Tag: RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is calling on the public’s support to help keep Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf’s Victoria Cross medal in the UK.

Arthur Scarf was the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded to the Royal Air Force for services in the Far East during the Second World War. This incredibly rare medal, and Arthur’s Story, is a national treasure which represents an extraordinary and highly poignant story of great personal courage, and the RAF Museum is determined for it to remain within the UK.

The Museum is a registered charity and has just a few months to raise £660,000 to match the auction bid placed by an overseas buyer. If successful in the mission to acquire this one-of-a-kind medal, the VC will be preserved in the RAF Museum’s national collection on public display in London, for future generations to see.

The Museum is hoping to raise £250,000 of the required funds through public donations. Money raised will be added to a contribution being made from the Museum’s own funds, and a potential grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Donate to #SaveTheScarfVC on the Museum’s dedicated Save the Scarf VC GoFundMe page.

RAF Museum Historian and Head of Collections, Dr Harry Raffal said:
‘Not only does Sqn Ldr Scarf’s Victoria Cross represent his outstanding devotion to duty and supreme act of bravery, it is also a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by all the British and Commonwealth service personnel fighting in the Far East, and the role of the RAF within this context. This unique medal is part of our nation’s heritage, and a significant element to a decisive moment in British history. There is an imminent risk of it leaving the UK, but we’re hopeful that with public support we can prevent this from happening, and for the medal to remain on our shores. If we’re successful, the medal will be displayed at the Museum, in the heart of our collection, helping us to share the stories of all those RAF personnel who fought, lived and died in the conflict.’

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest decoration for valour in the British armed forces, awarded for an act of extreme bravery in the face of the enemy. Such is the medals legendary status, recipients are often revered as heroes. Only 22 Victoria Crosses were awarded to RAF personnel during the Second World War, and just one, for their service in the Far East – the VC that was awarded to Arthur Scarf.

Scarf joined the RAF in 1936 aged 23, and three years later was sent to Singapore with No. 62 Squadron to join the forces in the Far East. On the 9 December 1941, he led a formation of Bristol Blenheim aircraft in a daylight attack on Japanese forces occupying airfields in Burma, what is today Thailand. As Scarf became airborne, a formation of Japanese bombers swept over the airfield destroying every British aircraft on the ground.

Realising that none of his squadron’s aircraft had survived the Japanese bombing, Scarf was determined to complete his squadron’s allotted task. Flying low for some 30 miles into enemy occupied territory, Scarf skilfully evaded several attacks by Japanese fighters, and released the bombs whilst his crew manned the machine guns. With the task complete and now heading home, more Japanese fighters arrived attacking at close range. Greatly outnumbered, hopelessly outgunned and in aircraft slower than the enemies, Scarf flew at tree top height, desperately seeking whatever protection he could find. Despite evading the worst of the Japanese attacks, machine gun fire riddled the Blenheim. Scarf was mortally wounded but continued to fly the aircraft while being held upright by his crew mates and managed to make a controlled crash landing at a nearby British controlled airfield without injury to his crew, but Scarf died from his wounds shortly afterwards.

The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously in 1946 and was presented to his widow, Elizabeth, by King George VI at Buckingham Palace.

Arthur’s heroic story can inspire future generations for many years to come. To support the RAF Museum’s mission to raise the money needed to save Scarf’s VC medal from leaving the UK, visit the Save the Scarf VC GoFundMe page.

Date: Registration now open
Cost: £20 per person / £15.00 Armed Forces entry

New year, new challenge, wokka you waiting for? Sign up to the Chinook Challenge this January and get active while raising funds for charity!

Kick start your new year with the Royal Air Force Museum’s Chinook Challenge, and walk, run, or cycle your way to reach the 100km, 200km or even 400km distance! Complete the Challenge and be rewarded with a bespoke wooden medal featuring the iconic helicopter.

This virtual Challenge will run throughout 2023 and can be completed anywhere in the world in a time to suit everyone, whether that’s in a day, week, month or even a year! Turn your daily walks with the dog, cycling commute to work, and time on the treadmill in the gym, into part of your Chinook Challenge distance. Once you’ve hit your target distance, you’ll receive your medal in the post within two weeks.

Register now at www.rafmuseum.org. Entry costs £20 per person and all proceeds will go towards supporting the RAF Museum (registered charity number 1197541) to continue sharing the story of the RAF and the thousands of service men and women who served in it. Members of the Armed Forces Community (Cadets, serving personnel, veterans, and reservists) can register for the discounted rate of £15.00.

RAF Museum Individual Giving Manager, Ella Hewitt said:
‘Support from Chinook challengers will enable the Museum to preserve remarkable aircraft, and share amazing RAF stories of courage and bravery, like those who have flown on the legendary Chinook ‘Bravo November’. This sole surviving Chinook flown by the RAF during the Falklands campaign is displayed at RAF Museum Midlands and has seen four of its pilots awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Participants of the Chinook Challenge will each receive a bespoke wooden medal for their efforts when they achieve their chosen distance. For anyone who would like to support us further by fundraising, you’ll receive a limited-edition Chinook Challenge fundraising t-shirt when you raise £50, and if you raise £100 and you’ll receive a one-of-a-kind water bottle as well.’

Join the RAF Museum Virtual Running Group on Facebook where you can share your progress and meet other Challengers. If you’re posting updates on your social media, don’t forget to tag @rafmuseum or #ChinookChallenge.

For more information and to register for the Chinook Challenge visit www.rafmuseum.org. Entry costs £20 per person (£15.00 Armed Forces entry), additional booking and postage charges apply for overseas participants. The Challenge is open to participants of all ages, but we recommend under 16’s are accompanied by an adult.

Date: Registration now open, challenge finishes on 14 April 2022
Cost: £20 per person / £15.00 Armed Forces entry

Soar into the new year with the Royal Air Force Museum’s Vulcan Challenge, and walk, run, or cycle your way to reach the 100km, 250km or even 500km distance! The Challenge commences on Friday 14 January and advance registrations are now open.

Celebrating 70 years since the Vulcan’s first flight, participants will have until 14 April to complete the Challenge and be rewarded with a bespoke medal featuring the iconic aircraft. And if you’re completing the challenge with your furry four-legged friend, there’s even a pet tag medal for them too.

Whether your new year’s resolution is to be more active, or you’re feeling the need to walk off the Christmas calories, this virtual race can be completed anywhere in the world, at a time and pace to suit you. This could be daily walks with the dog, cycling to work, weekend hikes or even rowing your distance in the gym, it could even be a combination of them all.

To redeem the exclusive Vulcan Challenge medal, participants simply need to record their 100km, 250km or 500km distance in the downloadable logbook and submit their total at the end of the Challenge. Medals will be posted to participants after the challenge closes on 14 April.

Online registration is now open at www.rafmuseum.org, entry costs £20 per person and all proceeds will go towards supporting the RAF Museum charity (registered charity number 244708) to enable the Museum to continue sharing the story of the RAF and the thousands of service men and women who served in it.

RAF Museum London Public Events Manager, Ella Hewitt said:
‘We are excited to kick start the new year with the Vulcan Challenge, celebrating 70 years of arguably the most famous of Britain’s three V-bombers, operated by the RAF. Participants can select the distance that best suits their ability and complete it anytime, anywhere, individually, or with friends and family. Support from our Challengers enables us to keep the doors of our Museums open for all generations to enjoy.

The Challenge’s bespoke medal features the Vulcan, and just like the real aircraft, the medal is huge! In previous Challenge events, we’ve seen hundreds of dogs taking part with their owners, so this year we have introduced a new Vulcan pet tag, a mini version of the main medal, so they are rewarded for their efforts too.’

The Vulcan first flew in 1952, and along with the Valiant and Victor, it provided part of Great Britain’s nuclear deterrent force for fifteen years. In 1970, following their withdrawal from the nuclear deterrent, Vulcans switched to the conventional bomber role in support of NATO forces in Europe. The Vulcan’s range could be greatly increased by in-flight refuelling which was used to good effect in the long-range attacks on the Falkland Islands from Ascension Island in 1982. The last Vulcans retired from operational service in 1984. Both RAF Museum London and Cosford have a Vulcan on public display.

Participants can stay connected and make new friends as they complete the Challenge by joining the RAF Museum Virtual Running Group on Facebook. Meet other Challengers, share your progress and ask fellow participants for advice, as well as enjoying exclusive Vulcan content during the course of the Challenge. If you’re posting updates on your social media, don’t forget to tag @rafmuseum or #VulcanChallenge2022.

Limited edition Vulcan Challenge T-shirts and Hooded Sweatshirts are also available to purchase when registering online. The souvenir T-shirts and Hoodies cost £15.00 and £30 respectively and will be delivered with your medal following the end of the challenge. Sizes range from Extra Small to XX Large.

Or why not consider fundraising for the RAF Museum, pledge to raise £100 and receive your Vulcan Challenge t-shirt for free. Starting your fundraising could not be simpler, select the sponsorship option when signing up online and head to our Vulcan Challenge JustGiving page. Once your JustGiving page is set up, our team will be in touch with some handy tips to kick start your fundraising.

To register for the Vulcan Challenge visit www.rafmuseum.org. Entry costs £20 per person (£15.00 Armed Forces entry), additional booking and postage charges apply for overseas participants. The Challenge is open to participants of all ages, but we recommend under 16’s are accompanied by an adult.