On This Day, 1988: Sheila Scott died on 20 October 1988, leaving a legacy of solo world flights, polar exploration and record-breaking…
Read the entry →Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
Lysanders Drop Supplies to the Surrounded Calais Garrison
Second World War
On 22 May 1940, Army Co-operation Lysanders began hazardous supply drops to the surrounded Calais garrison during the Battle of France.
Read the article →Spitfires Reinforce Malta from HMS Furious in 1942
On 17 August 1942, fresh Spitfires flew from HMS Furious to Malta, strengthening the island’s air defence at…
Bomber Command Attack on Turin and Milan in Northern Italy
The Bomber Command attack on Turin and Milan on 16 August 1940 hit key Italian industry and showed…
The Pathfinder Force Is Formed in RAF Bomber Command
On 15 August 1942, Bomber Command formed the Pathfinder Force under D.C.T. Bennett to mark targets and improve…
Japan Accepts Surrender Terms and the Pacific War Ends
On 14 August 1945, Japan accepted surrender terms, ending the Pacific war in practice and closing a vast…
Malta Convoys and RAF Air Reinforcement in the Mediterranean
Why RAF reinforcement and convoy protection were essential to Malta’s survival, air defence and offensive role in the…
Coastal Command White Camouflage for Maritime Patrols
On 10 August 1941, RAF Coastal Command introduced white camouflage on maritime patrol aircraft, refining anti-submarine work against…
R.H. Gray’s Attack on Amakusa and the Victoria Cross
Lieutenant R.H. Gray's attack on the Japanese escort vessel Amakusa led to a posthumous Victoria Cross at the…
Convoy Peewit and Luftwaffe Attacks in the Battle of Britain
On 7 August 1940, Convoy Peewit came under Luftwaffe attack in the Channel as RAF fighters intercepted Ju…
RAF in the Western Desert Before El Alamein, 1940–42
How the RAF endured retreat, learned mobile desert warfare, and helped create the conditions for recovery before El…
Moonshine Enters Action as the RAF’s First Radar Jammer
On 6 August 1942, the RAF first used Moonshine operationally, opening a new era of offensive radar jamming…
RAF Maritime Defence and Coastal Air Power in Wartime
How the RAF defended Britain’s coasts and convoys through patrol, reconnaissance and anti-shipping air power in home waters.
Ian Bazalgette Wins a Posthumous Victoria Cross in France
On 4 August 1944, Squadron Leader Ian Bazalgette saved crewmen after a V-1 marking raid, earning a posthumous…