Air Historical Branch (RAF)
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| Air Historical Branch (RAF) | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Air Historical Branch |
| Dates | 1918–present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Historical research and archives |
| Garrison | RAF Northolt |
| Notable commanders | Sir John Salmond, Sir Hugh Trenchard, Sir Arthur Harris |
Air Historical Branch (RAF) The Air Historical Branch serves as the principal repository and research office for historical records relating to the Royal Air Force, tracing activities from World War I through Cold War operations to contemporary campaigns. Its work links operational records, personnel files, unit diaries and strategic studies, supporting historians, veterans, policy makers and institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, National Archives, and Oxford University. The Branch has informed official histories, court-martials, inquiries, and memorial projects associated with RAF stations, squadrons and commanders.
History
The Air Historical Branch originated amid the aftermath of World War I alongside offices like the Air Ministry and the Royal Flying Corps, drawing upon precedents set by the British Expeditionary Force and figures including Sir Hugh Trenchard, Sir John Salmond and Sir Arthur Harris. Throughout the interwar period the Branch interacted with institutions such as the British Museum, National Archives, and the War Office while documenting events from the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, and the strategic bombing campaigns of World War II. During the Cold War the Branch compiled records connected to NATO, Bomber Command, and RAF Bomber Command Headquarters, linking material to operations over Korea, Suez Crisis, Malayan Emergency and Falklands War. In recent decades the Branch has supported work on campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and NATO air operations, collaborating with universities including Cambridge, Oxford, King's College London and the University of Birmingham.
Role and Responsibilities
The Branch provides official historical advice to the Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, Parliament and courts including coroners and inquiries, liaising with institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, National Archives, Fleet Air Arm Museum and Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It curates records for squadrons like 617 Squadron, stations such as RAF Scampton and RAF Coningsby, and personalities including Sir William Sholto Douglas, Sir Arthur Tedder and Sir Leigh-Mallory. The Branch supports research into battles and operations like the Battle of Britain, Operation Overlord, Operation Granby, Operation Herrick and Operation Shader, and provides documentation for museums, memorials and heritage projects tied to the Battle of France, Dunkirk evacuation and the Dambusters Raid.
Organizational Structure
The Branch sits within RAF Headquarters at establishments like RAF Northolt and maintains links with Air Command, Directorate of Defence Intelligence, RAF Museum, Defence Academy and Joint Forces Command. Its staff include historians, archivists and records managers who coordinate with units such as the Air Historical Section, RAF Staff College, Bomber Command Centre, Fighter Command and Coastal Command. Collaboration extends to academic centres like the Churchill Archives Centre, Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Royal United Services Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Branch also interfaces with squadrons, wings and groups across RAF Brize Norton, RAF Waddington, RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Marham.
Collections and Archives
Collections encompass squadron diaries, operational record books, mission reports, aircraft technical logs for types like the Supermarine Spitfire, Avro Lancaster, Handley Page Halifax, Hawker Hurricane and English Electric Lightning, and personal papers from figures such as Lord Dowding, Sir Douglas Bader and Guy Gibson. Archival holdings include photographs, maps, oral histories, signals intelligence summaries, intelligence estimates, and captured enemy documents from Luftwaffe operations, V-weapon reports and U-boat air interdiction files. The Branch coordinates with repositories including the National Archives at Kew, Imperial War Museum, RAF Museum Cosford, RAF Museum Hendon, Fleet Air Arm Museum and the British Library, and preserves records relevant to campaigns like the Siege of Malta, North African Campaign, Normandy landings and Operation Chastise.
Publications and Research
The Branch produces official histories, monographs and staff studies used by scholars at institutions such as the University of Manchester, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, King’s College London and University of Exeter. Its publications have informed biographies of air leaders like Sir Keith Park, Lord Portal and Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, analyses of doctrines developed at RAF College Cranwell, and studies of technology including the development of radar at Bawdsey, the de Havilland Mosquito programme, and the introduction of jet propulsion by Frank Whittle. It contributes to journals and publishers associated with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Manchester University Press and the Journal of Military History.
Outreach and Education
The Branch supports educational initiatives with schools, universities and museums, liaising with organizations such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Royal Air Force Association, Air Forces Memorial and various heritage societies. It provides source material for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum, RAF Museum, National Museum of Flight, Duxford, and the Bomber Command Memorial, and assists filmmakers, authors and broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV. The Branch engages with veteran groups representing Battle of Britain pilots, Bomber Command veterans, Coastal Command personnel and RAF Regiment associations, and supports commemorations like Remembrance Sunday, Battle of Britain Day and VE Day events.
Notable Projects and Contributions
Noteworthy projects include contributions to the official narrative of the Dambusters Raid, archival support for investigations into Bomber Command losses, documentation for the Battle of Britain Memorial and restoration projects for aircraft like Spitfire ML407 and Lancaster R5868. The Branch provided material for inquiries into air operations in the Falklands War, Gulf War after-action studies, and research underpinning commissions on airpower doctrine used in NATO and coalition operations. Collaborative projects have linked the Branch with the Churchill Archives Centre, Liddell Hart Centre, Royal Air Force Museum, National Archives and academic partners to produce histories of RAF strategy, squadron histories for units including 617 Squadron and 303 Squadron, and studies of air logistics in campaigns such as the Berlin Airlift and Operation Musketeer.