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Dr Stuart C Blank Presents Military Archive Research Member of the Orders & Medals Research Society
(OMRS)
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 South Africa 1879 medal |
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Royal Air Force Aircraft -
Every RAF aircraft was allocated a card (Air Ministry Form 78). It recorded the units to which the aircraft was allocated and any damage / repairs. These cards date from about 1930. Most of the cards are informative but those for aircraft sent to the Middle and Far East theatres are not so good. In the latter case it is probable that only the aircraft's arrival date at its destination is recorded and there will be no mention of its subsequent fate. The codes used by each squadron, flight or other unit to identify its aircraft can be obtained but there are no surviving systematic records indicating which code letter(s) were allocated to individual aircraft. There are a number of publications that give brief summaries of RAF aircraft histories. Except for the early RAF aircraft the majority of these aircraft histories are compiled by aircraft type. Aircraft Accidents and Casualties The Air Ministry created a specific form for recording the details of aircraft accidents so that the causes could be analysed and investigated. These cards mainly date from 1929 onwards but there are some for 1919. To trace a specific aircraft accident it is essential to know the date and the aircraft type - there are no indexes for location, unit or crew names. Further records on aircraft accidents between 1919 and 1962 and losses of RAF aircraft and personnel in the period 1950 -1996 can be obtained. Daily wartime losses of Bomber and Fighter Command are also recorded. During both World Wars some aircraft were paid for by public subscription or private benefactors. These "presentation" aircraft were given names. The Government in WW2 was very keen to encourage the purchase of aircraft by subscription. The donors where given a photograph of their aircraft, and in some cases a logbook detailing its exploits. Some of these logbooks are now in local museums, libraries and record offices. Research and Development Aircraft The Ministry of Aircraft Production (and its successors) loaned aircraft to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Boscombe Down and Farnborough for R&D purposes. A card was kept by the MAP for each aircraft and it recorded details of the loan. The Royal Aircraft Establishment's flight logs record virtually every flight made at Farnborough between 1914 and 1954. They are available for public inspection. There are detailed histories of individual FAA aircraft for the period 1920 to 1945. Preserved historic aircraft surviving in UK museums and elsewhere are detailed in "Wrecks and Relics" by K Ellis (17th edition, Midland Publishing, 2000). Generally it is possible to research the following aeronautical engineering companies and their products:
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It is generally possible to trace the RAF unit to which a
specific aircraft was allocated and the causes of any accidents. This is the
case for post-1930s aircraft and onwards. There are a number of documents that
can be utilised in such research and they are: