Complete list of useful references. Marked as
- PRIMARY – Core source of information for the Airborne Lifeboat history
- USEFUL – Provides snippets of insight into The Airborne Lifeboat history
- INTERESTING – Presents information about the history but is incomplete or contradictory to this site’s interpretation
- BACKGROUND – Background information about planes, squadrons, people and other aspects relevant to the lifeboats
Primary References
Core sources used with information for the Airborne Lifeboat history.
| Type | Description | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Book | Uffa Fox, More Joys of Living Published: 1972, Nautical Publishing By Uffa Fox | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA |
| Book | Uffa Fox, Joys of Life Published: 1966, NewnesBy Uffa Fox | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA |
| Book | Uffa Fox A Personal Biography Published: 1978, Angus & RobertsonBy June Dixon | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA, RN1 |
| Book | Rescue From The Skies, RAF Museum, Stephen Brewster Daniels Based on 9 years of research Stephen Brewster Daniels lays out the development of the Airborne Lifeboat. The content is very detailed and well researched. He includes descriptions of rescues involving lifeboats throughout and after ... | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA, Mark III, US-A1 |
| Paper | RAF Historical Soc Journal 40 – Search and Rescue, RAF Museum A paper produced by the RAF Historical Society charting the evolution of the Air Sea Rescue service during World War II. Relevant to this site it covers the following of relevance to this site: survival aids ... | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA, Mark III |
| Website | Airborne Lifeboat Details, from britmodeller.com site Pictures and detailed explanations of the RN1 fitted to Barracudas. Also includes some excellent information and commentary about the other lifeboats and planes | RN1 |
Useful References
References that provide snippets of insight into The Airborne Lifeboat’s history.
| Type | Description | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Book | Shot Down & In The Drink Includes 40 black and white photographs. The history of RAF Air Sea Rescue during the Second World War. Using extensive research into official records held at The National Archives, Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork describes the ... | Mark I, Mark IA, Mark II, Mark IIA |
| Website | Uffa Airborne Lifeboat Mark I (and IA) Page 1 Although this is an Australian website it includes some excellent photographs and descriptions of the Airborne Lifeboats Mk 1, 1A and RN1 and the Hudson and Buccaneer aircraft. | Mark I, Mark IA, RN1 |
| Video | Mark IIA on a Lancaster, British Pathe Gazette Video about lost weather plane and Mark IIA on a Lancaster. Good shot on the ground but nothing in the air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9cmLTZKiqM | Mark IIA |
| Website | Mark IIA lifeboat restoration, Facebook group Facebook page documenting restoration of Mark IIA lifeboat saved from Duxford Museum by the daughter of the owner in the 1960s, when as ‘Centipede’ the boat was used on the North Norfolk coast. The page ... | Mark IIA |
| Posts about lifeboats, Classic Boat Museum Facebook Photos and facebook posts of Airborne lifeboats from the Cowes Classic Boat Museum which has a large Uffa Fox display including and airborne lifeboat. | ||
| Website | Mark I Lifeboat Display, Museum of the Broads Virtual museum display of the museums Mark I lifeboat in Stalham, Norfolk. | Mark I |
| Website | Davidstow Moor Airfield, 279 Squadron, Air Show site History of Davidstow Moor Airfield including reference to lifeboats. | |
| Video | Mark III fitted to and dropped from Shackleton, Huntley Film Archives Huntley Archive film. Shows lifeboat Mark III fitted to a Shackleton take off and drop. Relevant section starts at 4minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHdJ3ehXu1w | Mark III |
Interesting References
References with information about the history but is incomplete or contradictory to this site’s interpretation.
| Type | Description | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Website | RAF Bircham Newton Memorial Project The website documents the history of RAF Bircham Newton. This was an Air Sea Rescue base and the website includes details of search and rescue. | |
| Video | Lifeboat dropped from a B17, Huntley Film Archives Film of a US B17 Flyiing Fortress bomber dropping an airborne lifeboat (possible and A-1 or and A-3). 26 seconds. Interesting because it shows the lifeboat hitting the water at a much greater angle than ... | US-A1 |
| Video | American Lifeboat on a B17 including a driop, British Pathe Gazette Pathe video about American Lifeboat on a B17 including a drop. Great shots of the lifeboat as it leaves the aircraft and then hits the water. The lifeboat is different to UK lifeboats with a ... | US-A1 |
| Website | Mark IA exhibit in RAF Museum, Air and Ground website Photos of the Royal Airforce Museum Mark IA lifeboat. In varnished trim without gear – is it an early set of photos? | Mark IA |
| Website | Mark IA exhibit in RAF Museum, French Site Set of photos of the Royal Airforce Museum Mark IA lifeboat. | Mark IA |
| Mark III Restoration and details, restoration group Facebook Restoration group for a Saunders Roe Mk.3 Lifeboat. Lots of commetary and pictures. The group are restoring a Shackleton – WR963 | Mark III | |
| Website | Uffa Fox’s great and lasting memorial – the Airborne Lifeboat A representation of Keith Muscott’s short history of Uffa Fox’s Airborne Lifeboat for members of the excellent Yahoogroup Openboat reproduced on intheboatshed.com (March 2022 – Intheboatshed.com appears to have a security issue at present) | |
| Video | Mark IA on a Canadian Warwick, including a drop, Huntley Film Archives A Canadian video which, at 2m49s, show a Mark I lifeboat being loaded and dropped on a Canadian Airforce plane, a Hudson (thanks Neville Cole for confirming this). A little misleading (at one point claiming ... | Mark I |
Background References
Background information about planes, squadrons, people and other aspects relevant to the lifeboats.
| Type | Description | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Walrus planes in action, British Movietone Air Sea Rescue involving a Walrus aircraft landing and taking off on the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMp01YpWGOM | |
| Website | Hudson aircraft details, RAF Museum Details of the Lockeed Hudson IIIA aircraft used for Air Sea Rescue. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/lockheed-hudson-iiia/ | |
| Website | Hudson aircraft details, Lockheed Locheed Martin summary of the Hudson aircraft. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/history/hudson.html | |
| Website | Warwick aircraft details, Vickers Details of the Warwick from the manufacturer. https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/vickers-warwick | |
| Website | Lysander aircraft details, Warbirdsfying website Details of the Lysander https://www.warbirdsflying.com/westland-lysander/ | |
| Website | B17 Flying Fortress aircraft details, Warbirdsfying website Details of the B17 Flying Fortress https://www.warbirdsflying.com/flying-fortress/ | |
| Website | Lancaster aircraft details, Avro Details of the Avro Lancaster from BAe Systems (ex Avro) https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/avro-683-lancaster | |
| Website | Walrus aircraft details, Tangmere Museum Details of the Walrus seaplane. http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/aircraft-month/supermarine-walrus |