Auxiliary Aces of Churchill’s Few : Part-Time Airmen Who Helped Win the Battle of Britain

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAAF) serves as the primary reinforcement capability for the regular Royal Air Force (RAF).Established in October 1924 as the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), it consists of paid volunteers who train on evenings and weekends to support the RAF during national emergencies and conflicts.Their pre-war counterparts, alongside pilots of the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), played a pivotal role in the Battle of Britain. Of the sixty-two squadrons involved in the Battle of Britain, fourteen were AAF units.These experienced Auxiliary squadrons claimed 30% of the enemy aircraft destroyed in the summer of 1940.Notably, No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron became the first Spitfire squadron to claim 100 enemy kills.The highest scoring Auxiliary unit was No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, which achieved fifty-eight kills under Squadron Leader George Denholm's leadership. Auxiliary Aces of Churchill’s Few highlights the stories of many of these heroic pilots.Squadron Leader Arc