ORBs can also include:Along with combat reports, operations record books can help to tell a serviceman’s story.You need to know which squadron a serviceman or woman served with to locate these records. If the airman’s service number falls within this range there may be further records of his military service in Records of RAF airmen who served after 1939, and of men whose service numbers were above 562875 are still with the RAF.
Original Source: National Archives reference AIR 78 series. The RFC numbering system began at 1 in 1912, the initial allocations being to men who had transferred in from the Royal Engineers and subsequent ones to civilian recruits. Currently this covers the J - ZZ series that were active from the 1930s till date. All RNAS personnel were renumbered in 1918, including the dead. Certain blocks were issued by a specific location, or to people with a specific trade and in most cases a rough idea of when they joined can be added – this information can be vital in narrowing down possible names – so many of the fields are added to the records. Register with your email address now, we can then send you an alert as soon as we add a record close matching the one you were searching for. Use this guide for advice on how to find records of airmen and officers of the Royal Air Force (RAF). RAF Aircraft Serial Numbers. From this date onwards the RFC and RNAS ceased to exist.Someone who served in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as well as the RAF may have service records in more than one place and you may need to consult our guides to Search for a Royal Air Force airmans’ service records (AIR 79) on The records in AIR 79 usually contain the following information:RAF service numbers between 313001 and 316000 indicate that the airmen previously served with the Royal Navy and then subsequently the Royal Naval Air Service, before transferring to the RAF. We add around 200,000 new records each month. By creating an account you agree to us emailing you with newsletters and discounts, which you can switch off in your account at any time This collection is a transcription of the nominal roll of other ranks – both male and female who served in the The most important field on these records is the service number. Most famous, perhaps, for the epic defence of the Battle of Britain and Bomber Command’s long assault on Germany, units of the RAF fought in all theatres of the war. The band of the Royal Air Force wearing number 9 Service Dress, as worn with a busby before 2012. Look on the In the absence of a service record, or perhaps to supplement one, Operations Record Books (ORBs) can prove very revealing. More than 1.25 million men and women served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. At that time it was the largest air fo… At least until the 1950s, the service numbers of RFC and RAF personnel indicated the date and manner of joining the service.
This is a database of all RAF aircraft serial numbers. Within the Royal Air Force these numbers were issued from blocks, from which we can deduce a range of information. RAF personnel records are held at RAF Cranwell. When the RAF was formed, RFC men kept their original service numbers. Sometimes individuals are mentioned by name, though often it is just the activities of the unit as a whole which are recorded. Some records were created only for officers, including records of commissions. Certain blocks were issued by a specific location, or to people with a specific trade and in most cases a rough idea of when they joined can be added – this information can be vital in narrowing down possible names – so many of the fields are added to the records.
There are often dozens of servicemen (and women) with the same name and so this number is the best way to distinguish them. Search the Royal Air Force officers’ service records 1918-1919 (charges apply) online for officers who served in the Royal Air Force during the First World War (AIR 76). If you do not know his number, browse through the name indexes in Records of RAF officers who served after 1922 are still with the RAF. Following publication of the "Smuts report" prepared by Jan Smuts the RAF was founded on 1 April 1918, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, during the First World War, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service(RNAS).
The band of the Royal Air Force Regiment wearing number 9 Service Dress, as now worn with a peaked cap, as worn since 2012. Look on the It can be useful to know his service number. This tool helps identify the possible aircraft based on the serial number patterns. Consult our These files may contain missing person and casualty action sheets, death certificates, personal letters and correspondence, exhumation reports, investigation reports, questionnaires by repatriated personnel and personal effects of POWs.Please note that this series is still accruing and currently only goes up to August 1940.If an individual in the RAF qualified for medal(s) after 1 April 1918, the only place you will find details about his medal entitlement will be on his service record.For information on gallantry medals awarded to RAF personnel, read our Browse the first series of Air Historical Branch (AHB) records in series Indexes and keys to AIR 1 are available with the printed version of our catalogue at The National Archives at Kew.
By the end of 1919, 26,000 of the 27,000 serving RAF officers had been discharged, and it is largely their service details which are held in this seri… Search it in the following sets of documents:For additional material on awards and promotions, as well as officers’ correspondence, browse or search the Air Historical Branch (AHB) papers in For more information about the RAF, you may wish to:Visit The National Archives’ bookshop for a range of Find details of men who joined the RFC between its formation in 1912 and August 1914 (numbers 1-1400) by reading Jack V Webb and Ian McInnes, Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records.Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events. Consult If you are looking for the service record of a woman you should start by consulting our guide to records of The Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 when the RFC and the RNAS were amalgamated. Within the Royal Air Force these numbers were issued from blocks, from which we can deduce a range of information. However, as the RNAS numbering system had also begun at 1, all RNAS men inherited by the RAF had 200000 added to their original numbers, and the prefix F was dropped. Information on members or associate members cannot be disclosed without their consent.
Please be aware that due to the way we collate, and cross reference our databases,
Historic uniforms Initial uniform.