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6 January
An agreement establishing exchange postings between the Royal Air Force
(RAF) and the United States Army Air Force (later, the US Air Force) is
announced.
February
Following unrest in Aden, a dissident fort at Jebel Jihaf is attacked
by Royal Air Force (RAF) armoured cars and troops of the Aden Protectorate
Levies. de Havilland Mosquitoes of No.8 Squadron also carried out a rocket
attack on the fort.
February
Non-essential civilians are evacuated from Palestine aboard the Handley
Page Halifax A9 transport aircraft of No.113 Squadron (Operation Polly).
A total of 508 passengers were flown to Egypt in two days.
April
Following the murder of a political agent, RAF Hawker Tempest VI and de
Havilland Mosquito FBVI aircraft of No.8 Squadron attack the village of
Al Hussain near the Aden-Yemen border.
30 April - 1 May
A de Havilland Mosquito flown by Squadron Leader H.B. 'Micky' Martin (later,
Air Marshal Sir Harold Martin) and Squadron Leader E.B. Sismore establish
a new London-Cape Town record, covering a distance of 6,717 miles in 21
hours 31 minutes at an average speed of 279mph.
1 June
The first Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve flying squadron (No.1831 Squadron)
is formed at Stretton. The squadron was equipped with Supermarine Seafire
fighters.
15 August
The RAF School of Aeronautical Engineering at RAF Henlow is renamed the
RAF Technical College.
31 August
de Havilland test pilot Group Captain John Cunningham establishes a new
100 kilometre closed circuit speed record of 496mph in a de Havilland
Vampire 1.
18 September
The United States Air Force (USAF) becomes a separate military service.
October
Following a series of lootings, the village of Thumier in Aden is substantially
destroyed in a punitive attack carried out by the Hawker Tempests of No.8
Squadron RAF, supported by Avro Lincoln heavy bombers belonging to a detachment
of No.101 Squadron. In an effort to minimise civilian casualties, leaflets
warning of the attack had been dropped on Thumier prior to this action.
29 November
The United Nations General Assembly passes the Plan of Partition, proposed
by the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, by a two-thirds
majority. Under this plan, Palestine was to be partitioned into separate
Arab and Jewish states, all British forces were to be withdrawn and all
British military equipment removed or destroyed by 14 May 1948.
16 December
The Auxiliary Air Force was granted the prefix 'Royal'.
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