Category: Aviation Historian

Imagine a postcard-sized photograph, taken from thousands of feet in altitude, would you be able to see a little aircraft, let alone recognise which type? This is exactly what Constance Babington Smith did during the Second World War.

At a time, when few if any of her colleagues were women, Constance was a staff journalist and photographer for the British aviation journal, the Aeroplane. Her journalistic flair for the newsworthy incident made her almost a legend in aviation.

When war broke out, she was commissioned as a Section Officer in the WAAF, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She was asked to set up an aircraft interpretation section. Her section became part of the Central Interpretation Unit, which was based at RAF Medmenham, not far from London. Constance, or ‘Babs’ as she was informally called, was entrusted with the responsibility of searching for secret weapons.

Work done by L Section, Constance’s team provided an enormous contribution to the war effort. They spotted new aircraft types, often still prototypes, followed their whereabouts throughout Germany, monitored their development and predicted when they would reach operational status.

Constance had been charged with looking for ‘anything queer’ at Peenemünde, a little peninsula in the north of Germany, which was used as a major Nazi weapons test centre. She noticed tiny burn marks in the grass around the airfield. This was the first time she identified ‘jet marks’, where jet or rocket engines have scorched the grass.

She then spotted four tailless aircraft she had never seen before. In a second set of photos, one of the aircraft had moved, indicating that they were already in the test stage. She named it as P-30 (P for Peenemünde and 30 for the wingspan), but it soon became known as the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, the world’s first and only operational rocket fighter. It was also the fastest aircraft in the world with speeds of 600 miles per hour, close to the speed of sound.

Her findings were met with some disdain by Churchill’s scientific advisor, Lord Cherwell. Earlier, he had come up with the flawed ‘de-housing paper’, which advocated Bomber Command attacking German civilians, a wholly ineffective and immoral policy. He now obstinately rejected the notion of rocket fighters and believed it was either a torpedo or simply a Nazi hoax. Luckily, other scientists overruled him and suggested further investigations.

She was asked to go over the photographs of Peenemünde again and see if she could find something smaller than P-30. Day after day, surpassing her usual 12-hour work day, she went over the photographs again, looking through her stereo viewer and magnifying glass. Suddenly, she spotted something, a small cruciform object, less than a millimetre in length on the photograph. She calculated that the wingspan must have been about 20 feet. What she was looking at, was the V1, the Flying Bomb. British Intelligence had heard of this weapon, but Constance was the first to ‘see’ it. Her discovery was one of the greatest achievements in Photographic Identification.

Now knowing what to look for, the team soon started finding more P-20s, as they were called, on other photographs. They also identified V1 launch ramps, which were later found in France, ready to fire these missiles at Britain. A major bombing campaign, called Operation Crossbow, took several of these sites out, diminishing the impact the V1 offensive had on Britain.

Constance did not know of the major implications of her findings. Her job was to report what she identified. It was up to others to decide which actions to take. Nevertheless, her fame grew within the RAF. Frank Whittle, the inventor of the first British jet engine, met her once and became quite enamoured of ‘Babs’ and made enquiries about the scent she used. He described her as ‘an attractive young lady who combined considerable personal charm with an intense interest in aircraft’.

Oh, and for those interested, her perfume was Guerlain’s ‘L’Heure Bleue’. She later wrote she wore it to counteract the masculinity of her uniform.

Constance reached the rank of Flight Officer, the WAAF equivalent of the RAF’s Flight Lieutenant. She was mentioned in despatches in 1942 and was appointed MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 1945. She later assisted the Americans with photographic interpretation, receiving the US Legion of Merit for ‘contributing materially to the success of the United States Air Forces mission to Europe’. She stayed in the States for a couple of years, working as a researcher for Life magazine.

She later wrote a book about wartime photographic intelligence, called Evidence in Camera. A signed copy exists in the RAF Museum’s Archives, which also hold an extensive collection of her research papers and correspondence. This research was for several books she wrote on test pilots, as well as biographies on great British women, including the famous pilot Amy Johnson.

For St George’s Day, we’d like to commemorate and celebrate some of the many English men and women who served courageously in the Royal Air Force. In many ways, they embodied the legend of George, the military saint and symbol of English identity.

The story of St George and the dragon is one of bravery against the odds, and personal sacrifice. It is enshrined in St George’s Chapel of Remembrance, first dedicated at RAF Biggin Hill in 1943. The chapel served as a memorial to its sector pilots who by June of that year, had destroyed over 1,000 enemy aircraft. In 1946, Chaplain Reverend Cecil King unveiled a plaque depicting St George and the dragon. He was quoted in the Kent Messenger:

“The fighter pilots of the war are among the 20th century examples of the spirit of St George – the spirit of ‘what it takes’…The hardest thing was for the ordinary person to be ‘brave against himself’ which is where the fight against the Dragon begins”

The fight to be ‘brave against himself’ evokes the courage and fortitude displayed by the RAF’s fighter pilots such as Sqn Ldr John Colin Mungo-Park. The article is from a collection of material in the RAF Museum Archive. It includes correspondence, newspaper cuttings and some of Mungo-Park’s personal effects.

Bolton fighter pilot John Colin Mungo-Park joined the Royal Air Force in June 1937 and went on to fly with No. 74 Squadron in the Battle of Britain. Sqn Ldr Mungo-Park became a flying ace; claiming 11 aircraft destroyed (two shared), five probables and four damaged. In November 1940, he and Plt Off H. M. Stephen together brought down a Messerschmitt Bf109. The celebrated action was the 600th victory claimed for Biggin Hill.

The following June Sqn Ldr Mungo-Park displayed great courage and fortitude during a sweep over the English Channel. After bringing down two Messerschmitt Bf109s, his Spitfire’s engine seized as he flew home to England. Despite the damage, he remained airborne and landed at RAF Hawkinge. For this great display of skill and his tally of aircraft destroyed, he received a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation praised his courage and leadership. Sadly, he was killed less than two weeks later while on another fighter sweep over France.

The image of St George fighting the dragon is also engraved on the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. From 1818, the Order has been presented to British subjects for services abroad and in the Commonwealth. Notable English recipients include MRAF Sir John Maitland Salmond, whose medals and personal papers are in the RAF Museum collection.

MRAF Sir John Maitland Salmond is remembered for resourcefulness and leadership qualities which ensured he quickly rose through the ranks. Born in 1881, he was a skilled pilot who earned his Royal Aero Club Certificate at Hendon in 1912 and the following year set the solo British altitude record of 13,140 feet. In the First World War, he oversaw the restructure of flying training: improving aircraft supply; introducing standards for pilot instruction; and increasing the number of aerodromes. It was said that “If any man can make Britain supreme in the air, that man is John Maitland Salmond”.

In 1922, he demonstrated the success of air power as AOC in Iraq, restoring order with limited resources. He was afterwards appointed Chief of Air Staff and Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1933. During the Second World War, he played a role in organising Air Sea Rescue.

It isn’t only RAF commanders and famous fighter pilots whose bravery deserves an honourable mention in the annals of RAF history. Many stories of courage also come from men and women awarded the George Cross for supreme gallantry not in combat. This award for non-military acts of heroism was introduced during the Blitz. King George VI announced its creation from an underground air raid shelter in September 1940. He said:

“The walls of London may be battered, but the spirit of the Londoner stands resolute and undismayed…’there’ll always be an England’ to stand before the world as a symbol and a citadel of freedom”

Most of George Crosses awarded during 1940-41 were for brave deeds performed during the Blitz. Among them was an award for Acting Flt Lt Wilson Hodgson Charlton from County Durham. He dealt with over 200 unexploded bombs during September-October 1940 while on Special Duty Bomb Disposal. A month earlier Acting Squadron Leader Eric Laurence Moxey was cited for a George Cross after he was killed attempting to defuse two unexploded bombs at RAF Biggin Hill.

Hampshire born Daphne Pearson was the first woman to receive a gallantry award during the Second World War. The WAAF medical orderly was awarded an Empire Gallantry Medal, converted to a George Cross in 1941. In May 1940, when an Avro Anson Mk 1 crashed near the WAAF buildings at RAF Detling, Cpl Pearson rushed to the burning aircraft to save the Pilot Officer David E Bond. As the aircraft and a bomb exploded she used her body as a shield against the blast and splinters, saving the life of the seriously injured pilot. Her actions earned a mention from Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons but she preferred not to talk about the events and insisted that she was only doing her duty.

London’s Wg Cdr Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas and Flt Sgt Stanley James Woodbridge were each awarded a George Cross for actions in which they showed extreme courage and loyalty to their country.

Wg Cdr Yeo-Thomas joined the RAF at the onset of war in September 1939 and was parachuted into occupied France as a Special Operations Executive agent in 1943. While passing on intelligence, he managed six narrow escapes before he was betrayed to the Gestapo in 1944. While imprisoned in Paris he was badly beaten and tortured but refused to disclose any information to the enemy. He organised several daring escape attempts and was eventually successful in reaching safety in April 1945.

Flt Sgt Stan Woodbridge was part of the crew in a Consolidated B-24 Liberator which crashed in the Burmese jungle in January 1945. The crew were flying on a mission to gather information on Japanese radar establishments, and were captured and interrogated by the Japanese Intelligence Service. Flt Sgt Woodbridge was the focus of interrogation due to his knowledge as a Wireless Operator but was courageous to the end. He refused to reveal any information and was put to death. Flt Sgt Woodbridge was cited for a posthumous George Cross. His inconsolable father placed a wreath on his grave reading “From Stanley’s dad. Boy, I’m proud of you!”. Flt Sgt Woodbridge’s George Cross is in the RAF Museum collection.

On a final note, it seems appropriate to mention Flt Lt Jack Quinton DFC who grew up in North London not far from the RAF Museum. Flt Lt Quinton was born in London in 1921 and volunteered for the RAF in September 1939. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his “courage and devotion to duty in air operations” as a member of No. 604 Squadron In 1944.

He was awarded the George Cross in 1951 for an act of the utmost self-sacrifice. On 13 August 1951, Flt Lt Quinton was a Navigator under instruction in a Vickers Wellington while ATC cadet Derek Coates was a passenger. When the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision and began careering towards the ground, Flt Lt Quinton handed the only parachute he could reach to the young boy. He sacrificed his own chances of survival in the process. The 186 North London Scout Troop, in which he was a Patrol Leader, praised Flt Lt Quinton’s leadership and sense of duty. A memorial plaque at the United Reform Church in Whetstone commemorates a man “who gave his life for a friend. Greater love hath no man than this”.

With St Patrick’s Day just around the corner, we thought that you may like to learn about some of the Irish men and women who have served in the United Kingdom’s flying services throughout the First and Second World Wars. As pioneers, daring fighters, infiltrators and evaders, the Irish have made their mark on the history of the Royal Air Force.

Some of the first pioneering women in the early decades of powered flight came from Ireland. On 31 August 1910, journalist Lilian Bland launched her ‘Mayfly’ biplane at the Deerpark in Antrim, Northern Ireland. She is likely to have been the first woman in the world to design and build her own aircraft, as well as flying it successfully. Another early woman pilot in Britain was Sophie Peirce-Evans (Lady Mary Heath) from Knockaderry in Co Limerick. She was one of six women members of the London Aeroplane Club, earning her Royal Aero Club certificate there in 1925.

At the outbreak of war in August 1914, over 6,000 Irish volunteered for service in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The claim for the first RFC pilot to land in France is contested between three Irish No. 2 Squadron airmen: Lt Hubert Dunsterville Harvey-Kelly, Lt Col Charles James Burke of Co Armagh and Capt Francis Fitzgerald Waldron of Co Kildare.

It was said that the carefree maverick Harvey-Kelly landed first after disregarding the route planned by Lt Col Burke, the No. 2 Squadron commander. Lt Harvey-Kelly with Obs Lt WHC Mansfield, was the first to bring down an enemy aircraft, a German Taube, on 25 August 1914. He was later awarded a Mention in Dispatches and a Distinguished Service Order. Maj Harvey-Kelly died from wounds received in aerial combat during Bloody April in 1917.

There were 37 Irish aces in the First World War, sharing over 450 aerial victories between them. Dublin’s Fg Off Henry George ‘Hal’ Crowe transferred from the Royal Irish Regiment to the RFC in late 1917, joining No. 20 Squadron on Bristol F.2bs.

The following Spring Crowe was engaged in reconnaissance and low-flying bombing duties over the Western Front as an Observer in his squadron. In July 1918, Crowe survived being shot down six times in 11 days and was awarded the Military Cross.

The citation noted his “conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty” while praising his success in aerial combat. Over six months, Crowe had achieved eight aerial victories against Fokker Dr.1 and Albatross D V fighters. He went on to serve with the RAF in Ireland and the Far East and retired as Air Cdre in 1946. Crowe’s personal papers are held within the RAF Museum’s Archive collection.

Fellow Dublin boy and fighter pilot, Wg Cdr Brendan Eamonn Fergus ‘Paddy’ Finucane, gained his wings in 1939 and flew during the Battle of Britain. While posted Flt Cdr with No. 452 (Royal Australian Air Force) Squadron, he shot down 16 aircraft while sweeping industrial targets in Nazi-occupied Northern France.

His actions in those 10 weeks (August to October 1941) earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross followed by two additional bars and a Distinguished Service Order. Finucane reached a tally of 28 confirmed kills in his RAF career; most before his 21st birthday. He was appointed Wg Cdr at No. 65 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, in June 1942.

Less than a month later, his Spitfire BM308 was hit by machine gun fire while flying low level over Pointe du Touquet. It being too late to bale, Finucane uttered ‘This is it chaps’ and crashed into the sea. The RAF Museum is honoured to hold Wg Cdr Finucane’s logbooks on loan from his family.

A few months after Wg Cdr Finucane’s death, the RAF flew the first female secret agents into Nazi-occupied France. Irishwoman Mary Katherine ‘Maureen’ Herbert was one of the first women selected to go into France. In May 1942, she requested release from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Dubliner Patricia Maureen ‘Paddy’ O’Sullivan joined the SOE the following year. Both women carried out dangerous work as Wireless Operators. They conveyed coded messages between circuits, helped escapees and arranged parachute drops of supplies for the French Resistance.

Maureen Herbert used the code name “Claudine” and worked for the Scientist circuit. When imprisoned by the Gestapo she used her knowledge of German to divert attention and secure her cover story. She was released in 1944, a few months before Bordeaux was liberated.

Patricia O’Sullivan arrived in Limoges in March 1944 and joined the Fireman circuit as “Micheline”. She conveyed hundreds of messages in the lead up to D-Day, avoiding detection. Both women returned to Britain after the war and were awarded the Croix de Guerre.

The famous “Great Escape” from Stalag Luft III took place 75 years ago this month. Dublin bomber pilot Nicolas Tindal was one of those who played a role. Tindal became a prisoner-of-war after being shot down over France in December 1940.

His escape attempts from Stalag Luft I included hiding in a dung cart and disguising himself as a German officer. At Stalag Luft III Tindal forged documents for escapees and helped dig the tunnels.

Poignantly, he gave up his place in the famed escape to another airman, one of the 50 escapees captured and killed. He returned to Britain when the camp was liberated in 1945 and served in the RAF until 1948.

This blog highlights just a selection of the many Irish men and women who gave outstanding service, and whom we remember with pride.

For St George’s Day, we will be celebrating the contributions of English personnel to the Royal Air Force.

1 March is St David’s Day and a Welsh national day of celebration. We would like to dedicate this blog to all the brave Welsh who served in the Royal Air Force and their remarkable achievements.

Though the exact date of his death is not certain, tradition holds that Saint David died on 1 March, which is the date now marked as Saint David’s Day. In Welsh, the name David became Dafydd, which in itself became the origin for the nickname “Taffy”. We will see below that there were a few Taffys, who played an important role in the history of the Royal Air Force.

The first was not an airman, but a prime minister. One could say that David Lloyd George, Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922, was the main political supporter for the creation of the Royal Air Force. Until 1918, air power was divided between the Army and the Navy. These two services, the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, were duplicating tasks and wasting resources. This became painfully clear when the Imperial German forces launched a bombing campaign against Britain and both services were unable to stop it or retaliate in kind.

He chaired a two-man committee – with South African Jan Smuts – to investigate and report on the state of Britain’s air defences, the Air Board and the dual air forces and to make recommendations for improvements. The Smuts report advocated a single unified air force along with an air ministry to organise it. You can read this important report on our website.This report laid the foundations for the creation of the RAF on 1 April 1918.

A second Taffy is the highly decorated James Ira Thomas “Taffy” Jones DSO, MC, DFC & Bar, MM. When the First World War broke out, he joined the Royal Flying Corps as an air mechanic. As happened, quite often, ground crew were given the opportunity to become air crew. In January 1916 he started as an observer in two-seat aircraft and the following year, he became a pilot. Posted to No.74 Squadron in 1918, he was fortunate to serve under the excellent commander, Mick Mannock.

From May to August 1918, only three months, he scored 37 victories flying the Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a, making him one of the top aces in the RAF. After the war, Taffy Jones volunteered to join the RAF fight against the Bolshevik forces in Russia. He stayed with the Royal Air Force until 1936 but was recalled to active duty when the Second World War broke out. While flying an unarmed aircraft, he spotted a German aircraft and attacked it … with a flare gun!

Dr Edward George “Taffy” Bowen, CBE, FRS was a Welsh physicist who was born into a working-class family in Swansea, but displayed great intellectual capabilities at a young age. At the age of nine, he had already built a radio transmitter. He joined Swansea University aged 16, he had his master of science degree by 19, and was a professor aged 24. Although radar was invented by a team under Robert Watson-Watt, Taffy’s main contribution was that he managed to miniaturise radar from use in the famous tall Chain Home masts to smaller versions that could be fitted into aircraft, patrolling the Atlantic Ocean.

As such, his work was instrumental in winning the Battle of the Atlantic, during which Nazi German U-boats attempted to cut supplies to Britain, stopping vital arms and food reaching Britain from overseas. If that wasn’t enough, the breakthroughs which Prof Bowen made in the field of electro-magnetism during his career not only led directly and indirectly to modern air-traffic control systems, but also for devices which changed how we lived, such as cathode ray tube television sets and microwave ovens.

Wing Commander Frederick “Taffy” Higginson, OBE, DFC, DFM was a policeman’s son, born into a Welsh language-speaking family in Swansea. He joined the RAF straight from school as an apprentice in 1929, aged 16. In 1932 he was posted as a fitter / air gunner to No. 7 Bomber Squadron, but was accepted for pilot training in 1935. Flying the Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft, he scored his first victory on 17 May 1940. By late September 1940, he had shot down or damaged at least 15 enemy aircraft and had earned the Distinguished Flying Medal.

In June 1941, he was shot down and taken prisoner. However, when his German captives were distracted by overflying aircraft, he managed to escape. He remained on the run for several months, hiding his true identity, until British secret services succeeded in bringing him back, dressed as a priest. He rejoined the RAF and stayed in the Service until 1956. The Higginson Trophy, a trophy named after him and his endeavours while captured, is awarded annually to an outstanding RAF Regiment Field Squadron. To win, a squadron must have shown exceptional leadership, outstanding professionalism and sustained endeavour on both operations and exercises.

Not only the people of Wales, but also several sites in Wales are closely linked to the history of the RAF. For instance, RAF Sealand was one of the earliest civilian airfields in the country and – like Hendon – was taken over by the military in 1916 for training. Together with RAF St Athan it was a major centre for technical training, apprenticeships and maintenance.

A very important station was RAF Pembroke Dock, which at some point was the world’s largest seaplane and flying boat station and home to 99 aircraft. Its motto was Gwylio’r gorooewin o’r awyr which translates into English as “To watch the west from the air”. That summed up nicely what RAF Pembroke Dock did: its flying boats patrolled vast areas of the Atlantic Ocean. The majestic Short Sunderland flying boat, housed in Hangar 1 at the RAF Museum London, made its final flight in 1961 to Pembroke Dock, where it stayed for several years until transported over land to the RAF Museum.

11 February is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This is why we would like to share a few stories about the incredible women who challenged public opinion and common belief in 20th century and proved their ability to push in boundaries in science and technology development.

Some of these amazing heroines are featured in our new exhibition ‘RAF: First 100 Years: 1918 – 2018’ at our London site. For example, famous Beatrice ‘Tilly’ Shilling and her story is represented in ‘Prepare’ section of our exhibition.

Beatrice ‘Tilly’ Shilling was a brilliant aeronautical engineer and expert in aircraft carburettors. She joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough and served as an aero-engineer for 43 years, including the period of the Second World War. She was highly respected by her colleagues for her outstanding intellect, practical skills and personal integrity.

During the Battle of France, it became clear that the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the RAF were at a distinct disadvantage when they tried to follow the enemy Messerschmitts in a steep dive. Unlike the German Daimler-Benz engines with their direct fuel injection, the Merlins had traditional carburettor fuel chambers. The negative forces induced by the dive disrupted the fuel flow to the engine.

Beatrice studied the design and came up with a simple yet effective solution. She introduced a restrictor of the fuel flow leading to the carburettor float chamber to prevent flooding. The small device, quickly nicknamed ‘Miss Shilling’s orifice’ or simply the ‘Tilly orifice’, saved a huge number of pilots’ lives. Beatrice and her team at the RAE continued to improve the carburettor and introduced a more permanent solution, featuring a sophisticated fuel control system.

Beatrice was a staunch believer in women’s equality. She was years ahead of her time and raced motorcycles as well as exercising her intellect in a traditional and male-dominated society. She stayed with the RAE until her retirement in 1969, being honoured with an OBE in recognition of her wartime work.

Pauline Gower was the daughter of MP Sir Robert Gower. After her first flying experiences with the legendary Alan Cobham, she decided to become a pilot. Her father disapproved and would not pay for flying lessons. So, Pauline decided to teach violin to fund them. A quick learner, she went solo after only seven hours instruction. Together with her friend Dorothy Spicer, she set up Air Trips, the first aviation company owned and staffed by women.

Dorothy Spicer was not only a pilot and ground engineer, she was the first woman in Britain to gain a type ‘D’ engineer’s licence, authorising her to inspect, pass out and repair both engines and airframes, being qualified to build all aspects of an aircraft – airframe and engine – from scratch. In 1936, Pauline and Dorothy (by now referred to as the ‘daring aeronauts’) presented a technical paper at the Women’s Engineering Society Annual General Meeting on the treatment of metals for aircraft engineers.

In 1938, Dorothy accepted a position with the Air Registration Board in London, becoming the first woman in the British Empire to receive a technical appointment in civil aviation. When war broke out, she took on flying work as an air observer and research assistant, and became involved in the development of a variety of new aircraft types and items of equipment. Unfortunately, shortly after the war, she died in a flying accident near Rio de Janeiro.

Using her professional reputation and family connections, Pauline advocated hiring female pilots for the newly founded Air Transport Auxiliary, a civilian organisation ferrying new and repaired aircraft from factories to operational squadrons. Overcoming the initial resistance, she was given the go-ahead to select eight female pilots. As the war progressed and these women proved their worth, more women entered. Eventually, more than 150 women served with the ATA, comprising about a tenth of the total number of ferry pilots.

Not expected to fly combat missions, the ATA pilots did not receive combat training like their RAF counterparts, but they were fully trained in meteorology, map-reading, navigation and mechanics. They were expected to fly every type of aircraft, even if they had not received training on that specific type. As such, trained to fly a Hurricane was supposed to suffice to fly a Spitfire, although they handled quite differently. ATA pilots flew through all kinds of weather without the aid of radio communications. Their navigation skills were unparalleled, allowing them to deliver more than 300,000 aircraft between 1940 and 1945.

Generally admired for her discipline and perseverance, Pauline was awarded a Member of the British Empire Medal. Maybe more importantly, she obtained the same pay for women pilot as the men received for doing the same work, which made the ATA the first government organisation in the country to do so. Like her friend Dorothy, tragedy struck shortly after the war. She died giving birth to twin sons, who survived. Her life was short, but she left an enormous legacy in regards of women’s emancipation.

Another ‘ATA girl’, Lettice Curtis was, at the time, one of the few women in Britain to hold a mathematics degree from Oxford University. She was well-known for her intelligence which was often interpreted as arrogance. She tended to be extremely impatient with slow learners and was only content with perfection. An excellent pilot, she was the first woman to deliver the heavy four-engined Lancaster bomber.

After the war, she became a technician and flight test observer at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) research facility. This entailed flying aircraft overseas to test the airframes and systems in hot weather. In 1953, she moved to Fairey Aviation where she became a senior flight development engineer. In 1976, she took a job as an engineer with Sperry Aviation.

Her love of flying never diminished and she participated in air races. In 1949, flying a Spitfire Mk XI, she achieved the British Women’s National Record in 1949. The Spitfire was her, as for most ATA women, favourite aircraft. As she later said, ‘to sit in the cockpit of a Spitfire … was a poetry of its own’. This did not conclude her flying career: she even gained her helicopter licence at the age of 77!

Fast forward to 2019 and we meet Squadron Leader Bonnie Posselt. She first became interested in aviation in secondary school, where she was with the Combined Cadet Force as part of a RAF Section. After an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Physiology, she became fascinated about the human body in the extreme environments of aviation and space and decided to pursue a career in this, the newest of the medical specialities. At Manchester University, she joined the University Air Squadron which introduced her to life in the RAF.

On a normal day-to-day basis and based at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, Bonnie deals with a variety of different topics, such as Aircrew Equipment Integration, Aircraft Accident Investigation, training aircrew how to tolerate high g-forces on the human centrifuge and hypoxia in the hypobaric chambers, as well as conducting trials on new pieces of protective equipment.

As the Space environment is similar in many ways to the aviation environment, she is also studying the effects of spaceflight to the human body and how to protect those working in that environment. As part of her training, she recently participated as the medical officer for an analogue space mission simulating Mars in the deserts of Oman. Her job was to provide medical care for all the team and to monitor the astronauts during simulated space walks in heavy space suits. Although hailed by the press as one of Britain’s first ‘space doctors’, her job explores the challenges of both space and aviation medicine.

She is currently on an exchange posting to the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, USA. She is undertaking a PhD, investigating human performance using Helmet Mounted Displays, as used in the latest generation of jet aircraft.

Only last week, we were happy to welcome Aerospace Engineer Hania Mohiuddin to the RAF Museum London. She graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Sheffield in 2013 and an MSc in Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control from Cranfield University in 2016. Upon completion of her degree, she joined Martin-Baker as a Test Engineer conducting investigative trials of ejection seats components from various military aircraft including the F-35 Lightning II and the Eurofighter Typhoon. After working as a Systems Engineer, she currently works as a Systems Safety Engineer within the company.

As a child, she had a dream in which a jet fighter landed on her house, she climbed inside and took off. Ever since, she knew she would make aviation her life. As a young Muslim woman, she never experienced her religion or culture to be an obstacle to achieve this dream. To encourage young women like herself to overcome cultural stereotypes and pursue a career in science, she has taken on the role of a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassador. She participates in various committees of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is Chairwoman of the British Human Powered Flying Club.

During her studies in Sheffield, she co-led a team to design and manufacture a Human Powered Aircraft for which she was the test pilot. While at Cranfield, she volunteered as a ground crew for the restoration project of an English Electric Lightning T5. This involved climbing through the air intake into the belly of the aircraft to inspect the jet engines. We recently invited Hania to the Museum to talk about her experience with the Lightning as well as her work with Martin-Baker. We will be posting this video onto our social media channels in the near future.

China and the RAF: A Shared Heritage

Throughout its 100 years, the Royal Air Force has fought battles, explored new worlds and connected people across the globe. It should come as no surprise that the Royal Air Force also has a connection with China, the world’s most populated and its fourth biggest country. This is the third and final blog post which will explore and unravel a shared heritage between the RAF and China.

In the previous two parts, I introduced brave Chinese pilots, such as Clifford Louie, who flew the British Gloster Gladiator against Japanese attackers. I also explained how Allied transport aircraft had to cross the treacherous Himalayan ‘Hump’ to supply China, while Chinese and British forces fought side by side in Burma to repel the Japanese invaders. In this final blog post, I will reveal the long-forgotten story of a RAF station in China.

The RAF in China.

While the RAF protected the route over the ‘Hump’ from the Indian side, American and Chinese fighter pilots took on the protection on the Chinese side. However, even on the latter side, the RAF had a role to play, albeit a rather anecdotal one.

This is the unlikely story of a RAF fighter pilot, who came from Poland, flew in the Battle of Britain, but ended up in China. His name is Witold Urbanowicz. Already a pilot with the Polish Air Force, he was forced to escape when his country was taken over. Undiscouraged, he joined the RAF, became one of the top Aces during the Battle of Britain with 15 confirmed kills and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Later in the war, he was assigned to the Polish Embassy in the United States.

Like most airmen, he disliked his desk job and in September 1943 succeeded in a brief attachment to the American 75th Fighter Squadron in China. This squadron was often referred to as a ‘Flying Tigers’ squadron. The ‘Flying Tigers’ were originally all-volunteer American fighter unit, flying Curtiss P-40 aircraft with painted shark faces. In fact, they had adopted this iconic look after they had seen an image of No. 112 RAF Squadron, flying the P-40 or, as the RAF called it, the Kittyhawk. A beautiful example can be seen at the RAF Museum London, painted in the original No. 112 Squadron colours, clearly showing the unit’s shark teeth.

Thousands of Chinese Army soldiers were trained in British India and later served with the X Force. The RAF trained Chinese air and ground crew, taking several of them to different corners of the British Empire. For instance, the No. 5 Middle East Torpedo School, based in Shallufa, Egypt, held several Chinese aircrew. It is confusing what the purpose could have been as the Chinese Air Force had little use for torpedo bombers. Unfortunately, our only source are some photographs kept at the RAF Museum’s Archives. Probably, other records of the No.5 METS have long been discarded. Toward the end of the war, a familiar Chinese fighter pilot reappears in British India: Clifford Louie was sent to Karachi as an instructor to Allied pilots.

More surprisingly is the existence of an RAF station in China itself. A short note in the official ‘Location of Units’ book reveals there were two RAF stations. One was in Kunming, which was the main airfield for the delivery of supplies. My previous blog post explained how RAF squadrons such as No. 31 and No. 357 Squadron were regularly flying to Kunming. The ‘Location of Units’ book shows there was an AMES unit stationed at Kunming. The AMES acronym stood for Air Ministry Experimental Station, which was a cover name for radar stations. Such radar would have been essential is dealing with air traffic flying into China, but also providing warning for any enemy incursions. The second RAF station, RAF Chengtu, also held an AMES, but was much more than that.

Chengtu is now known as Chengdu, one of the largest cities in China. It is here that the RAF created the RAF in China mission with the addition of a Staging Post, which provided servicing and refuelling for Dakota and Liberator transport aircraft. It was also at RAF Chengtu that the RAF Training Mission China was based. Under the leadership and personal tutelage of Air Vice-Marshal Lawrence A Pattinson, Chinese officers were trained according to British Staff College requirements. Lectures were given on topics such as staff duties, strategy and tactics, army co-operation, air intelligence and bombing methods.

The RAF Museum London’s Archives hold original course material, essays written by Chinese officers, as well as their critical assessments by the RAF tutors. Also held at the Archives is personnel correspondence between British and Chinese officers. Almost 75 years after the war, they reveal a close and often personal collaboration between two Allied countries. It is even more extraordinary to have such rare documents, as much has been lost in China itself.

Indeed, the capitulation of Japan in August 1945 also meant the resumption of an all-consuming struggle between the Nationalist and the Communist Party in China. In 1949, the latter took control of mainland China and on 11 November established the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. At that time, the PLAAF only had few aircraft, most of which had been taken over from the defeated Nationalist Air Force. Five of these were de Havilland Mosquito bombers, arguably the RAF’s finest aircraft of the Second World War. Chinese pilots, training to fly the Mosquito, called it Lin Daiyu after a female character of a classic Chinese novel. It was argued that like Lin Daiyu, the Mosquito was beautiful yet delicate.

The use of the last Mosquitoes concludes the use of British aircraft in China. We do not know what happened to the officers trained by the RAF and the crews who flew in and worked on these British aircraft. We know that many escaped to Taiwan, but some must have stayed in China and assisted in rebuilding the Chinese Air Force, possibly transferring the lessons learned from the RAF Training Mission in China.

In any case, China and the United Kingdom have a shared heritage. Both countries were terror bombed with great loss of civilian life, although brave airmen fought heroic battles to stop it. Although both countries are thousands of miles apart, this part of their history they share.

China and the RAF: a shared heritage

Throughout its 100 years, the Royal Air Force has fought battles, explored new worlds and connected people across the globe. It should come as no surprise that the Royal Air Force also has a connection with China, the world’s most populated and its fourth biggest country. This is the second of three blog posts which will explore and unravel a shared heritage between the RAF and China.

Part 2. The ‘Hump’

In the previous blog post we looked at the brutal war between Japan and China and how brave Chinese pilots took to the skies in British Gladiator aircraft. The British government looked the other way while such tragedies were unfolding in the Far East. This was only to change in December 1941, when Imperial Japan attacked British forces in Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong, thereby allying Britain and China. Nationalist China was to play a pivotal role in the fight against Imperial Japan. Its large, yet pitifully equipped and poorly trained army tied up much of Japan’s forces, denying their use against the British and Americans elsewhere. As such, it was imperative for the Western Allies to keep China in the ring against Japan.

However, the geographical restraints meant that Allied support was difficult to deliver. The only supply road between the British Empire and China ran across Burma, called the Burma Road. However, supplies to Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Chinese forces were cut when Japanese forces overran Burma in 1942. The British and Americans were then forced to supply China by air. It is here that the role of the Royal Air Force became vital.

It was No. 31 Squadron which helped pioneer the airlift operation over the grim razor-backed Patkai mountains, which formed the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains. This mountain range became known as ‘the Hump’. Aircraft, flying over the Hump to China, were threatened by ferocious cumulus nimbus currents, violent enough to shake them apart. The Dakotas struggled to reach sufficient height to cross the mountain passes, which were often covered in clouds.

The airstrips in India and China were nothing more than dirt or gravel runways. Air traffic control was close to non-existent and aircrew had to rely on their own navigation. In 1943, radio beacons were installed on the ground, which greatly aided navigation. However, if an aircraft crashed in the remote jungle, there was little hope of rescue for its crew.

In December 1941, No. 31 Squadron in Burma had only two serviceable Douglas DC2s. What’s more, they were the only two transport aircraft available to the RAF in the area. With Burma conquered by the Japanese army, No. 31 Squadron was pulled back to Calcutta in India. During 1942, Douglas DC3 Dakota aircraft became available to the RAF.

In 1943, C Flight of No. 353 Squadron and No. 52 Squadron were brought in to fly from RAF Dum Dum over ‘the Hump’ to Kunming in southwest China. New airfields, such as RAF Dinjan and Chabua, were constructed on former tea plantations in Assam in the northeast of India. On 25 October 1942, these airfields came under attack by 100 Japanese aircraft, destroying several aircraft on the ground. But also during the flight over the ‘Hump’ the aircraft were in danger of interception by Japanese fighter aircraft, such as the successful Nakajima Ki-43 ‘Oscar’.

During April and May 1942, less than 100 tons of supplies were delivered to China, but by July 1943, the RAF, the US Army Air Force and the civilian airline Chinese National Aviation Corporation managed to transport 5,500 tons of supplies by air. Squadrons such as No. 31 Squadron were supplanted by No. 52 and No. 357 Squadrons, flying Dakota and big four-engined Consolidated Liberator aircraft.

The total tonnage continued to increase toward the end of the war in 1945. By then, one of the pilots was no other than Arthur Chin, who had recovered from his wounds and was flying transport aircraft over the ‘Humb’. These supplies enabled Nationalist China to continue the fight against Imperial Japan. China tied up 600,000 to 800,000 Japanese troops, who might otherwise have been deployed to the Pacific and Burma.

More than that, China could now send troops into Burma itself to take the fight to the Japanese. An earlier army, called the X Force, had been forced to retreat into India together with the rest of the British and Indian forces.

However, under overall leadership of the American general Stilwell, the X Force were to make a comeback and re-enter Burma. The hard-hitting British 36th Infantry Division was added to the X Force. Cooperation was essential as this division lacked its own artillery regiment and instead relied on Chinese artillery. Meanwhile, several Chinese divisions, known as the Y Force, marched south from China itself. Together, they captured Myitkyina, thereby enabling the re-opening of the Burma Road.

Supporting the X Force from the air as well as protecting the air-ferry route over the ‘Hump’ was the British-American Northern Air Sector Force, which included three RAF Squadrons equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. The Hurricane had been gradually withdrawn as a fighter aircraft after the Battle of Britain, but in the Far East it was forced to fight more nimble, yet less sturdy Japanese Ki-43 ‘Oscars’ until late 1944.

During the race to re-open the Burma Road, British and Indian forces were fighting in south and central Burma, pushing the Japanese forces back, while a crack Commonwealth guerrilla unit, called the Chindits, was operating deep behind enemy lines. Once again, the unwavering No. 31 Squadron was involved with the supply of these Chindits.

The cooperation between China and the RAF went far beyond the airlift over ‘the Hump’ or fighting in Burma. The RAF was actively involved with the training of Chinese personnel and even had a RAF station in China, RAF Chengtu. More about this long forgotten story in our third and final blog post: the RAF in China.

China and the RAF: a shared heritage

Throughout its 100 years, the Royal Air Force has fought battles, explored new worlds and connected people across the globe. It should come as no surprise that the Royal Air Force also has a connection with China, the world’s most populated and fourth biggest country. This is the first of three blog posts which will explore and unravel a shared heritage between the RAF and China.

Part 1. The Chinese Gladiators

In 1911, the country had seen a revolutionary uprising which ended 2,000 years of dynastic rule. The newly founded Republic of China was quickly torn apart between shifting coalitions of competing provincial military leaders. Some local warlords even had their own air forces. For instance, the Fengtian Clique operated the Caudron G3, an aircraft predating the First World War. Undoubtedly obsolete, it was still in service in 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria, the Northeast of China. The RAF Museum London has an original Caudron G3 on display in its First World War in the Air exhibition in Hangar 2.

Shortly before the Manchurian invasion, China had reunited under the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party. This also led to a united Nationalist Chinese Air Force with several of its aircraft coming from Britain, such as the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas II, Westland Wapiti VIII, de Havilland DH.60 Moth, Armstrong Whitworth AW.XVI and the Gloster Gladiator Mk I.

In 1937 when war broke out between the Japanese Empire and Nationalist China, the Gloster Gladiator was the most modern fighter aircraft in the Royal Air Force. The Gladiator was very manoeuvrable, as were most biplanes. It had four machine guns and an enclosed cockpit, both of which were a first for an RAF fighter aircraft. However, compared to the later Hurricane or Spitfire, it was still a biplane and had a fixed landing gear, both of which limited its maximum speed.

36 Gladiators were delivered to the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. They soon proved to be a match for the Japanese fighter aircraft. Captain John ‘Buffalo’ Wong Sun-Shui had already two kills to his name when in February 1938, his unit was the first to convert to the Gloster Gladiator. Its first action led to instant success, when ‘Buffalo’ Wong managed to shoot down not one, but two Mitsubishi A5M ‘Claudes’, the best fighter aircraft available to the Japanese forces.

The next major fight took place on 13 April 1938, when a unit of Aichi D1A ‘Susie’ dive bombers with a strong fighter escort was intercepted by two formations of Gladiators. The first was led by ‘Buffalo’ Wong, who immediately shot down a ‘Susie’. In the ensuing dogfight, he managed to down two Japanese fighters, but his Gladiator received several hits, forcing an injured Wong to bail out. The second formation was led by Clifford Louie Yim-Qun, who also shot down a ‘Susie’ and forced another to crash land.

On 16 June 1938, the Gladiators were scrambled to intercept a formation of modern Mitsubishi G3M ’Nell’ bombers, the same type which was involved in the dramatic sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse near the Malayan coast in December 1941. Wong employed a difficult manoeuvre in which he attacked the bomber from below, hitting it in its unprotected belly. The ‘Nell’ exploded in mid-air, damaging Wong’s Gladiator. Meanwhile, another ‘Nell’ was taken out by another excellent pilot, who would soon become an ace, Arthur Tien Chin.

In August 1938, Arthur Chin was attacked by three ‘Claude’ fighter aircraft. Unable to shake the faster ‘Claudes’ off, he deliberately rammed one of them, sending both aircraft tumbling toward the ground. Arthur was able to bail out and parachute to safety. He returned to headquarters carrying a machine gun salvaged from his Gladiator and promptly asked if he could get ‘an aircraft to go with the machine gun’. During another dogfight in December 1939, his Gladiator was hit in the fuel tank and caught fire.

However, he stayed inside the aircraft until he was back over Chinese lines and could bail out. While recovering from his wounds at his home and nursed by his wife Eva, a Japanese air raid took place. Knowing that Arthur was immobile, Eva threw her body over him when a bomb hit the house, killing her instantly. There was nothing Arthur could do, but to hold on to her…

The war between China and Japan would rage on for another six years, but Britain and the RAF were soon to play a pivotal role in the fight against Japan. More about this in our second ‘China and the RAF’ blog post: the ‘Hump’.

October is a Black History Month. The RAF Museum is proud to celebrate and commemorate the incredible achievements and the enormous contribution made by the RAF black service personnel in the Royal Flying Corps and the RAF.

Black people have been serving in British Flying Forces since their creation. As a part of my role at the RAF Museum I have created an outreach drama that tells the stories of African and Caribbean RAF Personnel. My research has helped me uncover a number of fascinating people.

Many of you may remember the all-time favourite children programme Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet in 60’s – 90’s children television. These shows had massive explosions, aliens and action galore. Among the voices of the still faced marionette puppets was a man by the name of Cy Grant. Before showbiz fame Grant was an RAF Navigator who served during the Second World War.

Born in Guyana, Cy joined the RAF in 1941. He served as a navigator in No 103 Squadron, flying on Avro Lancaster bombers. In 1943, his Lancaster was shot down over the Netherlands during the Battle of the Ruhr. Cy was captured by German forces and became the prisoner of war. In 1945, he was freed by Allied Forces.

He had a successful career in entertainment as he was one of the first black actors regularly featured on television in 1950s. He worked with the likes of Laurence Oliver and sang calypso related news on the BBC’s Tonight show. Cy also set up his own theatre ‘The Drum Arts Centre’ as he was determined to create spaces for black artists. Had men and women like Grant not fought for the rights of black artists black people now may not have the opportunities they have today.

In my research, I had to go through some horrible moments in history. During the First and the Second Would Wars African and Caribbean personnel suffered violent acts both in the military and from society.

Lilian Bader, British biracial woman, was born in Liverpool 1918. She had to endure obstacle after obstacle in order to serve her country in the time of war. Orphaned at the age of nine, Lilian was brought up in a convent. With the outbreak of war in 1939 Lilian wanted to serve her country, but she was fired from her position within a Navy Army and Air Forces Institutes (NAAFI) canteen for having a Jamaican father.

Listening to Una Marson’s BBC radio programme ‘Hello West Indies’ gave Lilian the chance she needed. She got the opportunity to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Hard work and perseverance would see her to rise to the role of Instrument Repairer.

After the war, Lilian studied for a degree at London University and became a teacher. Her younger son flew helicopters in the Royal Navy and later became an airline pilot. In 2015 she passed away, her achievements still have a huge impact on us today.

Lilian sat in a studio audience on BBC’s 90’s television show Hear Say. This episode was highlighting the contribution of African-Caribbean military personnel. Lilian Bader has this to say when asked about why it was important for her to serve:

“This is my land. I was born here. This is my land and I didn’t want to see it going down”

Lilian Bader undoubtedly had a very strong character and great personal integrity that helped her to push every obstacle to protect this country.

Sitting in the television audience alongside Lilian on the set of BBC’s Hear Say was a young Trevor Edwards, a British born black man, who defies the belief that there are no opportunities for black people to succeed in the military.

“The opportunity is here to do very well really. You can do it! The fact is that I’ve gone to a good school, gone to university and I’m flying fighter jets for the RAF”

Edwards was born in Woolwich in 1963 to West Indian parents. From a young age, Trevor always had a fascination with aviation but deep down never thought he could be a pilot. Years later he signed onto the RAF Regiment and his journey towards becoming a pilot was becoming a reality. However, an injury following a gruelling training exercise, led to getting his toes amputated.

His passion for flight never died out. During his time at Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre he received flight training with Bristol University Air Squadron in exchange for teaching others his regimental knowledge. After all this hard work, he became a pilot in 1987. At our London site, we have Trevor’s silhouette kneeling in front of Jaguar fighter jet. And this image can serve as a symbol and inspiration for anyone who is ready to show persistence and determination in reaching their goal.

Today we have highlighted only three stories about RAF black service personnel, but there is a countless number of others, who fought and protected their country and our freedom.

We are very proud to tell their stories and to celebrate and commemorate their incredible achievements. We have the online exhibition ‘Pilots of the Caribbean’ on our website that tells more stories of the RAF black service personnel.

We also have a YouTube playlist ‘Pilots of the Caribbean’ where you can hear those stories from these individuals.

To celebrate and commemorate Black History Month 2018 we have planned a day of fun and exciting activities, Wings of Windrush, on 28 October, at our London site. Visitors will enjoy rhythmic African-Caribbean music, songs and dances, delicious Caribbean food, fascinating talks and immersive storytelling sessions. Please come and join us for this amazing event where I will also be performing ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Flying Colours’ a performance piece that shines a light on the Windrush generation and their contributions to the defend the ‘mother country’ in its time of war. I hope you will join me.

In this blog post we would like to share some wonderful feedback we recently received from Abby Whitlock, an American student, who recently visited our Reading Room at the RAF Museum Archives, in London, to conduct some specialist research.

‘My name is Abby Whitlock and I am a fourth year student studying History and European Studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Recently, I spent two and a half weeks in England looking at sources for my honours thesis on the Royal Flying Corps.’

As part of her research Abby was exploring the ways how social identity (i.e. education, occupation, social class, etc.) influenced interactions between pilots, ground crew and other members of the Royal Flying Corps. As her research was related to the Royal Flying Corps, examining documents from the Museum’s Archives were necessary.

Before coming to England, Abby looked through the RAF Museum’s collections. With specific keywords, individuals, and documents in mind, it was very easy for her to locate related sources thanks to our Navigator search engine. Since Abby’s research was based primarily at the University of Cambridge, she knew she would probably need to schedule more than one appointment to go through all our sources.

Abby stated, ‘My sources were primarily connected to Major James Thomas Byford McCudden, VC and other members of 56 Squadron, such as Captain Albert Ball VC and Lieutenant Arthur Rhys Davids.

During my visit to the Archives last year, one of the most interesting sources I looked at were the set of notebooks comprising the manuscript for ‘Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps, McCudden’s memoir’. With these notebooks, it was interesting to see the evolution of his writing and how the edits made the work-in-progress different from the finished product.’

The Museum is privileged to hold the papers of the McCudden brothers, for through their experiences and their exploits we can trace the evolution of British military flying during the First World War. The rapid technological, tactical and organisational developments that led to this were described by James McCudden in his book ‘Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps’ which he completed only days before his death. We are fortunate to hold the original manuscript, which is accessible to the public by booking an appointment to visit the Museum’s Reading Room.

The story of McCudden is exceptional. He came from a working-class background, while most officers came from the upper class. He was a perfectionist and tirelessly dedicated himself to improve his performance. He trained himself to fly at high altitudes where the lack of oxygen led to terrible headaches. However, this ability allowed him to intercept high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Having been a mechanic he knew his aircraft better than anyone and was able to get more out of it.

‘In my most recent visits, I focused on squadron rosters, newspaper articles about different pilots, and personal letters. In the case of the personal letters, I was looking to see if descriptions of squadron life showed a clear connection with social identity. With the newspaper articles I focused on descriptions of top pilots and the different components used in describing their character.’ – Abby Whitlock

Above all, James McCudden was a highly professional pilot. As far as we know, he did not suffer from battle stress as for instance Mick Mannock did. He was professional and methodical: he saw no issue with ‘playing the percentages’ and disengaging with the odds were against a successful attack. Although a proficient fighter pilot, he did not take pleasure in killing and was even criticised for being insufficiently anti-German.

And yet, when German Gotha bombers attacked east London in broad daylight and, again, the defending fighters enjoyed no success, James McCudden described his disappointment this way:

“How insolent these damned Bosches did look, absolutely lording the sky above England! …I was absolutely furious that the Huns should come over and bomb London and have it practically all their own way.” (Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps)

‘Since I started my research process almost two years ago, I have had many different experiences at the various Archives I have visited. These have ranged from small historical societies to bigger institutions like the Imperial War Museum and the University of Cambridge. Despite these varied experiences, my three visits to the RAF Museum Archives have been some of the best experiences I have had during my research period.

Between the wealth of information in the Museum exhibits are the knowledgeable staff willing to help with research questions. At the Museum’s Archives it is nearly impossible to leave without gaining some sort of new perspective on the topic one is researching. Although relatively short, my time spent at the Museum and its Archives have been some of the most interesting and fulfilling experiences of my research period so far. I hope to return to the RAF Museum for future research visits and to see how the Museum collections grow and develop.’ – Abby Whitlock

Today is the 70th anniversary of the arrival at Tilbury Docks of nearly 500 Caribbean migrants on board HMT Empire Windrush. 22 June also sees the inaugural national Windrush Day, commemorating and celebrating the contribution of the ‘Windrush Generation’, and their descendants, to re-building Britain after the Second World War. The Empire Windrush also has a special place in the history of the Royal Air Force.

During the Second World War 6,000 African-Caribbean men and women volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force. Their reasons for enlisting varied. Like young people all over the Empire and Commonwealth, some joined up for economic or personal reasons or to seek adventure. Others, such as Flight Lieutenant John Blair from Jamaica, came to fight tyranny:

“We knew that we were all in this together and that what was taking place around our world had to be stopped. If Germany had defeated Britain, we could have returned to slavery.”

Corporal Harold Sinson from Guyana just wanted to do his part:

“I had this feeling of being able to do something, and if the air force thought we could help, so be it, we would go.”

Corporal Sam King, another Jamaican, heard the appeal for men and turned to his mum for advice:

“She said “’My son, the mother country is at war. Go – and if you survive, you will not regret it.’”

The Black volunteers arrived in Britain with some having paid their own passages to come. Around 5,500 were engaged by the RAF as ground staff and 450 as aircrew; while 80 women joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). The largest Caribbean contingent came from Jamaica, and in February 1945 there were over 3,700 Jamaicans in air force blue. In Africa, the colonial authorities obstructed enlistment and only 60 volunteers were accepted. A further 5,200 entered the West African Air Corps, a local auxiliary force supporting RAF units based in Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone and Gambia. A number of Black Britons are also known to have served.

The newcomers were joining an air force that had only abandoned the Services’ ‘colour bar’ against non-European enlistment in October 1939, but which now took racism seriously. An Air Ministry Confidential Order of June 1944 was unequivocal:

“All ranks should clearly understand that there is no colour bar in the Royal Air Force…any instant of discrimination on grounds of colour by white officers or airmen or any attitude of hostility towards personnel of non-European descent should be immediately and severely checked.”

The rules against racial discrimination introduced by the RAF in the 1940s would not be seen in the civilian workplace until the 1970s. It is also worthy of note that between 1944 and 1947, the Junior Service fought a successful battle in Whitehall against the Army and the Navy, which both favoured the re-imposition of the ‘colour bar’ in peacetime.

One hundred of the African-Caribbean volunteers became officers and 103 were decorated for gallantry or exceptional service. Of the 450 aircrew that served with the RAF or Royal Canadian Air Force, 150 were killed in combat or in flying accidents. One can only speculate what effect the loss of so many good men had on the small populations of the Caribbean islands.

After the war, most of the Black airmen and airwomen returned to Africa and the Caribbean. They were proud of having played their part in the defeat of Nazism and they carried with them the dynamic ethos of the RAF; with its emphasis on efficiency, teamwork and achievement. Many of the veterans now became lawyers and teachers, or entered politics or journalism as they sought to improve themselves and change their homelands for the better.

The arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury on 22 June 1948 – 70 years ago today – symbolises the beginning of large-scale Caribbean immigration to Britain. It is forgotten, however, that roughly one third of the Windrush’s 492 passengers were RAF airmen returning from leave or veterans re-joining the Service.

Corporal Baron Baker, a Jamaican who had stayed in Britain after the war, greeted the ship on behalf of the Colonial Office. The former RAF Policeman would later write:

“Many of those on the Windrush were ex-servicemen, and there was an immediate understanding between us. There was a greater feeling of togetherness than I have seen in any group I have come across.”

Baker organised temporary accommodation for the newcomers in a disused air raid shelter in Clapham Common. The shelter was close to Brixton, and a number of the West Indians went there to find lodgings; thereby helping to establish the multi-racial community we know today.

Corporals Harold Sinson and Sam King were on board the Windrush that day. Reflecting on the value of his Service career Corporal King remembered that:

“The RAF taught me two things: the importance of discipline and the importance of honesty.”

Another Windrush passenger was Flight Lieutenant Vidal Dezonie who would enjoy a long career in the RAF. He wrote:

“I’ve not experienced racism in the same way as many other West Indians who came over in 1948 or the 1950s. In my experience the RAF is colour blind and free from racism.”

Vidal’s son André, became a Harrier pilot in the 1980s and was promoted to Group Captain.

While the Black airmen were fortunate to be returning to a Service that valued their skills and treated them with respect, their civilian counterparts faced a cold and often hostile reception. Discrimination in housing and employment, coupled with routine verbal and physical abuse, was endured by many Black people living in the poorest parts of Britain’s cities.

Returning to civilian life in the 1950s, the RAF veterans became ‘pathfinders’ for the African-Caribbean community. Sam King helped establish the ‘partner’ scheme in South London to help Black families buy their own houses. He later became the first Black Mayor of Southwark and was awarded the MBE. In 1958, Baron Baker found West Indians in Notting Hill, West London, being terrorised by racist gangs. Using his RAF Police training, Baker organised an effective ‘neighbourhood watch’ employing Black veterans.

British-born Paul Stephenson OBE, an airman from 1953 to 1960, states:

“Those seven years I spent in the RAF were to change my life.”

In 1963, Stephenson skilfully organised a peaceful boycott that broke the Bristol Omnibus Company’s ‘colour bar’ and opened the way for Black bus crews. Another airman was Jamaican Val McCalla, who in 1982 launched ‘The Voice’; the Black newspaper famous for its forthright campaigning style.

There are many other stories, and it is clear that the foundations of Britain’s Black community were laid in part by proud RAF veterans.

If you have enjoyed reading this blog and would like to learn more about Caribbean Servicemen and women in the RAF we have an online exhibition ‘Pilots of the Caribbean‘ and a series of YouTube films for you to view.

The RAF Museum has a very rich and extensive archive base with an endless number of materials diving deep into British aviation history and reflecting most of its sides and time periods. That is why we consider our Archive and Library as a big and essential part of the Museum, equally important as our exhibitions.

Sometimes we are amazed at the unexpected material found in our Archives. For example, in September 2017 our Archives and Library were approached by Gary Morton from Saffron Walden, Essex. Gary had acquired a Gyro Test Table Mk 4, but was unsure how to operate it. He was wondering if we might have some useful information.

The Gyro Test Table was an essential piece of equipment for air technicians as it was used to enable testing of suction and electrical gyroscopes under simulated flight conditions. Gyroscopes were and are the vital parts of aircraft, especially for cockpit instruments. The principle is that a spinning wheel or disc can enable its own orientation regardless of the movement of the holder. No matter in what position you hold the gyroscope it will still maintain its orientation.

Possibly the most interesting use of gyroscopes in aircraft was in unmanned aircraft or drones. Radio-controlled drones were already developed during the First World War. Between the two World Wars a gyroscope was installed in a small biplane called the Queen Bee, which was an unmanned radio-controlled gunnery target. It was needed to stabilise the aircraft in flight.

Nazi Germany developed the first practical cruise missile – the V1, of which thousands were launched against British and Belgian cities. A clever way to ‘destroy this bomb’ was discovered by the American pilot Major R. E. Turner. This involved holding the interceptor’s wingtip close to the wingtips of the V1, which would tip the wing of the drone up, override the gyroscope and send it into an out-of-control dive.

Beside their military use, gyroscopes are still used today to allow civilian aircraft to fly safely due to reliable gyroscopic instruments, such as compasses and artificial horizons.

Regarding Gary’s request about his Gyro Test Table, we happened to have in our collection a beautiful handwritten 1956 Instrument Fitter’s Course notebook by A.W. Robbins who was learning his trade at RAF Melksham.

The notebook is divided in different chapters, each on a different tool or instrument. Our curators have catalogued this notebook in such a way that each of these tools is listed in our Collection Management System. This System is our main tool for cataloguing and accessing our Collection of over one million photographs, books, film, documents and other objects. The public can access a part of our Collection through our online search engine Navigator.

Gary was happy to find out more about his Gyro Test Table and the information enabled him to get it working which you can see in this video:

It shows us what the Gyro Test Table is – a very precise machine which rocks a platform in a very precise manner, simulating flight conditions. The idea is to place a gyroscopic instrument on top of it and ascertain that the readings of the gyroscope are correct.

Gary later acquired a compass to use on his Gyro Table and tested an artificial horizon. These videos show how he was able to test:

The idea is that the gyroscopic instruments correctly display the movements created by the test table. If not, they need to be calibrated or even repaired to make sure they are absolutely accurate. Even the smallest deviation may cause an aircraft to miss its destination by several miles.

In addition to the notebook, our librarian Gordon Leith was able to find an official Air Publication on this Gyro Table. These APs are some of the most important and well sought-after documents in our Collection. They are basically manuals which were and are used by RAF personnel to maintain, repair and operate various equipment used by the RAF, ranging from fast jets to shoe laces.

Gary wrote to us explaining how he chooses to remember and commemorate 100 years of the RAF not only through the operations, the people and the aircraft, but through the equipment and systems that made these aircraft possible:

“I always hated not being able to see them. They are usually hidden away. And when they could be seen, they were lifeless. Lights should be flashing, indicators should be blinking and meters should be spinning. Just like they are in all the movies and documentaries!

Finding the instruments is easy. There must be thousands of these instruments still held in storage warehouses. But now the tricky part, and where the RAF Museum Archives are invaluable. How do you make these things work again?

Thankfully the military have a tradition of actually training their people, not only to fly things and fix things, but also to understand what these things actually do and how they work. The RAF publish these in Air Publications (AP). There is usually an AP for everything referenced against the part number which is usually printed or stamped somewhere on the instrument.

But the numbering system is unfathomable to the lay person. So then you contact the RAF Museum archivists. Give them the name of the instrument and the part number and somehow they will magic you a document that tells you how the instrument works, the circuit diagrams, the working diagrams, the interconnection details and even the definition of the required signals. I am always amazed by what they can find. Even down to hand written notes from the technicians during their training.

I have got about 20 of these instruments working again and mounted in an instrument panel. When I get round to trimming and rerouting the 200 wires on this panel you might see it an air show. Once again these instruments are doing what they were meant to.”

This year, 2018, marks not only a 100 years of the RAF but also the 75th anniversary of Operation CHASTISE, the legendary Dams Raid, one of the most famous RAF’s raids. This daring raid resulted in a tremendous success for the Allies and it is often considered as one of the first real signs of the tide turning against the German war machine during the Second World War.

On 17 May 1943, the Air Ministry published the press release stating the following:

‘In the early hours of this (Monday) morning a force of Lancasters of Bomber Command led by Wing Commander G. P. Gibson, D.S.O, D.F.C., attacked with mines the dams at the Möhne and Sorpe reservoirs. These control two-thirds of the water storage capacity of the Ruhr basin. Reconnaissance later established that the Möhne Dam had been breached over a length of 100 yards and that the power station below had been swept away by the resulting floods. The Eder Dam, which controls head waters of the Weser and Fulda valleys and operates several power stations, was also attacked and was reported as breached…’

The idea to target the dams rather than other military facilities first appeared in 1938, when war with Germany already seemed unavoidable. Destroying the dams would most-likely damage or even paralyse German industry and cause havoc due to a significant flood. It was seen equal to ‘the destruction of a considerable number of targets further down the chain of the industrial energy system’. However, this brilliant idea had a long list of obstacles, including the very limited accuracy of strategic bombing at that time.

In 1940 Barnes Wallis, a Vickers aircraft company designer, who had designed many aircraft including the Wellington bomber, joined the project.

The aerial assault on most German dams was quite difficult due to the anti-aircraft gun batteries defending them. Breaching a dam from the air would require a large explosive charge dropped from a great height. But Wallis worked on the principle that a smaller charge might successfully breach a dam if it was detonated close to the dam’s wall at very low level. That is how the idea of the ‘bouncing bomb’ also known by the code name ‘UPKEEP’ came into being.

The bombs detonate when they hit the target. The ‘bouncing bomb’ was in fact a mine. Once dropped, it would bounce across the dam’s waters, roll down the wall and sink below the surface to a given depth which was the triggering event for the explosion.

Testing proved successful and alongside the modification of Lancaster the project finally progressed to the stage of actual raid planning in early 1943.

The Operation was called CHASTISE. A new secret Special Duties squadron, initially called Squadron X, and later renamed to No 617 Squadron was formed within the RAF. The aircrew was assembled from various RAF Squadrons, with each individual recruited for their degree of experience and from varying ranks.

On 15 March 1943, 24-years old Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, DFC and bar, was transferred from No 107 Squadron to become the Commander of new No 617 Squadron. Guy Gibson had already earned himself a reputation first in Bomber Command and then in Fighter Command piloting Beaufighter Night Fighters, but the information about his first secret mission was quite vague.

At first, he feared that the target would be the warship Tirpitz. Tirpitz indeed became one of 617 Squadrons later missions. But their first target was Möhne, Eder and Sorpe Dams.

On 16 May 1943 at 9.39pm Gibson and the first flight of three Lancasters set off from RAF Scampton, forming the first attack wave for Möhne and Eder Dams. The other two waves took off shortly afterwards.

One of the Lancasters piloted by Flight Lieutenant William Astell, was shot at north-west of Dorsten and crashed killing all 7 members of the crew.

The first wave arrived at the Möhne Dam shortly followed by the second. Guy Gibson (“G for George”) flew the first attack and the first ‘UPKEEP’ was dropped at 12.28am on 17 May. It exploded close to the dam and caused damage but didn’t breach it.

The Second attack was led by Flight Lieutenant Hopgood (“M for Mother”), the second ‘UPKEEP’ was dropped late, bouncing over the dam. The Lancaster was shot at and went down in flames.

Flight Lieutenant Martin (“P for Popsie”) flew the third attack with Guy Gibson flying alongside and drawing some fire away. Their ‘UPKEEP’ was deployed but failed to breach the dam also.

The fourth attack led by Squadron Leader Young (“A for Apple”) didn’t breach the dam, but most probably damaged the structure. And finally, Squadron Leader David Maltby (“J for Johnny”) breached the dam in the fifth attack, when this ‘UPKEEP’ was dropped as planned.

The remaining aircraft turned to Eder Dam which was just 60 miles away. The Eder Dam was breached on the third attempt by Pilot Officer Lesley Knight.

The second attack wave lost two of their aircraft on the way. They were damaged and returned to RAF Scampton. The remaining aircraft attacked the Sorpe Dam, caused some damage but 617 Squadron was not successful in breaching it.

Two out of five aircraft in the third attack wave crashed on their way and one was forced to return to base because of the technical issues. The two remaining aircraft deployed their mines, but no damage was done.

The breach of Möhne Dam resulted in a 20 mile flood and 1,200 people German, military, and European prisoners of war, died. The breach of the Eder Dam caused a 30-foot tidal wave, which swept away power stations and pumping stations. Water supplies and transport were severely effected by flooding but the results were not as disruptive as the Air Ministry had hoped. However, it was a successful strike seen as ‘the greatest and the most far-reaching destruction yet wreaked on Germany in a single night’.

Next morning the newspapers published the dramatic images of the breached dams, praising the fearless pilots. 34 survivors were decorated and Guy Gibson was awarded with Victoria Cross. 617 Squadron was established as the ‘Special Operation’ Squadron and took as its motto the phrase : “après moi le deluge” (After me the flood).

The legendary Dams Raid, the impossible mission which was achieved due to unprecedented courage and sacrifice, was immortalised by much-loved movie The Dam Busters starring Michael Redgrave as Dr. Barnes Wallis and Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The film was a major success and featured the enormously popular and powerful Dambusters March.

This week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters the RAF Museum will host a very special outdoor film screening of this very film provided by The Luna Cinema at our London site.

The screening will be the culmination of a week of events celebrating the Dams Raid including talks and lectures sharing the Dambusters legacy, family workshops on dams’ building, plus the rare opportunity to marvel at the flypast of the amazing Dambusters’ aircraft, the Avro Lancaster as it passes over the Museum. Details of these events can be found at www.rafmuseum.org/whatson

If you would like to learn more about the history of Operation CHASTISE and 617 Squadron you can also explore our Online Exhibition and three commissioned podcasts devoted to the Dams Raid.

In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you to our London site this weekend as we celebrate and commemorate one the most epic aerial campaigns of the Second World War and of RAF history.

One of the most important roles that the RAF Museum has is to share its knowledge of RAF history through its people and collections. In this, the RAF’s Centenary year, the Museum has decided to release its very own RAF anthology – a very special one.

We have teamed up with the Air Historical Branch and an award-wining publishers Extraordinary Editions Limited to launch the RAF Commemorative Anthology, a handmade, limited edition of 1,500 books of which 250 are signed exemplary copies.

As the RAF’s 100-years history is incredibly rich and diverse, we have brought together a large selection of fascinating and breath-takin materials, mission reports, photographs, letters, diaries, artworks, to reflect and illustrate all 100 glorious years of service and sacrifice, courage, valour and honour. These documents have been scanned and recreated at full size and in full colour, when available. Each extract has been included to introduce an important piece of RAF history or relevant insight.

For example, our RAF Commemorative Anthology contains probably the most important document in the RAF history fully reproduced – the ‘Report by General Smuts on Air Organisation and the Direction of Aerial operations’.
This very document, submitted to the War Cabinet on 17 August 1917, laid the foundation for the birth of the first independent air force in the world – The Royal Air Force.

At that time the U.K’s air force consisted of two organisations the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).
Both organisations entered the First World War, the first war where the air force was ever used, and they had continued to develop and expand as the war progressed. The RFC, apart from reconnaissance work and artillery spotting, was the first air service to start bombing raids. The RNAS, as well as launching aircraft to strike land targets and directing naval gunnery fire, was the first air service to start to attacking enemy ships by using torpedoes.

As both organisations were expanding incredibly rapidly, this produced a number of challenges for the country while fighting the First World War. In 1917, Prime Minister David Lloyd George set up the Committee on Air Organisation and   Home Defence against Air Raids. It was called upon to find a solution to improving the U.K’s defences in the face of successful German bombing raids and submarine warfare as well as rationalising and organising both services, as U.K. industry at the time had faced an unprecedented challenge in fulfilling the conflicting demands of both organisations.

The head of the Committee was the South African General Jan Smuts and the famous ‘Report by General Smuts on Air Organisation and the Direction of Aerial Operations’ was his second report to War Cabinet.

This ground-breaking report established that control over the air was as essential as Britannia’s control over the sea and called for the creation of an Air Ministry and an
independent aerial service by merging the RFC and RNAS. The report was debated over and the decision made.

However, at the beginning this decision was not excepted very enthusiastically. Firstly, many thought that establishing a new service should not happen at the crucial point of the war. Secondly, there was a long-lasting inter-rivalry between the RFC and the RNAS. Thirdly, the Admiralty didn’t want to lose the control over the air force. Nevertheless, in 1 April 1918 the new air force was born and this occasion has been described as one of the most remarkable achievements of the First World War.

‘General Smurts’ Report’ is an incredibly valuable document, but it is just one page in a vast array of broad and diverse documents, photographs, letters, reports and diaries, which bring to life the glorious history of the RAF in our RAF Commemorative Anthology.

The edition is limited to 1.500 copies worldwide. 250 of them are Signed Exemplary Edition published in 5 different versions, each representing an iconic aircraft and signed by three
pilots or crew from that aircraft: The Spitfire, the Lancaster, the Vulcan, the Harrier and the Tornado.

A donation from all sales will be made to the RAF100 Appeal supporting the RAF Association, Charitable Trust, Benevolent Fund, Museum and the Royal Air Force.

The first copies of the finished anthology have been sent out. But don’t worry it is not too late to purchase one for yourself and enjoy 100 breath-taking years of the first independent air force, through original documentation the vast majority of which has not been published before.

If you wish to purchase a copy of The RAF Commemorative Anthology, you may reserve a copy here.