The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (RAF SARF or RAF SAR Force) was a unit of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) which provided around-the-clock aeronautical
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
cover in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
, and the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...
, from 1986 until 2016.
The Search and Rescue Force was established in 1986 from the helicopter elements of the
RAF Marine Branch which was disbanded that year. The Force supported search and rescue over the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
until 4 October 2015 when the role was privatised, and civilian contractor
Bristow Helicopters assumed the role on behalf of
HM Coastguard.
On 18 February 2016, the force's disbandment was officially marked with a parade in front of
William, Duke of Cambridge, himself a former SAR pilot, and
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.
Born in Reading, Berkshire, Readi ...
, his wife.
History

In 1918, the Royal Air Force was established through the merging of the aviation arms of the Royal Navy, the
Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS), and that of the Army, the
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
. Together with its aircraft, vessels acquired to support RAF seaplane operations were also transferred to the new service,
becoming the
Marine Craft Section (MCS).
[
Post-war, the Marine Craft Section became a force of 150 vessels, which in addition to supporting the operation of seaplanes, were equipped for rescue operations, with a launch being at the ready whenever an aircraft was flying over water.][ However, the training and seamanship of the crews, especially with regards to navigation, meant that the MCS at this time was only suitable for inshore rescue operations.][
As the vessels it had inherited from the Royal Navy began wear out, the RAF began to have built for launches capable of higher speeds, and in light of the larger crews of some aircraft, greater capacity. This would, in the late 1930s, lead to the acquiring of High Speed Launches (HSL) for rescue operations.
However, during the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Marine Craft Section found itself ill-prepared for war. During the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
, even with the help of civilian vessels and the Royal Navy, aircrew who baled out or ditched in the North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
and English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
had only a 20 percent chance of being returned to their squadrons, with over 200 pilots and aircrew being lost to the sea during the battle.[ An informal air-sea rescue was started in July 1940 by ]Flying Officer
Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Flying officer is immediately ...
Russell Aitken, who with the approval of his senior officer at RAF Gosport, began flying a Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus is a British single-engine Amphibious aircraft, amphibious biplane designed by Supermarine's R. J. Mitchell. Primarily used as a maritime patrol aircraft, it was the first British Squadron (aviation), squadron-service ai ...
to rescue pilots downed in the English Channel. By the end of August, when he ceased this work, he had rescued around 35 British and German aircrew.
In light of this, in 1941, an emergency meeting was convened by Air Marshal Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris. The Royal Navy offered to take over in its entirety the at sea rescue role, the RAF declined and subsequently created the Directorate of Air Sea Rescue on 6 February 1941, which adopted the motto 'The sea shall not have them'. Operationally, it was to become known as Air Sea Rescue Services (ASRS), which ultimately became the RAF Search and Rescue Force. The headquarters of the ASRS was co-located with that of RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
with which it operated closely.
Together with creation of specialist Air Sea Rescue Units (ASRU), ASRS worked to improve the survival of aircrews through the development and issue of better individual survival equipment, including one man inflatable dinghies for fighter pilots copied from the Germans; the training of aircrew in ditching drills to maximise their chances of surviving to be retrieved; the development and fielding of air droppable survival equipment; and coordination between the different services, branches and units towards the goal of locating and recovering of downed airmen.
The air-sea rescue squadrons of the ASRS flew a variety of aircraft, usually hand-me-downs rejected or withdrawn from front-line service by the RAF's other branches, or as in the case of the Walrus, begged from the Royal Navy. They used Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
s and Boulton Paul Defiants to patrol for downed aircrew, and Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...
s to drop supplies and dinghies. Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus is a British single-engine Amphibious aircraft, amphibious biplane designed by Supermarine's R. J. Mitchell. Primarily used as a maritime patrol aircraft, it was the first British Squadron (aviation), squadron-service ai ...
and Supermarine Sea Otter amphibious craft were used to pick up aircrew from the water. Larger aircraft were used to drop airborne lifeboats. Although the Walrus and Sea Otters could pick up survivors close to shore and in coastal waters further out to sea, it was still not possible for aircraft to routinely pick up survivors, the large flying boats that could do so, such as the Consolidated Catalinas and Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of ...
s of Coastal Command, had many other jobs to do and were not always available.[ The role of aircraft in the ASRS therefore, was to locate downed airmen and to keep them alive, by dropping them survival equipment and stores, until an ASRS launch, or one from the Royal Navy's Naval Sea Rescue Services, arrived to pick them up.][ Generally MCS craft had responsibility for the Channel and North Sea, and Royal Navy ones for the Western Approaches.
By the end of the Second World War, more than 8,000 aircrew and 5,000 civilians had been rescued. At the end of the Second World War, the MCS had some 300 HSLs and over a thousand other vessels,][ the largest fleet of such rescue craft in the world. This fleet and the RAF sailors that crewed it would contract as the RAF did, however it continued be found everywhere that the RAF flew over water.
]
Introduction of helicopters
In the mid 1950s, helicopters began to replace fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generate ...
and supplement the marine craft in the search and rescue role, their ability to hover giving them an ability to recover survivors that fixed wing aircraft did not have. It was not until the 1960s, with the introduction of the Westland Whirlwind, the Westland Wessex, and later the Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome eng ...
, that it was possible to replace marine craft in all sea and weather conditions. Helicopters have the advantage of speed, which means that the same coverage as marine craft can be provided with far fewer bases and much reduced personnel numbers. However, even into the 1970s, helicopters had not completely replaced RAF marine craft, however by this time the MCS craft were becoming increasingly elderly and service in the MCS increasingly unattractive.
In 1986, the Marine Branch was disbanded, the last of the RAF's vessels were retired. Henceforth the RAF's rescue operations would be entirely helicopter based, Air Sea Rescue Services would be renamed the RAF Search and Rescue Force.
Role
The SARF's primary roles were military search and rescue, and the provision of rescue for civilian aircraft in distress under the 1948 Chicago Convention. The latter was a delegated responsibility to the UK Ministry of Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(MoD) from the Department of Transport, who had primary responsibility for general search and rescue of any type throughout the UK Search and Rescue Region (UK SRR). The military role involved the rescuing of aircrew who have ejected or parachuted from, or crash-landed their aircraft. This role raises the wartime combat effectiveness of the RAF (and RN) by enabling downed aircrew to be returned to front-line flying duties as soon as possible.
Although established with a primary role of military search and rescue, most of SARF's operational missions were spent in its secondary role, conducting civil search and rescue. This entails the rescue of civilians from the sea, on mountains, from flooded regions or other locations on land.
The aeronautical search and rescue roles were complemented by the related Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service, whose trained mountaineers also conduct search and rescue in hilly terrain. SARF helicopters and RAF mountaineers often work together on mountain rescue incidents.
The military and civil roles were shared with the Sea King helicopters of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
, while the civil search and rescue role was also shared with the helicopters of HM Coastguard.
Organisation
Search and Rescue Helicopter Wing
The wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
was formed at RAF Finningley on 1 September 1976, it was disbanded on 1 December 1992.
Search and Rescue Training Unit
The Search and Rescue Training Unit was formed on 3 December 1979 at RAF Valley.
No. 22 Squadron RAF
15 February 1955 to June 1955 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island
* Bristol Sycamore HC.12
**'A' Flight
June 1955 to June 1956 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island
* Westland Whirlwind HAR.2
June 1956 to April 1974 - HQ at RAF St Mawgan
*Westland Whirlwind HAR.2 until August 1962 replaced by Whirlwind HAR.10s from August 1962
April 1974 to January 1976 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island
*Whirlwind HAR.10
January 1976 to June 1976 - HQ at RAF Finningley
*Whirlwind HAR.10
June 1976 to December 1992 - HQ at RAF Finningley
* Westland Wessex HAR.2
December 1992 to September 1997 - HQ at RAF St Mawgan
*Westland Wessex HAR.2
*Westland Sea King HAR.3 from June 1994
*Westland Sea King HAR.3A from May 1997
September 1997 to unknown - HQ at RMB Chivenor
*Westland Sea King HAR.3/3A
Unknown to October 2015 - HQ at RAF Valley
*Westland Sea King HAR.3/3A
No. 110 Squadron RAF
3 June 1959 to 15 February 1971 - HQ at RAF Kuala Lumpur
*Whirlwind HC.4/HAR.10 and Sycamore HR.13 (April 1960-October 1964)
No. 202 Squadron RAF
August 1964 to September 1976 - HQ at RAF Leconfield
*Whirlwind HAR.10
September 1976 to 1 December 1992 - HQ at RAF Finningley
*Whirlwind HAR.10 until November 1979, Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome eng ...
HAR.3 and Westland Wessex HAR.2
1 December 1992 to April 2008 - HQ at RAF Boulmer
*Westland Sea King HAR.3
April 2008 to October 2015 - HQ at RAF Valley
*Westland Sea King HAR.3
No. 228 Squadron RAF
September 1959 to August 1964 - HQ at RAF Leconfield
* Bristol Sycamore and Westland Whirlwind
Disbanded into 202 Squadron.
No. 275 Squadron RAF
15 October 1941 to April 1944 - HQ at RAF Valley
*Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander is a British Army cooperation aircraft, army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War.
After becoming obsolete in the army co-operat ...
, Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus is a British single-engine Amphibious aircraft, amphibious biplane designed by Supermarine's R. J. Mitchell. Primarily used as a maritime patrol aircraft, it was the first British Squadron (aviation), squadron-service ai ...
, Boulton Paul Defiant, Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
and Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...
April 1944 to August 1944 - HQ at RAF Warmwell
7 August 1944 to 18 October 1944 - HQ at RAF Bolt Head
18 October 1944 to 10 January 1945 - HQ at RAF Exeter
10 January 1945 to 15 February 1945 - HQ at RAF Harrowbeer
Disbanded between 1945 and 1953.
1 March 1953 to 18 November 1954 - HQ at RAF Linton-on-Ouse
*Bristol Sycamore HR.13/HR.14
18 November 1954 to 9 October 1957 - HQ at RAF Thornaby
9 October 1957 to 1 September 1959 - HQ at RAF Leconfield
*Converted to Whirlwind HAR.2/HAR.4 in March 1959
Disbanded into 228 Squadron.
No. 276 Squadron RAF
21 October 1941 to September 1944 - HQ at RAF Harrowbeer
*Lysander, Walrus, Hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
s, Defiants, Spitfires, and Ansons
*Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a British twin-engined bomber aircraft developed and operated during the Second World War that was primarily used in other roles. In line with the naming convention followed by other RAF heavy bombers of the era, it wa ...
s replaced Ansons from April 1944
September 1944 to unknown - HQ at Querqueville
*Lysander, Walrus, Hurricanes, Defiants, Spitfires, and Warwicks
*Warwicks assigned to 277 Squadron in October 1944
Unknown to 23 August 1945 - HQ in Belgium
23 August 1945 to 10 November 1945 - HQ at Kjevik, Norway
10 November 1945 to 14 November 1945 - HQ at RAF Dunsfold
No. 277 Squadron RAF
22 December 1941 to 26 February 1945 - HQ at RAF Stapleford Tawney
*Lysander, Walrus, Defiant, Spitfire, Sea Otter
The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of ...
, and Warwick
Detachments at RAF Martlesham Heath, RAF Hawkinge, RAF Shoreham
Brighton City Airport , also commonly known as Shoreham Airport, is located in Lancing near Shoreham by Sea in West Sussex, England. It has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for ...
, and RAF Tangmere
Royal Air Force Tangmere or more simply RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain.
It was one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The Seco ...
.
No. 278 Squadron RAF
No. 279 Squadron RAF
16 November 1941 to October 1944 – HQ at RAF Bircham Newton
*Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and ...
October 1944 to September 1945 - HQ at RAF Thornaby
*Vickers Warwick
3 September 1945 to 10 March 1946 - HQ at RAF Beccles
No. 280 Squadron RAF
No. 281 Squadron RAF
No. 282 Squadron RAF
No. 283 Squadron RAF
No. 284 Squadron RAF
2015 status
The RAF SAR Force headquarters was situated at RAF Valley on Anglesey
Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...
. In addition to the Force HQ proper, the HQ building housed the HQs of the RAFs two operational SAR squadrons in the UK (22 and 202), as well as the RAF Sea King simulator. SAR Force HQ controlled the SAR Force's three helicopter squadrons and one independent flight
Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...
. These were:
* No. 22 Squadron equipped with the Sea King HAR.3/HAR.3A;
* No. 202 Squadron equipped with the Sea King HAR.3;
* No. 84 Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
and equipped with the Griffin HAR.2;
* No. 1564 Flight based at RAF Mount Pleasant
RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a Royal Air Force station in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The airfield goes by the motto of "Defend the right" (while the m ...
in the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...
and equipped with the Sea King HAR.3.
SARF's Operational Conversion Unit was No. 203 Squadron also based at RAF Valley and equipped with the Sea King HAR.3.
Coordination
In the United Kingdom, maritime search and rescue is coordinated by HM Coastguard, while land-based operations are usually coordinated by the local Police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
force.
From 1941 until the end of 1997, there were two Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centres (ARCC); at Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
and at Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. These two were combined in 1997 at RAF Kinloss in the north of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. All requests for assistance from the emergency services throughout the United Kingdom (Police, Fire, Ambulance, and Coastguard) were handled at this single ARCC until March 2016, when responsibility for the service was transferred to civilian personnel of Her Majesty's Coastguard.
Privatisation and disbandment
In 2006, the government announced controversial plans to effectively privatise provision of search and rescue helicopters in order to replace the ageing Sea Kings, although they have suggested that crews may, at least partially, still be made up of military personnel
Military personnel or military service members are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force, and space force), rank ( office ...
.
In February 2010, Soteria SAR was announced as the 'preferred bidder' for the UK SAR programme. On 8 February 2011, days before the contract was due to be signed, the UK Government halted the process after Soteria admitted that it had unauthorised access to commercially sensitive information regarding the programme.
While this contract is being renegotiated, a 'gap' contract was tendered for the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom that is responsible for implementing British and international maritime law and safety policy. It works to prevent the loss of lives at sea and to prevent mar ...
(MCA) bases, and in February 2012, it was announced that Bristow Helicopters would take over the running of Stornoway and Sumburgh using Sikorsky S-92s, and that Portland and Lee on Solent would be retained by CHC Helicopter using AgustaWestland AW139s.
In March 2013, the Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...
announced that it had signed a contract with Bristow Helicopters Ltd to provide search and rescue helicopter services in the UK with operations commencing progressively from 2015. The new service was fully operational across the United Kingdom by May 2019, and will use AgustaWestland AW189
The AgustaWestland AW189 is a twin-engined, super-medium-lift helicopter manufactured by Leonardo S.p.A. It is derived from the AW149, and shares similarities with the AW139 and AW169.
Development
On 20 June 2011, development of the eight-t ...
and Sikorsky S-92 based at ten locations around the UK.
See also
* History of Royal Navy Helicopter Search and Rescue
* Rescue (UK TV series)
References
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raf Search And Rescue Force
Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force
Emergency services in the United Kingdom
Sea rescue in the United Kingdom
1941 establishments in the United Kingdom
Military units and formations established in 1941
Rescue units and formations of the Royal Air Force