Book about RAF Search and Rescue published
The book, the Official Illustrated History of RAF Search and Rescue, was written by aviation journalist and editor Paul E Eden and is the first documented history of the RAF Search and Rescue (SAR) community
The book details the history of the RAF’s SAR capability from 1918, through the formation of a dedicated air-sea rescue service in 1941, to the disbanding of the SAR force in 2015. Through archival material, interviews and email correspondence with RAF SAR crew members, including His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, Eden has written a chronology of an elite, nationally recognized service. In addition to the book being a colorful history of the service, it is also a true testament to the courage and professionalism of the crew members that flew perilous missions to save others.
Eden has written and edited the Official Royal Air Force Annual Review since its 2011 edition and the Official Royal Air Force Salute annual historical journal for almost as long. He has also produced a number of RAF special bookazines, covering aircraft and weapons, squadrons and, most recently, the service’s 100th anniversary, so was well positioned to take on the challenge of collating and creating this official record of Royal Air Force Search and Rescue. Eden also edits the EVA business aviation title and contributes to a number of aerospace and aviation magazines and websites.
Eden commented on the book: “The RAF and its people are naturally cautious about what they say. It’s often the case that they consider the extraordinary as ‘just part of the job’, so they’ll tend not to mention the things they’ve done. I was walking with my primary RAF External Media & Comms contact from the shop to his office in late 2014. He said there'd been a suggestion that with SAR force disbanding the following year, the RAF ought to produce an official book about search and rescue. He said they couldn’t think of anyone better to write it and that I’d get full co-operation, and that was it. I was honored to be asked and it was an amazing journey discovering more about the service.”