National Identity and the RAF

Abstract

This chapter considers differing conceptions of national identity within the British Commonwealth during the Second World War. Johnston compares the initiatives of Canada and Australia, designed to ensure that their airmen, most of whom served within Britain’s RAF and not their own national air force, would continue to identify with their home country. Canada and Australia considered it crucial that their airmen privileged their national Dominion identity (Canadian or Australian) over any existing allegiance to the UK, or ‘Mother Country’. Canada’s attempts, through its policy of ‘Canadianization’, were significantly more successful than Australia’s initiative of ‘infiltration’. Johnston demonstrates how Britain retained a strong hand in these negotiations because it provided most of the ground-crews for RAF squadrons, the most manpower intensive position.