Per Ardua ad Astra
("Through Adversity to the Stars")
For those of you unaware the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom celebrates its 90 birthday today. It is still a source of national pride along with the Army and Royal Navy.
The Royal Air Force was founded on 1 April 1918, during the First World War, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. After the war, the service was cut drastically and its inter-war years were relatively quiet, with the RAF taking responsibility for the control of Iraq and executing a number of minor actions in other parts of the British Empire.
The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed "Article XV squadrons" for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from these countries, and exiles from occupied Europe also served with RAF squadrons.
In the Battle of Britain in the late summer of 1940, during the Second World War, the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the German Luftwaffe, helping foil Hitler's plans for an invasion of the United Kingdom, and prompting Prime Minister Winston Churchill to say in the House of Commons on August 20, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".
The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. While RAF bombing attacks against Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war, from 1942 onwards, under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris, these attacks became increasingly devastating as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available. Controversially, the RAF adopted a policy of night-time area bombing that saw raids on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden. Other units, however, developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations, such as the "Dambusters" raid by No. 617 Squadron
During the Cold War years the main role of the RAF was the defence of the continent of Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, including holding the UK's nuclear deterrent for a number of years. Since the end of the Cold War, several large scale operations have been undertaken by the RAF, including the Kosovo War, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
From the recognizable features of the Spitfire and Hurricane to the Lightning, Phantom and the Vulcan bomber to today's force of Harriers, Tornados and Typhoons with numerous aircraft inbetween including the Halifax bomber in which my own Grandfather flew during WWII, The Royal Air force remains a permanent source of Air power for the United Kingdom, her commonwealth and her allies. A service in which, I'm proud to serve.
/salute
