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1948 onwards: The story of the RAF
1948 onwards: The story of the RAF
The Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 to defend the skies over Britain during the First World War and made a major contribution to winning one of the largest and most devastating conflicts of the twentieth century. Yet, when the war ended, its existence as an independent air service came under threat from severe defence cuts and intense scrutiny from some quarters as to whether it was needed at all. The Second World War put paid to all the uncertainty and sealed the RAF’s place in the armed services. It has since played a vital role in many large-scale conflicts, as well as in peacekeeping and international aid operations. Celebrating a century of the world’s oldest independent air force, The RAF at 100 showcases vivid and evocative images from the Mirrorpix archive that trace the story of the RAF from its earliest days through wartime and peacetime and into the modern age.
There are many sites to visit across the country in order to best appreciate and to learn more about the RAF and the Battle of Britain. The Battle of Britain Tours site is a good place to start for organised and informative tours to places most associated with the battles.
There are also many places such as museums and memorials where you can visit:
The most important ones are the Battle of Britain Monument in London which is a striking 25m-long bronze monument commemorating the pilots who died. The memorial is on the banks of the Thames opposite the London Eye.
Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne in Kent.
St James’s Church, Paddington also have memorial windows to the battle
There is a memorial here since it was one of the RAF bases during the battle,
There is memorial to the pilots here, topped by a raven sculpture.
Hawkinge in Kent (Aerodrome Rd, Hawkinge, Folkestone CT18 7AG)
Stanmore in London, at the former RAF Bentley Priory. They have a huge collection of RAF & Battle of Britain memorabilia on display.
Destination : Great Britain Author/Guide: Mirrorpix Departure Time: 1946
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