The war records of British “aces” — pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft — and daring spies go online today.
The service records of 99,000 RAF officers will be available at the National Archives website (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory) and will be searchable by name and date of birth. Britain’s top ace was Major Edward Mannock, a pilot who scored 74 combat victories.
His record notes the day the enemy caught up with him when he crashed behind German lines. The event is recorded in his service record as “Missing, believed dead, 26.7.18”. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Cecil Lewis, another RAF hero, is also featured. His record shows that he joined the Royal Flying Corps in October 1915, having lied about his age at a time when the average service life of a British pilot was measured in weeks. He is credited with victories in 1917 over eight German aircraft. Sagittarius Rising, his account of flying in the war, inspired the 1976 film Aces High, and he co-founded the BBC.
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Sidney Reilly, who inspired Ian Fleming to create James Bond, also features. The records were created with the inception of the RAF in April 1918 and note the dates when individuals resigned their commission or when they died.