The origins of Air/Sea Rescue

Even from its very inception, the RAF had a maritime connection. The first seagoing vessels in the RAF's inventory were the 238 motor boats it had inherited on its formation from the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps in April 1918. These were used to support the many floatplanes in service at the time ferrying the crews, towing, refuelling, arming and servicing the aircraft. As the size of the planes grew, so the vessels needed to support them had to grow and increase in speed. Research and development work was undertake to develop the new craft, and one very interesting individual, Colonel T E Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, and serving in the guise of Aircraftsman Shaw, was posted to RAF Mount Batten to help with the programme.

The result was the 200 Class Seaplane Tender, a 37½ foot vessel capable of 27 knots. Deliveries commenced in 1932, and at the time it was claimed to be the fastest craft of their size in the world. From this was developed the standard RAF vessel of the ASR Service, the 100 Class High-Speed Launch (HSL). The RAF began to organise its ASR services in May 1940, these launches being based around flying boat bases and at a number of overseas locations. But some British planners still believed that the amount of cross-Channel traffic meant that there was no need for a rescue service to cover this very busy stretch of water. On the contrary, such was the need that the first vessels in action during the Dunkirk evacuation were RAF HSLs.

One major event in the summer of 1940 changed the mind of many of the sceptics. During the Battle of Britain over 200 airmen were killed or went missing in the seas around England. Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, Air Officer Commanding No 11 Group saw a need for an air/sea rescue service, and with the aid of the Royal Navy and Lysanders borrowed from other Groups within the RAF, started to co-ordinate rescues with the launches. At that time, fighter pilots only wore a "Mae West" lifejacket to keep them afloat, but they were soon issued with dye to make them more visible in the water. There was also support from other rescue services such as the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, RNLI and fishing vessels.