Stephen R Davies was a member of the Royal Air Force Police for 25 years. In 1975 he joined the Royal Air Force as a policeman and during his service completed tours of duty in the UK and numerous countries around the globe. He qualified as a specialist in Royal Air Force Police Special Investigation and Counter-Intelligence matters and successfully completed the Home Office Detective Training program and Drug Enforcement courses with the UK civil police and United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. In 1991 he qualified as an instructor and lectured at the Airman’s Command School Hereford and the RAF Police School at Halton. He retired from the Royal Air Force in 2000 and now lives in Portugal.
THE PROJECT
Guardian of RAF Police History
An Open Letter to the Royal Air Force Police Family, Historians and anyone with a passionate interest in the RAF Police. To my fellow veterans, serving members, historians, and those who value our shared heritage.
In 1993, while serving as an instructor with the Airman’s Command School (Hereford), I came to a sobering realisation that the RAF Police, despite its storied existence and possessing a museum of artefacts, lacked a comprehensive, chronological global history of its achievements during its first 75 years. This was more than just a gap on a bookshelf; it was a silence where the voices and deeds of thousands of RAF Police personnel should have been. Indeed, history has a way of retreating into the shadows if it isn’t actively pulled into the light. Realising that the unique legacy of our branch, in peace and combat, was at risk of being forgotten, I embarked on a mission to redress this failure and many at the time doubted if I could achieve the challenge I had set myself.
What began as a research project evolved into a 25-year journey. It involved navigating archives, verifying accounts, and piecing together a global narrative that spanned decades of RAF Police service supporting RAF operations at home and abroad. The result of this labour was the publication of 10 books designed to serve as a definitive record of the RAF Police. Of course, the task involved a great many pieces of a gigantic jigsaw puzzle and I am fully aware that many important pieces remain loss or undiscovered. However, in documenting these years, I was privileged to uncover a vast number of events, moments of courage, duty above and beyond, and innovation, that would likely have just disappeared.
The true reward of this work, however, hasn't just been seeing the impressive story of our unique branch of the RAF laid down in print. It has been watching that history come to life through the community. By providing a factual foundation for our past, I am proud to have seen: The formation of history and heritage groups dedicated to the RAF Police: The establishment of memorials that honour those who served and those who paid the ultimate price during their service, and: The creation of historic displays that educate the public and the next generation of RAF Police.
History is a living thing and the creation of social media has been an important tool in bringing together and connecting veterans, serving personnel and their families. It provides the ‘why’ behind our traditions and the ‘who’ behind our immense pride. I am honoured to have played my part in ensuring that the men and women of the RAF Police, and the part they have played in the bigger picture, are remembered not just as a footnote, but as a vital, documented chapter of British military history.
Thank you to everyone who supported this research over the decades, albeit that many who shared their stories with me are no longer with us, and to those who continue to keep this history alive today.
Per Ardua ad Astra…. Fiat Justitia
Stephen R Davies
