RAF WWII Operational and Flying Accident Casualty Files in The National Archives

Book excerpt: “A journey through the original RAF Casualty Branch files, and all the other available sources of information relating to RAF wartime casualties.” —Military Historical Society At its height during the Second World War, the RAF totaled 185,000 personnel. All information concerning casualties was carefully complied at the Air Ministry and now, from these the official records, those covering operational losses (in the air and on the ground) and flying accidents are being made available to the public through The National Archives. This huge collection of casualty files contains a wealth of contemporary documentation from a variety of sources including captured German records. It includes official documents, examples of which are given, accounts of searches undertaken to establish the fate of the missing, places of burial, copies of information received from the International Red Cross and from sources within enemy occupied lands, as well as letters from family and friends some of which reveal dark secrets of bigamy, adultery, illegitimacy, debt and dishonor. In this groundbreaking book, Mary Hudson has used her expert knowledge to provide an invaluable guide to the understanding of these records for use by researchers and family members alike. “An intriguing work bringing the fruits of many years of inside experience into the hands of those trying to find the missing piece in the jigsaw of a family tree or any RAF historian.” —The Shackleton Association “Fascinating . . . illustrates the dedication of the teams who handled the difficult issues of death and the missing in a very compassionate and dedicated manner.” —Journal of The Orders & Medals Research Society