Personal Papers

The archives contain the personal papers of a wide range of individuals involved with both the RAF and aviation in general. These papers range from personal documents such as diaries, letters, photographs and memoirs to operational records like log books, reports, files, training notebooks and other service documents.

Important figures from the history of the RAF and aviation are represented, such as Sir Arthur Harris, Lord Trenchard, James McCudden VC and Amy Johnson, as well as those of ordinary servicemen and women. The variety of papers also encompasses the whole range of war service and experiences, from a diary kept by an Essex schoolgirl during the Zeppelin raids of 1916 to a letter written by a member of the RAF Regiment in Kabul in 2002.

The Department is also keen to acquire further personal documents, like diaries, letters, memoirs and photographs, particularly of service in the RAF after 1945.