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WARDEN’S
INTRODUCTION
In 2018, as a nation, we mark the centenary of the establishment of
the Royal Air Force as the UK’s aerial peace-keeping and fighting force.
For St Edward’s, this is a particularly poignant anniversary: some four
hundred of the School’s alumni have served in the RAF, including sixty-
one in the Great War and two hundred and eighty five in the Second
World War.
St Edward’s alumni include many illustrious names from the
history of aviation such as aircraft pioneers Geoffrey De Havilland and
Louis Strange alongside celebrated RAF Officers Guy Gibson, leader
of the Dambuster raid, maverick ace Adrian Warburton, the and
legendary fighter pilot Douglas Bader. Every visitor to the exhibition
will experience a very real connection with the seismic events that have
shaped the RAF’s first 100 years.
I would like to extend my particular thanks to two former pupils
of the School whose work on this exhibition made it all possible. Mike
Stanfield is the Chairman of The North Wall Trust and Dr Simon Innes-
Robbins is Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.
Stephen Jones
On 19th November 1955, the School was officially presented with the Commemorative Window
pictured above by the Air Council of the RAF in ‘recognition of the fine record of boys from
St Edward’s in the Royal Air Force’.
This exhibition is organised jointly by The North Wall and its principal sponsor, St Edward’s
School. It draws on rare materials from the archives of St Edward’s and the Imperial War
Museum, and photographic materials from the agency TopFoto. The exhibition is curated by
Dr Simon Innes-Robbins OSE, Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.