RAF Regiment Heritage Centre

This years poppy seems a little bigger……. Too much?😁

We were delighted to become the new custodians of this fantastic train model depicting El Alamein, which was previously positioned in Trainig Wing. It sits nicely alongside our sign and 25Lb Field gun. The volunteers continue to work hard, presenting the Corps history to the increasing numbers of visitors.
Per Ardua all.

A huge thank you to Fred Minary for the super gift of a clip of 40 mm drill rounds for our Bofors.
It is kind donations such as this which improve our Regimental Heritage for the future and does wonders for the moral of the hard working volunteers.
Per Ardua our friend.

The Black Eagle has arrived at the HC from the Falklands…..watch this space as we create a new display to pay tribute to all those FI deployments.

IMAGINE...............
Imagine being cooped up in a small metal box with an open-top, carrying the weight of another small human on your back, being thrown around against others, who are themselves burdened like pack animals, by a buffeting sea. Imagine also, the smells and sounds that batter your senses, rough serge uniform chafing your back and shoulders where your pack rests, and between your legs, because there is nowhere to relieve yourself except where you stand and in what you stand in. On your head, a 9lb steel weight held on with a single strap, which periodically, and without warning, pitches downwards over your eyes, blinding you because the weight you are carrying on your back knocks the edge and the whole thing flies forward. Picture this, as well as being deafened by the constant cacophony of large and small calibre guns hurling shells at an unseen enemy and the sudden realization that the woodpeckers you hear are the ping of machine-gun bullets on the sides of your flimsy landing craft. Imagine the smells of fear and urine and sweat and cordite that assault your nose and the discomfort of the water that sloshes around in the hold of your LCI soaking your boots and socks. Imagine doing this with 30 others crammed into a tiny space, knowing that when the ramp goes down you will take yourself, your weight, your fear, your hopes, your life and that of your loved ones out onto a sandy beach full of obstacles and surveyed by an enemy, man for man as good as if not better at the profession of arms than you, who will be straining every single iota of his being to kill you.

Imagine standing in the door of a twin-engine propellor driven aircraft, flying in darkness, in a swarm of like aircraft. Imagine watching the lazy red and green necklaces of anti-aircraft fire climb towards you, knowing the thin skin of the aircraft would probably not stop a BB pellet much less a 20mm or larger round. Imagine the weight on your leg with ammo and water and food plus a weapon strapped to you as well. Picture the sounds and nauseousness caused by the aircraft throwing itself right and left to avoid anti-aircraft fire as you see another of its kind burst into flames and drop away from the mainstream, so that the flak can feast on its burning, dying, plummeting carcass. Imagine watching as comrades vainly exit the dying craft with burning parachutes and fervently prey to whatever supreme entity that you honour, to get you out of this death trap and onto the ground where at least you can fight back.

Imagine sitting in a wooden glider, no engine, having been cast off from your mothercraft, smelling the apprehension of those hardy souls around you as the flimsy craft slides silently through the summer night sky buffeted by increasing winds. Imagine getting the word that you are about to land and linking arms with your comrades, most of whom do not expect to see the next sunrise. Imagine your securest conviction; of being a survivor, ebb quickly and surely away on the final approach as the Horsa dips and rises – the pilots fighting to make sure it is as close as possible to the target. Imagine the adrenalin surge as it makes its final dip and rams into the sandy Normandy earth, ripping through wire and positions in a mad rush of noise, vibration and terror before coming to a halt as the nose slews. Imagine the aggression and the sheer ferocity with which you and your fellow Brits erupt from the wrecked glider to see the terror and fear on the mixture of young and old Germans faces regarding your dervish-like onslaught as one would regard the visitation of aliens from another universe.

Imagine sitting in an office in Whitehall, getting less information than you would get on an old fashioned iPhone 3, looking at statements that would be broadcast if you won and if you had to withdraw, knowing that the whole future of the war and the freedom of the world was on your shoulders.

All this was done in the name of freedom. So that people could walk the streets and practice their own beliefs and have equality and a stake in choosing who governs them. It was not hotly debated, nor sparked protest marches or Defence leagues, it was just done because that’s what was needed. People of all colours and creeds did it because that’s what was needed. People compromised enough to make sure that it was done – yep, you got it, because that’s what was needed. 76 years on, the sheer scale and complexity is staggering to contemplate. The freedoms it has guaranteed are the very freedoms that base and evil people have exploited to divide and splinter our society. The re-visitation of D Day is not simply to remember the endeavour and sheer courage of those who fulfilled those imaginings, it is to remind us that evil and base people have always existed, they didn’t start with racism, terrorism or a pandemic. We need more people to understand that whatever evil and base occurrence that may trouble us, the inherent nature of man will always prevail.

I publish this every year, simply because my old man was one of the above and 80 years ago he was poised for the beginning of the end, after North Africa, Sicily and Italy.

https://youtu.be/JfEnP3soPIk?si=-ZY9Z2Ool1xiTPUM
More training videos

Virtual VE Day 75 Festival - Soldiers Stories: The RAF Regiment This 1943 RAF film Production takes us through the RAF Regiment's duties. Filmed during the war, it's a glimpse into types of public information film release...

https://youtu.be/25aVu5CwfZw?si=dz9_GiAOiLCHF8Ag
Rousing stuff🦍

R.A.F. Regt On The Offensive (1943) Full title reads: "R.A.F. REGT. ON THE OFFENSIVE".Location unknown. Various shots of the special section of the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) receiving instructio...

Volunteers needed. RAF Regiment Heritage Centre is run completely by volunteers, and we need more! You don't need to be located nearby, your presence will not be required, but your skills are. if you feel you may be of help please contact us.

Still important to the families and RAF today.

The website booking for a tour system doesn't like us for some reason, For Booking Visits to the Heritage Centre: please email [email protected]
Please give a fortnight's notice so we will be able to accommodate you, guided tours are available from 10am

Only 75 limited edition prints from the original oil painting by Stuart Brown published in aid of the Royal Air Force Centurion Fund.
Each print is individually signed and numbered by the artist.
The painting shows The Queen in the white drawing room at Windsor Castle, Her Majesty is wearing a brooch presented to her by the Royal Air Force Regiment, which shows the Astral Crown and crossed Lee Enfield rifle.
Available from the website Price £20

https://www.rafregimentheritagecentre.co.uk/the-start-of-the-beginning/?fbclid=IwAR0kT2djP7nzn_bbPJS720qlr-Za8x9A7jNfw-qqD1mxT2kmlR4_ah-W1nA

.........THE START OF THE BEGINNING......... - RAF Regiment Heritage OF THE FORMATION OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT The Battle of Crete 20 May – 1 June 1941  The event  It is still not clear as to whether the diversion of German troops to Crete ultimately doomed the invasion of Russia.  It postponed the invasion long enough to expose unprepared German troops...

Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath our Commandant General took time to visit some of our fabulous volunteers at the RAF Regiment Heritage Centre today. Great to have our most senior supporter in for a brew.

This week the heritage centre received an amazing donation by Andrew Noakes.
A replica Boys 0.55 anti-tank rifle, which now has pride of place in our GMC Otter.
Andrew commissioned the rifle some time ago and we all have been eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Thank you Andrew from all at the Heritage Centre.

Pictured; Andrew and son presenting the Boys to Roy Ives. And inplace in the Otter.

………THE START OF THE BEGINNING………
OF THE FORMATION OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT

The Battle of Crete 20 May – 1 June 1941

The event

It is still not clear as to whether the diversion of German troops to Crete ultimately doomed the invasion of Russia.

It postponed the invasion long enough to expose unprepared German troops to the worst Russian winter in years.

Fallschirmjager (Paratrooper)

They had been used in smaller operations in the sweeps through Norway and Western Europe. They were also used in Greece to take the bridge across the Corinth Canal. While the achieved their objective, the retreating allies were able to damage the bridge enough to slow the advance into the Peloponnese; which bought enough time to evacuate over 40,000 allied troops.

Fortification

Crete was the last allied Fortification in Europe. Hi**er wanted the island, against the advice of his generals, as Crete was within bomber range of key Axis targets.

The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, against the advice of his commanders, wanted to make a stand in Crete rather than evacuate all forces to North Africa.

Strategies

The Germans had controlled of the air, as the British had withdrawn the eight fighters.

The Royal Navy controlled the sea, so a seaborne invasion was too risky. So, the Germans had to go for the unconventional option of an airborne invasion of the island.

The German air force (Luftwaffe) had just conceded defeat in the Battle of Britain and it needed a successful campaign elsewhere to save face. Crete offered that opportunity.

German strength

Luftwaffe used 280 long range bombers,

150 dive bombers,

180 fighters and fighter bombers,

40 reconnaissance aircraft.

530 transport aircraft to carry the paratroopers and tow 100 gliders.

22,000 highly trained paratroopers to the invasion.

Strong Intelligence

German military intelligence organisation thought there were would be only 5,000 British troops on the island and no Greek forces.

The reality was very different:

There were 10,200 Greeks, & NBSP;

15,000 Britons,

7,750 New Zealanders,

6,500 Australians

Aftermath

Although the operation had been a success it really was a shallow victory as they suffered high casualties. Hi**er was never again to use airborne forces on such a scale.

To guard against British airfields falling to German-paratroopers as Maleme in Crete had, Winston Churchill demanded that RAF Airmen should be trained and equipped to defend themselves against ground attack. In a condemning memo to the Secretary of State for Air and to the Chief of the Air Staff;

“Churchill stated he would no longer tolerate the shortcomings of the Royal Air Force, in which half a million RAF personnel had no combat role. He ordered that all airmen be armed and ready to “fight and die in defence of their airfields” and that “every airfield should be a stronghold of fighting air-ground men, and not the abode of uniformed civilians in the prime of life protected by detachments of soldiers”.

The Grand Alliance; The Second World War, Vol 3 p693 Rosetta books. Dated 29 June 1941
A Ministry of Defence Committee was established to find a solution to the problem of Air Defence. Amongst the measures implemented were improvised Armoured Cars and Pillboxes facing inwards towards the runways.

However, rather than training all Airmen as infantry on the German model. It recommended the creation of a ‘Royal Air Force Aerodrome Defence Corps’ giving RAF Commanders control over the defence of their own assets;

The RAF Regiment was formed.

The new Corps was established by Royal Warrant dated the 1st February 1942 and given the title Royal Air Force Regiment’ and the motto “Per Ardua” translated “Through Adversity.

It was given a distinguishing badge of crossed No 4 Lee Enfield rifles encircled by an Astral Crown.

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY

https://www.rafregimentheritagecentre.co.uk/the-start-of-the-beginning/

………THE START OF THE BEGINNING……… – RAF Regiment Heritage 80th Anniversary ………THE START OF THE BEGINNING……… Posted on February 1, 2022 by bryan OF THE FORMATION OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT The Battle of Crete 20 May – 1 June 1941  The event  It is still not clear as to whether the diversion of German troops to Crete ultimately doomed ...

9 years ago to the day, we started on the Heritage Collection Project. I am pleased to report we have made some progress. We have 19 large vehicle exhibits, a collection of Anti Air weapons including all of our Guns and missile types and their radars in 11 galleries and a separate location (HAS). Small arms recovered from our various conflicts overseas are displayed in all the relevant galleries. Our Archive is under the same roof and in the same building as the big toys. We have a huge clothing store that holds uniforms and accoutrements (webbing) from the original 1920 model to today. The Archive has been undergoing digitising collating and categorising for the last 19 months and many of our former paper records are now being digitised and stored in searchable form that is line with civilian archive mechanisms.
We have a Regiment Shop and an on line merchandising outlet and web site, which designs, commissions and sells RAF Regiment memorabilia and clothing, all of who's proceeds enable the Centre to have a sustainable future. https://www.rafregimentheritagecentre.co.uk/
We have a 3D printer which allows up to design our own moulds like the current Foxhound model and Rolls Royce. We have our own design and graphics function and a hot line to the Corps Historian and his voluminous research and writing
There have been hero's at all stages of the process from the Senior officers who gave a bunch of kleptomaniacal ex Rocks the license to "Do something with the Museum" to the guys who cane in and wielded paintbrushes, hammers, brooms, or simply unpacked / packed stuff. we will do more in the next years and I think this is an opportunity for us all to think on not about what we have done, could have done, will do, but for the ingrained and justified pride we all feel about our service to the Nation and our Service. Its our 80th birthday next week and the 100th of the formation of the Armoured Car Companies. The Royal Air Force is the oldest independent Air Arm in the world and we are the oldest Air FP unit in the world - the Gold Standard. the story goes on , but one thing is sure, it wont be me writing the next verse to this in 9 more years time.

RAF Regiment Heritage – Official Shop for Rockapes The Heritage Centre receives no government funding and is run entirely by volunteers. All funding comes from generous donations by members of the public and the on site shop. Proceeds go directly to your Heritage Centre for improvements and upkeep of the historic artifacts.