On This Day, 1940: On 5 September 1940, Bromide jamming was used operationally against German navigation beams, marking the practical beginning of…
Read the entry →Formation Interwar Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
RAF Evacuation Operations Conducted in Iraq
Formation & Interwar
RAF transport aircraft flew evacuation missions in Iraq in 1924, showing the growing value of air mobility in threatened frontier posts.
Read the article →The Air Ministry Between the Wars and Britain’s Air Strategy
How the Air Ministry tried to shape British air strategy between the wars, balancing doctrine, empire, economy and…
Hugh Trenchard Joins the Central Flying School, 1912
On 13 August 1912, Hugh Trenchard joined the Central Flying School, a formative step on the road to…
RAF and Royal Navy Strike Kronstadt in North Russia
On 30 July 1919, RAF aircraft from HMS Vindictive joined a British strike on Kronstadt, hitting the Bolshevik…
The King’s Flight Is Formed for Royal Air Travel in 1936
On 21 July 1936, the RAF officially formed the King’s Flight, creating a dedicated air transport unit for…
RAF Creates Bomber, Fighter and Coastal Commands in 1936
On 14 July 1936, the RAF replaced Air Defence of Great Britain with Bomber, Fighter and Coastal Commands,…
Beauchamp-Proctor VC Killed in RAF Flying Accident in 1921
The death of Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor VC showed that flying remained dangerous even after the First World War had…
British Government Forms the Air Committee for Coordination
The creation of the Air Committee marked an early attempt to coordinate British military aviation as air power…
Eric Pentland Makes First RAF Emergency Parachute Escape
On 17 June 1926, Eric Pentland made the RAF's first emergency parachute escape, marking a key shift in…
How Technology Changed RAF Aircraft Design and Capability
A deep RAF Chronicle Long Read on how airframes, engines, fuel systems, avionics and crew protection reshaped RAF…
Imperial Gift Approved for Dominion and Indian Air Forces
On 29 May 1919, the War Cabinet approved the Imperial Gift, sending surplus RAF aircraft to dominions and…
Final Empire Air Day Draws Vast Crowds Across RAF Stations
On this day in 1939, the RAF staged its final Empire Air Day, drawing huge crowds to stations…
Air Power and Empire: How the RAF Policed Britain’s Frontiers
A long read on how the RAF used air control to police Britain’s imperial frontiers, and why economy,…