Vic Flintham – författare

The Royal Air Force was just eight months old when the First World War ended. It then had to fight for survival against huge pressure from the Admiralty and War Office. The number of squadrons was swiftly reduced to a handful, but salvation came with the application of air control in India and mandated Iraq. In addition, Chief of the Air Staff Lord Trenchard laid strong foundations with the establishment of the Cadet College, Staff College and apprentice scheme, institutions not easily dismantled.Throughout the first decade of its existence, the RAF, which then also controlled the Fleet Air Arm, performed operations in Somalia, Germany, Iraq, Palestine, Ireland, Russia, India, Turkey and China, while bringing into service new types of aircraft, albeit in small numbers. In the Middle East and Africa, it conducted and supported trailblazing flights, continually pushing the boundaries of what was achievable.Royal Air Force Operations 1919 to 1920: How the RAF Secured Its Independence is the comprehensive story of the RAF in the 1920s, covering the service’s development at both home and abroad, including all its operations across the globe. Controversies, such as the RAF’s alleged use of chemical weapons in Iraq, are examined in detail, and some 350 photographs, many previously unpublished, bring the story to life like never before.

By 1930 the Royal Air Force had expanded and newer, faster aircraft were in service. There were major establishments in Egypt and at home, and the service deployed squadrons in India, Palestine, Iraq and Singapore. The empire’s air routes were opening up and long-distance flights by landplane and flying boat were becoming almost routine.Amid this period of rapid development, operations continued against warring tribes on the North-West Frontier of India, against Arabs in southern Iraq and Kurds in the north of the country, and against Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The service expanded in the early years of the decade and monoplane designs for fighters and bombers were on the drawing board. Through much of this period the assumption was still that the bomber would reign supreme and that growth of the offensive squadrons was the priority.In 1935 Italy invaded Abyssinia, resulting in the transfer of several squadrons from the United Kingdom and the deployment of aircraft carriers and other capital ships of the Royal Navy. By this time plans for expansion were in hand, and from 1937 the first Hurricane squadron was formed. This was soon followed by the first Spitfire squadron. By the outbreak of war in September 1939 the RAF was a mature and capable force. _Royal Air Force Operations 1930 to 1939: Preparing for War_ charts this process in fascinating detail alongside a magnificent collection of contemporary photographs.

After the dust of World War II had settled, the military position of the UK was far from straightforward. It was of course allied to the USA and part of NATO, but it was at odds with the former in maintaining an Empire and the two nations also had competing oil interests in the Middle East. The UK's engagement in war after 1945 was thus a strange mixture ranging from homeland security through insular actions within the colonies or protectorates to preserve empire - to playing a major role in confronting the USSR. The types of active involvement of the RAF, Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps between 1945 and 1995 include the following, with examples.Maintaining Local Stability - Greece, Netherlands East Indies. Maintaining Empire - Malaya, Kenya. Defending Empire - Borneo. Defending Interests - Suez, Kuwait. Homeland Security - Northern Ireland, air defence. Confrontation - Berlin Airlift, Korea. Covert Action - Albania, strategic reconnaissance. Humanitarian and Peacekeeping- Jordan, Cyprus. Development of Deterrent - Bombs, bombers and missiles.

The authors of 'Combat Codes' have painstakingly researched the codes used by the RAF to replace unit markings during World War II in order to attempt to confuse the enemy.