| RAF |
The Royal Air Force is the newest of the services, formed on 1st April 1918 on the amalgamation of the army’s Royal Flying Corps and the navy’s Royal Naval Air Service.
Before this date, service papers for men who served in these units will be stored with the relevant army and navy records where they survive.
For those who joined the RAF, service ledgers were created, though these are closed after 1922. However there is a vast array of other data available, such as operation record books, base records and casualty reports to reveal the career of a pilot and support crew from the early 20th century onwards. As with the army and navy, there are additional printed Air Force Lists for officers, which can provide an outline career.
Relevant Links:
Family History WebSite: Army Navy Air Force
The National Archives
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.cwgc.org
Imperial War Museum
www.iwm.org.uk
Imperial War Museum, Duxford
www.iwm.org.uk/duxford
National Army Museum
www.national-army-museum.ac.uk
National Maritime Museum
www.nmm.ac.uk
