{"slug": "royal-air-force", "label": "Royal Air Force", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165862", "qid": "Q165862", "description": "aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces", "entries": 17, "years": 15, "span": [1912, 1975], "span_label": ["1912 CE", "1975 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Technology & Infrastructure", "count": 6}, {"title": "Disasters & Accidents", "count": 5}, {"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 3}, {"title": "Science & Discovery", "count": 1}, {"title": "Crime & Justice", "count": 1}, {"title": "Deaths", "count": 1}], "related": [{"slug": "london", "label": "London", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "cape-town", "label": "Cape Town", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "united-kingdom", "label": "United Kingdom", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "lubeck", "label": "Lübeck", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 1912, "year_label": "1912 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "May 13", "text": "May 13 – In the United Kingdom, the Royal Flying Corps (forerunner of the Royal Air Force) is established.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373503730#May", "title": "1912", "revid": 1373503730, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1914, "year_label": "1914 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "July 1", "text": "July 1 – The Royal Naval Air Service, a forerunner of the Royal Air Force, is established in the United Kingdom.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373518346#July", "title": "1914", "revid": 1373518346, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1918, "year_label": "1918 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "April 1", "text": "April 1 – The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in Britain are merged to form the Royal Air Force, the first autonomous Air Force in the world.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373520023#April", "title": "1918", "revid": 1373520023, "section": "Events › April"}}, {"year": 1920, "year_label": "1920 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "February 1", "text": "February 1 – The South African Air Force (SAAF) is established, the second autonomous Air Force in the world, after the British Royal Air Force (RAF).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369258210#February", "title": "1920", "revid": 1369258210, "section": "Events › February"}}, {"year": 1925, "year_label": "1925 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "March 9", "text": "March 9–May 1 – Pink's War: The British Royal Air Force bombards mountain strongholds of Mahsud tribesmen in South Waziristan.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1367485783#March", "title": "1925", "revid": 1367485783, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1939, "year_label": "1939 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "September", "text": "The first bombing of Wilhelmshaven in World War II is carried out, by the British Royal Air Force (RAF).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372426050#September", "title": "1939", "revid": 1372426050, "section": "Events › September"}}, {"year": 1940, "year_label": "1940 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "August 25", "text": "August 25 – WWII: The first Bombing of Berlin is carried out, by the British Royal Air Force.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368818987#August", "title": "1940", "revid": 1368818987, "section": "Events › August"}}, {"year": 1944, "year_label": "1944 CE", "section": "Science & Discovery", "date": "March", "text": "British Royal Air Force Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade's bomber is hit over Germany, and he has to bail out without a parachute from a height of over 4,000 m 0. Tree branches interrupt his fall and he lands safely on deep snow.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370022611#March", "title": "1944", "revid": 1370022611, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1944, "year_label": "1944 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "March", "text": "The \"Great Escape\": 76 Royal Air Force prisoners of war escape by tunnel \"Harry\" from Stalag Luft III in Silesia this night. Only 3 men (2 Norwegians and a Dutchman) return to the UK; of those recaptured, 50 are summarily executed soon afterwards, in the Stalag Luft III murders.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370022611#March", "title": "1944", "revid": 1370022611, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1945, "year_label": "1945 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "February", "text": "Bombing of Dresden (Germany) by the British Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces; 25,000-35,000 are estimated to have died.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371513862#February", "title": "1945", "revid": 1371513862, "section": "Events › February"}}, {"year": 1945, "year_label": "1945 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "May", "text": "The prison ships Cap Arcona (5,000 dead), Thielbek (2,750 dead) and Deutschland (all survive) are sunk by the British Royal Air Force in Lübeck Bay.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371513862#May", "title": "1945", "revid": 1371513862, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1950, "year_label": "1950 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "May 17", "text": "May 17 – Israeli Air Force Spitfires intercept a British Royal Air Force Short Sunderland when it inadvertently crosses into Israeli airspace, forcing it to land at Lod Airport. The Sunderland's crew have been issued maps that do not depict Israel, as Britain had not recognized the Jewish state at the time they were issued.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371638577#May", "title": "1950", "revid": 1371638577, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1956, "year_label": "1956 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "October 15", "text": "October 15 – The British Royal Air Force retires its last Avro Lancaster bomber.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370022627#October", "title": "1956", "revid": 1370022627, "section": "Events › October"}}, {"year": 1959, "year_label": "1959 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "July 9", "text": "July 9 – Wing Commander Michael Beetham flying a British Royal Air Force Vickers Valiant sets a record of 11 hours 27 minutes for a non-stop London-Cape Town flight.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370221732#July", "title": "1959", "revid": 1370221732, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1967, "year_label": "1967 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "March 29", "text": "March 29 – Torrey Canyon oil spill: British Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force aircraft bomb and sink the grounded supertanker .", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370160888#March", "title": "1967", "revid": 1370160888, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1971, "year_label": "1971 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "November 9", "text": "November 9 – A Royal Air Force C-130 crashes into the Ligurian Sea near Leghorn, Italy, killing all 51 people on board.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369905382#November", "title": "1971", "revid": 1369905382, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1975, "year_label": "1975 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "October 14", "text": "October 14 – A British Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan bomber explodes and crashes over Żabbar, Malta after an aborted landing, killing five crew members and one person on the ground.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369955775#October", "title": "1975", "revid": 1369955775, "section": "Events › October"}}]}