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Air Ministry Combat Reports (1939 - 1945)

Searching the records

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You can search details from all the surviving records by entering any or all of the following:

The records mainly consist of either a printed Personal Combat Report or a Fighter Command Combat Report. There might also be correspondence and/or notes included with a report. Where no date was noted in the original document, a date range appears in the search results. The section below explores the records in more detail, using sample images.

What could these reports help me to discover?

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A Pilot or air gunner returning from an operational flight where they had encountered enemy aircraft had to complete RAF Form "F". These forms recorded details such as:

They would also give a detailed narrative of what actually happened. The pilot or air gunner would describe how many rounds they used, what hits they achieved and if the aircraft was destroyed, damaged or considered as probably destroyed. You can see examples below, extracted from the reports of Douglas Bader.

Douglas Bader

Bader lost both legs as a young pilot officer and he had retired from the RAF in 1933 on grounds of poor health. However by the start of World War Two he had applied to the Air Ministry for light duties. He was given command of No. 242 Squadron in June 1940. Bader introduced the tactic of sending out fighter squadrons in pairs - known as the "Big Wing" - with Hurricanes flying at around 20,000 feet and Spitfires covering them 5,000 feet above.

The Battle of Britain, as it later became known, began in July 1940. From late August the Luftwaffe moved their attacks from airfields to cities and towns. Many regard Sunday 15 September as the turning point. It was on this day that Bader's Duxford Wing, 12 Group, took to the air twice to help 11 Group break up a massed Luftwaffe attack on London.

The Big Wing was used as a defensive formation in the Battle of Britain and Bader considered it to be successful. However some have noted that it was difficult for the Big Wing to scramble and get into formation in time to face an approaching raid. Another criticism was that it created concentrated battle zones which led to over-stated claims. These inflated numbers made the Big Wing seem much more effective than it really was.

Why can't I find an entry?

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Research Guides and further information

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Fleet Air Arm

The naval wing of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed in 1912. From July 1914 it became known as the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In January 1918 control of the RNAS passed to the Air Ministry. Then on 1 April it was merged with the RFC to form the Royal Air Force (RAF).

At the end of the First World War RNAS officers and ratings either joined the RAF or reverted to the Royal Navy (RN). The RAF's naval element was reduced to a few squadrons and a few flights. These were then disbanded to form 400 series flights, each with six aircraft. From 1 April 1924 this small force became known as the "Fleet Air Arm" (FAA).

Although the Admiralty kept control of aircraft carriers and operations at sea, RN officers and ratings were now seconded to the RAF for training and service in the FAA. This division of responsibilities between the Air Ministry and the Admiralty led the Admiralty to claim that its efficiency was impaired. In 1937 agreement was reached for the transfer of the FAA to the Admiralty. Transfer was completed finally in 1939. Initially this applied only to carrier-borne aircraft, and it was not until April 1941 that operational control of the land-based Coastal Command passed to the Admiralty.

Research guides

For more information click on the links below to see the free, online research guides. Please note that these records are not available from DocumentsOnline.

The National Archives Bookshop

Here are some of the titles available from The National Archives bookshop:

Useful links

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission compiles the online Debt of Honour Register remembering those who died in two world wars. You can search their database at no charge.

The Imperial War Museum describes itself as "the national museum of twentieth century conflict". It hosts the online exhibition War in the Air . You can also find out more about the Imperial War Museum Duxford , the aviation museum.

The RAF Battle of Britain History Site includes a Roll of Honour and a section detailing the aircraft used by the RAF, Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and the Reggia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) during the Battle of Britain

The Royal Air Force Museum website hosts online exhibitions covering topics such as the Dambusters Raid