raf Archives

Mar 31, 2023

These were the three most dangerous jobs in World War II

If you were to fall asleep near the ITER Tokamak, get bombarded by exotic nuclear particles, and be transported back in time to 1942, what job would you choose? Would…

Mar 31, 2023

Mar 27, 2023

Emil Boček, the last WWII Czech RAF pilot, dies at 100

The early years of WWII were a dark time for Britain. Left alone to stand against Nazi Germany in Europe after the fall of France, the RAF desperately needed pilots…

Mar 27, 2023

Feb 10, 2023

This WWII aviator became a fighter ace because his legs were amputated

Sir Douglas Bader was a celebrated World War II pilot, who earned an array of decorations from the British Empire for his service in the war. On top of 22…

Feb 10, 2023

This WWII RAF veteran got his overdue medals for his 100th birthday

In 1944, 18-year-old Kaz Yajima was eager to join the British military and serve his country before WWII ended. He joined the RAF and was posted to South Africa for…

Dec 13, 2022

The last survivor of the WWII Dambusters Raid passed away

In 1943, the British Royal Air Force’s No. 617 “Dambusters” Squadron was tasked with Operation Chastise. Their mission was to attack Germans dams with the goal of flooding valleys that…

Dec 13, 2022

Nov 21, 2022

How RAF pilots kept fighting the day they were shot down in World War II

Two of the most dangerous jobs in World War II were pilot and aircrew. But some of the bravest RAF pilots over Britain would, in fact, be shot down and…

Nov 21, 2022

BYBlake Stilwell

Oct 16, 2022

That time an entire Italian regiment surrendered to one pilot

When Royal Air Force pilot Sydney Cohen crash landed on the Italian-controlled island of Lampedusa in 1943, he thought he would be in for the fight of his life. Lampedusa was the home of more than 4,000 Italian troops in garrison, and all Cohen had …

BYBlake Stilwell

Oct 16, 2022

Oct 5, 2022

How an English lady ensured Britain could hold the Germans off in World War II

Dame Fanny Lucy Houston, Lady Houston wasn’t born with those titles. She was actually born in 1857 into a large, working class family in London. She later became a professional…

Oct 5, 2022

Oct 1, 2022

That time an RAF pilot stole a plane in grand protest

Flight Lieutenant Alan Pollock was an enthusiastic but mischievous member of the Royal Air Force in 1968 when he found out that the British Parliament, composed at the time of members who were cutting military spending, had slashed the plans for a 5…

Oct 1, 2022

Aug 23, 2022

A Belgian officer took Nazi aggression personally – and got revenge

Jean de Selys Longchamps was born into Belgian aristocracy in 1912. When Germany invaded Belgium in May of 1940, he was a Baronet, the son of the Baron Raymond Charles…

Aug 23, 2022

Jul 10, 2022

These 4 WWII planes were armed with literal tank cannons

The idea of using planes to destroy tanks is not a new one. Although the concept has been perfected with modern aircraft like the popular A-10 Warthog, tank-killing planes flew…

Jul 10, 2022

Feb 16, 2022

The RAF is challenging Space Force with their own Star Trek-looking uniforms

In September 2021, the US Space Force released their service dress uniform. Distinct from its Air Force origin, the Space Force uniform reflects the service’s Star Trek-esque Delta logo and…

Feb 16, 2022

Dec 21, 2021

The RAF’s Typhoon fighter jet got its first air-to-air kill over Syria

The Eurofighter Typhoon is an air superiority fighter aircraft manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. As its name implies, the Typhoon is a multinational collaboration among…

Dec 21, 2021

Jun 27, 2021

This American Olympic gold medalist also fought in the Battle of Britain

William Meade Lindsley Fiske III was born in Chicago in 1911. The son of a wealthy New England banker, Fiske attended school in Chicago before moving to France in 1924. It was there that he developed his love of winter sports; especially bobsled.</p…

Jun 27, 2021

BYMandy Baker

Jul 13, 2020

Christopher Lee: Film Legend and World War II Hero

Christopher Lee cemented himself as an icon of the silver screen. During his long and prestigious acting career he was in hundreds of films. His most notable roles were Dracula and later the Wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings. However,…

BYMandy Baker

Jul 13, 2020

Sep 12, 2019

That time the RAF bombed a POW camp with an artificial leg

On August 19, 1941, a British bomber taking part in a raid against Germany flew over a prisoner of war camp in St. Omer, France and dropped its lightest — but possibly most historic — payload of the war: a wooden case filled with bandages, socks…