Falkland Islands 2011 - 70th Anniversary of the RAF Search and Rescue - Uncirculated Cupro Nickel Coin

This year marks the 70^th Anniversary of the formation of what is now the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force and (SARF) to commemorate the event Pobjoy Mint is releasing a new coin on behalf of the Falkland Islands Government which has been approved by the Force.

During the early stages of the Battle of Britain 220 aircrew were killed or went missing over the English Channel and it was soon realised that the RAF could not afford to lose pilots who ditched to the sea.  As a result, acting on the instructions from Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, the Directorate of Air Sea Rescue (ASR) was formed and took up its duties in February.  Prior to this rescues were ad hoc affairs involving a search by operational aircraft from the crews own unit who then attempted to divert any surface craft in the vicinity to the aircrew in distress.

Various marine craft were used to recover crews from the sea; RNLI lifeboats, Royal Navy motor launches, torpedo recovery and barrage balloon boats.  The RAF Marine Craft Branch which formed in 1918 had high speed RAF Sea Place tenders which were further developed between the wars at RAF Mount Batten; involving the enigmatic Aircraftsman Shaw, better known as Colonel T E Lawrence of Arabia.  The work culminated in the 100 series High Speed Launch (HSL) used extensively through the war years.  The number of airmen rescued, once the directorate had formed, steadily increased and during the war years alone over 10,000 lives were saved by the crews of the ASR aircraft and HSLs who faced enemy action and all weathers to uphold their pledge that ‘The Sea Shall Not Have Them’.

The coin itself carries a stylised image of one of the rescue helicopters and includes the official RAF Search and Rescue logo.  The obverse of the coin carries an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.