The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom’s aerial warfare force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).

The Royal Flying Corps had initially been founded by royal decree in April 1912. Its strength was 133 officers, and by the end of that year it had 12 manned balloons and 36 aeroplanes.

The Royal Naval Air Service was formed in July 1914 and had 93 aircraft, six airships, two balloons and 727 personnel. Initially an independent military service, the RNAS came under the remit of the Royal Navy in August 1915.

On 1 April 1918, the RNAS was merged with the RFC to form the Royal Air Force. This new organisation, which came under the remit of the newly-formed Air Ministry, had 4,000 combat aircraft and 114,000 personnel.

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Commonwealth War Graves – RFC

Beddy, Lieutenant Keith (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Belyea, Second Lieutenant Arthur (d1918, aged 23, flying accident)

Blackie, Lieutenant Austin (d1918, aged 22, flying accident)

Bourne, Air Mechanic Eustace (d1917, aged 20, accidental drowning)

Bracey, Second Lieutenant Victor (d1917, aged 19, flying accident)

Chatterton, Captain Roden (d1918, aged 22, flying accident)

Cowell, Second Lieutenant Jocelyn (d1918, aged 18, flying accident)

Croft, Second Lieutenant Cyril (d1915, aged 24, flying accident)

Evans, Second Lieutenant Forrest (d1918, aged 20, flying accident)

Fleming, Second Lieutenant Henry (d1914, aged 28, flying accident)

Gauntlett, Air Mechanic 2nd Class Jack (d1917, aged 19, illness)

Liardet, Lieutenant Frederick (d1917, aged 29, wounded in action)

Manning, Air Mechanic William (d1916, aged 25, flying accident)

Marshall, Lieutenant Herbert (d1917, aged 27, flying accident)

McIntosh, Air Mechanic Edward (d1918, aged 18, illness)

Naish, Air Mechanic Walter (d1917, aged 20, cause of death unknown)

Pullen, Second Lieutenant Frederick (d1918, aged 18, flying accident)

Rippon, Second Lieutenant Gilbert (d1916, aged 29, flying accident)

Thomas, Second Lieutenant John (d1918, aged 28, flying accident)

White, Captain Lewis (d1917, aged 21, flying accident)

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Commonwealth War Graves – RNAS

Bush, Flight Lieutenant Richard (d1917, aged 25, flying accident)

Harris, Leading Mechanic Charles (d1917, aged 37, accident)

Jenner, 2nd Aircraftman Albert (d1917, aged 30, illness)

Knight, Flight Lieutenant Ronald (d1917, aged 22, flying accident)

Mackay, Boy Mechanic William (d1917, aged 17, illness)

Morgan, Flight Lieutenant Lewis (d1917, aged 24, flying accident)

Stevens, Flight Officer Walter (d1918, aged 18, flying accident)

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Commonwealth War Graves – RAF

Aldrich, Second Lieutenant Leo (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Archibald, Second Lieutenant Wesley (d1918, aged 24, flying accident)

Baker, Flight Cadet Douglas (d1918, aged 20, flying accident)

Barclay, Captain Fergusson (d1918, aged 40, flying accident)

Bravery, Lieutenant Frederick (d1918, aged 22, flying accident)

Brown, Second Lieutenant Ronald (d1918, aged 24, flying accident)

Chinn, Air Mechanic Hedley (d1921, aged 20, illness)

Chivers, Air Mechanic Joseph (d1919, aged 29, cause unknown)

Cole, Lieutenant William (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Dean, Air Mechanic 2nd Class Ernest (d1918, aged 20, illness)

Fox, Flight Cadet John (d1918, aged 20, flying accident)

Hadlow, Air Mechanic Reuben (d1919, aged 21, illness)

Hale, Air Mechanic 2nd Class Alfred (d1920, aged 29, illness)

Hatcher, Second Lieutenant Harold (d1918, aged 23, flying accident)

Hibberd, Member Ivy (d1918, aged 18, cause unknown)

Hiscock, Boy Edwin (d1919, aged 16, illness)

Hogan, Sergeant Jack (d1918, aged 28, flying accident)

Holdstock, Air Mechanic Herbert (d1919, aged 21, illness)

Jackson-Barstow, Captain John (d1919, aged 23, flying accident)

Jennings, Air Mechanic 3rd Class Gilbert (d1918, aged 17, illness)

Kidd, Second Lieutenant Vernon (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Kinnear, Major John (d1918, aged 28, flying accident)

Knight, Private George (d1918, aged 29, illness)

Leadbetter, Serjeant Nicholas (d1919, aged 42, illness)

Lloyd, Lieutenant Alan (d1918, aged 19, flying accident)

Luke, Air Mechanic 2nd Class Leonard (d1918, aged 19, illness)

Lyon, Corporal Herbert (d1918, aged 21, illness)

Mells, Air Mechanic William (d1918, aged 44, illness)

Morley, Cadet Hubert (d1918, aged 18, illness)

Morrison, Second Lieutenant John (d1918, aged 24, flying accident)

Pawson, Second Lieutenant Walter (d1918, aged 22, flying accident)

Payne, Major Stanley (d1919, aged 36, illness)

Perkins, Boy Leslie (d1918, aged 17, illness)

Perris, Lieutenant Noel (d1918, aged 24, flying accident)

Pragnell, Second Lieutenant Sidney (d1918, aged 19, flying accident)

Rawlings, Flight Cadet Claude (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Rawlings, Captain Percy (d1919, aged 31, flying accident)

Redler, Lieutenant Harold (d1918, aged 21, flying accident)

Reid, Second Lieutenant Frank (d1918, aged 20, flying accident)

Richards, Corporal Ossian (d1919, aged 21, illness)

Rowell, Captain William (d1919, aged 26, illness)

Scrace, Lieutenant John (d1918, aged 26, flying accident)

Slocombe, Lieutenant David (d1918, aged 24, illness)

Spurge, Serjeant Algernon (d1918, aged 27, illness)

Talbot, Lieutenant Alexander (d1918, aged 22, flying accident)

Topley, Second Lieutenant Edward (d1918, aged 18, flying accident)

Townsend, Clerk George (d1918, aged 33, illness)

Tracey, Flight Cadet Ernest (d1918, aged 18, flying accident)

Vande Water, Second Lieutenant Malcolm (d1918, aged 24, flying accident)

Wakeford, Second Lieutenant Francis (d1918, aged 25, illness)

Weston, Air Mechanic 1st Class Harold (d1918, aged 31, illness)

Willis, Second Lieutenant Francis (d1918, aged 25, flying accident)

Woodland, Second Lieutenant George (d1918, aged 19, flying accident)

Young, Air Mechanic Albert (d1918, aged 18, wounded in action)

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