Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (or RAF) was a branch of Great Britain's military.
History
20th century
World War II
The Royal Air Force saw much action in the Second World War, specifically in the London Blitz, when it was engaged in protecting Britain from Luftwaffe attacks. (TV: The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, PROSE: Exodus) The RAF's Spitfires and Hurricanes fought the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitts, Junkers 88s, Stukas and Dorniers. (PROSE: /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet)
The main battle between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe was called the Battle of Britain, a battle for air dominance over the English Channel, in 1940. (AUDIO: Their Finest Hour, PROSE: /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet, Timewyrm: Exodus) The RAF worked closely with what remained of the Polish Air Force, whom the Germans had defeated when taking Poland in 1939. Despite many casualties, (AUDIO: Their Finest Hour) the Royal Air Force repelled the attack, preventing the Nazi's lightning warfare from reaching British soil. (PROSE: /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet)
In 1940, an amnesiac Eighth Doctor tried to join the RAF, but was turned down when he couldn't prove he was a British subject. (PROSE: The Turing Test) In 1941, when the Progenitor Daleks used a beacon on their ship to activate the lights in London, leaving it vulnerable to German attack, four RAF pilots were sent in Spitfires enhanced with Dalek technology to destroy the beacon. All but one of the four Spitfires were destroyed. However, the last one destroyed the beacon when the Eleventh Doctor disabled the Daleks' shields. As the Spitfire prepared to destroy the saucer, the Doctor ordered the pilot to return to London as the Daleks were threatening to destroy Earth. (TV: Victory of the Daleks) In the same year, the rogue Time Agent Jack Harkness was disguised as a member of the RAF in London. (TV: The Empty Child)
Flip Jackson's great-grandfather served in the RAF during World War II. (AUDIO: Quicksilver)
Post-War
Alexander K. Bridgeman served in the Royal Air Force for ten years as a flight lieutenant on Air/Sea Rescue craft. (PROSE: Invasion of the Cat-People)
In November 1963, the Seventh Doctor encountered members of the Royal Air Force during the Shoreditch Incident, including Sergeant Mike Smith. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
In July 1966, the RAF was among the computer systems which were to be connected to WOTAN on C Day on 16 July, an event which was ultimately cancelled following WOTAN's failed attempt to take over London. (TV: The War Machines) Meanwhile, at the request of the Commandant of Gatwick Airport, the RAF had one of their planes sent up to follow a Chameleon Tours plane. The Chameleons realised they were being followed and destroyed the RAF plane, killing the pilot. (TV: The Faceless Ones)
In late 1969, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and HAVOC spent an Agean mission at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. To stop an alien threat, Lethbridge-Stewart requested a Vulcan nuclear bomber at Akrotiri to strike the seabed. (PROSE: Blood of Atlantis)
In the 1970s, UNIT called for the Royal Air Force's assistance on many occasions, such as stopping the Multi-Mobile. (COMIC: The Multi-Mobile)
UNIT had planned for the RAF to bomb a coach being used by the Autons. However, Sergeant John Benton called off the attack at the last moment after the Master took the Third Doctor and Jo Grant hostage and brought them to the coach. (TV: Terror of the Autons)
UNIT had RAF fighter Red Zero-Four drop test canisters over the top of the heat barrier surrounding Devil's End, and estimated from the results — the last canister exploding at forty-five thousand feet — that the barrier was "approximately one mile high at apogee". (TV: The Dæmons)
On another occasion, UNIT had RAF bombers attack Chase Mansion, targeting the Krynoid present on its grounds. The attack was a success and the Krynoid was destroyed. (TV: The Seeds of Doom)
When Eldrad's hand was taken to the Nunton Experimental Complex, threatening a nuclear meltdown, the RAF tried launching missiles at the complex to destroy it. However, the missiles had no effect as the hand absorbed all the energy. (TV: The Hand of Fear)
21st century
In March 2006, the Group Captain Tennant James of the RAF was summoned to 10 Downing Street during the Slitheen crisis. In reality, the Group Captain had been murdered and replaced by a Slitheen, who was killed when 10 Downing Street was destroyed by a missile. (TV: World War Three)
When the Daleks invaded Earth in 2009, the RAF retreated over north Africa. (TV: The Stolen Earth)
