, Keeper of Photographs at the RAF Museum, gave a great deal of help and advice, and I am also grateful to the Photographic Department of the Imperial War Museum. Many individuals and organisations have helped with photographs and I trust that they will accept the acknowledgement accompanying each photograph as a token of my thanks for their help. Every care has been taken to trace copyright holders. However, if I have omitted anyone, I apologise and, if informed, will make corrections in any future edition.
Finally, I want to thank the staff at Sutton Publishing, in particular Jonathan Falconer, Jane Hutchings, Glad Stockdale and Catherine Watson for their untiring efforts in ensuring that this book was published.