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| | The Royal Air Force - History |
 | | This Time Line traces the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force from 1780 to 1918, documenting the major events in the development of flight and the service during this period. |
 | | It continued, "The day may not be far off when aerial operations with their devastation of enemy lands and destruction of industrial and populous centres on a vast scale may become the principal operations of war, to which the older forms of military and naval operations may become secondary and subordinate". |
 | | At the end of the War, the RAF was the largest Air Force in the world with 27,333 officers, 263,837 other ranks, 22,647 aircraft, 103 airships, 133 front-line squadrons, 15 flights and 270 aerodromes overseas, 55 front-line squadrons, 75 training squadrons/depots, 401 aerodromes at home and 25,000 WRAF members. |
| www.raf.mod.uk /history/line1780.html (1426 words) |
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