User:GuyMason/sandbox

Customs and traditions of the Royal Air Force
Founded on 1 April 1918, the Royal Air Force was the world's first independent air force. A product of the hard-won knowledge and culture of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, its independence allowed the RAF's unique culture and traditions to develop.

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Heraldry
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Ensigns and Standards

Stations and Squadrons will fly particular ensigns depending on the rank of the Officer Commanding, or if a more Senior Officer is visiting the Station, up to and including the Monarch. Active Squadrons have Standards, upon which their battle honours are emblazoned. A Standard is made of silk, and a gift from the Monarch. Standards must be escorted by two people at all times, unless in secure storage. On parade, the standard will often be surrounded by an "escort party" of up to four, including the Standard bearer, two escorts, and a commander. When a unit is disbanded, its Standard is hung in the rotunda of the Royal Air Force College, in Cranwell, Lincolnshire. Standards cannot be disposed of, but are left to decay. Often more ancient standards can be seen hanging in churches.

Crests

Squadron and station crests are granted by the Monarch.

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Events
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Significant events through the life of the RAF went on to be celebrated, become culture in themselves. The Service's creation (1 April), the Battle of Britain (15 September), and the Dams (17 May) are three of the more prominent dates in the year. There are particular ways that these events are run, and although most Stations will have unique characteristics, sometimes down to the Commander's tastes or the Project Officer's competence, there are common practices. The Dining-In night is the usual format, where attendees will wear their No1 uniform (for non-commissioned officers) or their No5 uniform (for commissioned officers).

1 April Birth of the Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force church, St Clement Danes on Strand, holds a Service where the Royal Ensign of the Royal Air Force is paraded. Often the Band of the Royal Air Force will play.

15 September The Battle of Britain

Although the Battle of Britain lasted several months, this date is generally regarded as the peak of the Battle. This event is the most widely celebrated in the Royal Air Force. It is usually a Dining-In Night, where historical vignettes about the Battle will be read by selected attendees. If available, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will provide an historic aircraft to fly past, the naturally the most popular candidates are the Spitfire or the Hurricane, iconic aircraft of the Battle. Occasionally pyrotechnics will be employed for dramatic emphasis.

17 May The Dams Raid

Memorialised in the film "The Dambusters", the attack on the Dams is a common dining-in night, especially on fast-jet flying stations.

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Geography
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The peak size of the Royal Air Force varies depending on the measure. At the end of the First World War, over 1,000,000 personnel served in the RAF. At the end of the Second World War, the RAF had thousands of Flying stations in the UK and across the world. Lincolnshire is regarded by many as the Home of the RAF, and is also known as "Bomber county", for its large number of bomber flying stations. Norfolk, also a flat county suited to runway construction, has many former airfields.

Features prominent from the air have been named and documented on an "aircrew map of the UK".

Memorials, monuments, and museums

The first Headquarters of the RAF are commemorated by a green plaque on the site of Hotel Cecil on Strand. The church of the Royal Air Force in London is St Clement Danes.

In 2012, the Bomber Command Memorial was opened opposite the Royal Air Force Club, on the north side of Green Park.

In 2018, the International Bomber Command Centre was opened on a hill to the south of Lincoln.

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Sub cultures
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Unique words and phrases, not dissimilar to the Royal Navy's Jackspeak, has developed, and has been catalogued elsewhere. It is largely the result of flying experience, that of the aircrew, the engineers, and the support staff. The origin of many phrases is difficult to ascertain, and legends have developed around them.