The Spitfire

An icon. A legend. It has become the symbol of a nation’s heroic defiance of Nazi Germany.
R.J. Mitchell’s Spitfire, first flown in 1936, may be powered by a piston engine and a propellor, but its streamlined design and balletic grace have not grown old. It seems today as breathtakingly beautiful as it ever did.
It was flown by pilots of many nations with a common cause. RAF Stories has collected some reminiscences of those who knew and flew this astonishing aircraft.

Human Spirit

Facing a shared threat can bring out the best in us, individually and as a community. Over the next few weeks and months our lives will be turned upside down. We will all face challenges, and at times we will struggle.

We would like to share with you some stories of courage, compassion and personal triumph. We hope that they will give you cause for optimism and remind you of the strength of the human spirit.

Resilience, determination, cooperation and kindness won’t solve the problems we are currently facing, but they will make them easier to bear.

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The RAF LGBT+ Freedom Network

In the year 2000, the ban stopping LGBT+ people from serving in the British Armed Forces was lifted. To mark LGBT+ History month, 20 years after this ban was lifted, hear from a collection of people who were affected by this policy, and from those who are now able to openly serve in the Royal Air Force.

Jewish Hidden Heroes

During the Second World War, some 20,000 Jewish men and women from all over the world joined Britain’s Royal Air Force to fight against tyranny, racism and anti-Semitism.

For too long the RAF’s Jewish personnel have been ‘Hidden Heroes’, their exploits unknown. The RAF Museum has developed the ‘Hidden Heroes’ project to raise awareness about the untold story of Jewish personnel in the RAF during the Second World War and the vital role they played.

This project is supported by Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea Football Club Foundation.

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RAF Stories Big Weekend

The RAF Stories Big Weekend took place on the 2nd & 3rd of November, where organisations across the country invited local people into their venues, and recorded their connections to the Royal Air Force. Over 150 stories were submitted across the weekend, in this feature, we have handpicked a small selection to demonstrate the breadth of stories captured. A big thank you to all involved!