Ken Delve

Ken Delve had a 20-year career with the Royal Air Force including tours on the Canberra PR.9 (39 Sqn), Tornado GR.1 (IX Sqn) and Tornado GR.1A (II Sqn), as well as time as an instructor with 6 FTS at Finningley.

New projects:

1. Gallantry awards to all RAF personnel since 1914 - comprehensive database will be going on line early 2021; I am looking for photographs of individuals and their medals / medal groups to help illustrate the database. contact historian@rafht.co.uk

2. Casualties RAF World War Two - looking for researchers to help locate and photograph RAF graves. for more information on how you can help, contact historian@rafht.co.uk

An Archaeologist by degree, Ken was 'nominated' as Squadron Historian when he arrived on 39 Squadron in 1977, thus beginning his interest in researching RAF history, and to his first book, 'The Winged Bomb: A history of 39 Squadron'. Many more books and countless articles have followed and Ken aims to combine official information, such as from Operational Record Books, with the personal recollections of air crew and ground crew in the books and articles he produces.

Having left the RAF he became editor of FlyPast magazine, and later Editor in Chief at Key Publishing. This was a fascinating period with opportunities to meet veterans, warbird owners and enthusiasts. He also started support for the RAF Heraldry Trust during this period and is now a Trustee of this organization - visit the Trust website at www.rafht.co.uk!

Having spent a number of years living and working in the Middle East, he returned to his first passion of aviation writing.

Ken is also the founder of the Aviation History Research Centre, which aims to provide a sharing forum for information and the preservation of historic documents and photographs relating to the RAF.