We hope that you find the Control Towers website to be a repository of amazing stories. You can read tales of bravery and sacrifice that occurred through the history of aviation. These include accounts of pilots who trusted unproven machines, aircrew who flew through flak and night skies over occupied Europe, controllers and ground staff who kept aircraft moving during the Battle of Britain, and even civilians on the ground who were caught up in conflict.
Our aim is simple: we write these articles to honour their courage but above all, make sure these people are not forgotten about. By researching these stories, airfields, units and aircraft, Control Towers hopes to give a clearer sense of what they faced in the air and on the ground.
The Rafwaffe: A History of No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF
No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF, nicknamed the “Rafwaffe”, was a small, slightly odd corner…
Christmas Day Intruder: The Ju 88 Shot Down at Sandwick, Orkney
On Christmas Day 1940, a German Junkers Ju 88 came down in a Sandwick field…
Ian Gleed (DSO, DFC) – The Life & Times of a RAF Fighter Pilot
Ian “Widge” Gleed occupies a particular place in RAF history. He was not merely a…
Handley Page Hampden L4072: A Wartime Crash on a Village Church
Hampden L4072 of No. 49 Squadron left RAF Scampton on 21 December 1939 as part…
The Christmas Blitz of Manchester, 22–24 December 1940
By the afternoon of Sunday 22 December 1940, Manchester had already lived with air raid…
Friendly Fire over the Forth: The Day Spitfires Shot Down RAF Hampdens
Yes, it happened, and it happened early. On the afternoon of 21 December 1939 two…