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Photograph of three officers standing in front of a plane (Catalogue reference: AIR 27/839)

This is a brief guide to help you with your research into officersofficer - a senior member of staff in the armed forces in the Royal Air Force (RAF). RAF records are kept in different places depending on when the RAF officer served. This guide will help you to find out if the information you are looking for exists and, if it does, where to find it.

  • What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?

    • There are no service records for RAF officers available at The National Archives which are not also available online.

  • The National Archives is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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Did you know?

The Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed when the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were merged in April 1918. Someone who served in the RFC or RNAS as well as the RAF may have service records in more than one place.

Women served in the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF).

At the start of the First World War there were 300 officersofficer - a senior member of staff in the armed forces and 1,700 other ranks in British air personnel.

At the end of the First World War there were 27,000 officers and 250,000 other ranks in the Royal Air Force.

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