The Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 to defend the skies over Britain during the First World War & made a major contribution to winning one of the largest & most devastating conflicts of the twentieth century Yet when the war ended its existence as an independent air service came under threat from severe defence cuts & intense scrutiny from some quarters as to whether it was needed at all The Second World War put paid to all the uncertainty & sealed the RAF's place in the armed services It has since played a vital role in many large-scale conflicts as well as in peacekeeping & international aid operations Celebrating a century of the world's oldest independent air force The RAF at 100 showcases vivid & evocative images from the Mirrorpix archive that trace the story of the RAF from its earliest days through wartime & peacetime & into the modern age