5 September
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 →People
Profiles of the men and women who shaped the Royal Air Force — from its founding officers to the aircrew, engineers and commanders of today.
Group Captain
Douglas Bader
Knight Bachelor CBE DSO & Bar DFC & Bar
21 February 1910 5 September 1982 aged 72
Douglas Bader led 242 Squadron in 1940, became one of the RAF’s best-known fighter leaders, and later championed disabled people.
View profile → Nationality British
Service <a href="https://theroyalairforcechronicle.co.uk">Royal Air Force</a>
Years served 1928-1933; 1939-1946
Operations flown -
Era Second World War
VC
Victoria Cross Recipients
Members of the Royal Air Force and its predecessor services awarded the Victoria Cross — the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy.
View all 5 recipients →A–Z Index
19 profilesC
Arthur Coningham Air Marshal · Senior Commander · 19 January 1895–30 January 1948
John Alexander Cruickshank VC Flight Lieutenant · Aircrew · 20 May 1920–9 August 2025
Leonard Cheshire Distinguished Service Order (DSO and Two Bars) · Aircrew · Awarded for gallantry and distinguished service in bomber operations; awarded early in his operational career, with later Bars recognising further sustained leadership on operations.–Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Winston Churchill Lieutenant · 30 November 1874–24 January 1965
H
Arthur Harris Marshal of the Royal Air Force · Senior Commander · 13 April 1892–5 April 1984
George Walton Holden Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar (DFC) · Aircrew · By February 1943 he held the Distinguished Flying Cross and was awarded a Bar while serving with 102 Squadron; the published citation referred to a sortie in January 1943 in which, despite severe icing, engine failure and difficulty in controlling the aircraft, he pressed on to bomb his target successfully.
M
P
T