1912: The Royal Flying Corps was formed, responsible for all military aviation, whether fixed-wing, airships or kite-balloons. It comprised a Military Wing and a Naval Wing, as well as - most importantly for further development and expansion - a Central Flying School to be opened at Upavon the following month, and the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough.

Military aviation in Britain began in 1878 when the Royal Engineers formed a Balloon unit. However, it was not until 1907 that a powered army airship became operational. The first Air Battalion was established in 1911. At first progress was slow and by 1912 the Air Battalion only had eleven qualified pilots compared to 263 in the French Army Air Service.

It was decided that initially the BE-2 would be the main fighter plane.

By the end of 1912 the RFC had one squadron of airships and three of aircraft. Each squadron had twelve machines.

1915: In Belgium, on the road to St Julien, a forward position held by troops of the London Regiment came under such heavy artillery fire that it was judged untenable, and the majority of personnel were pulled back. However, Lance-Sergeant Belcher volunteered to remain behind with a very small party of men to attempt its defence. A heavy German infantry attack followed the barrage, but Belcher and his men repeatedly drove them off, and in so doing saved an exposed flank of a neighbouring division. Belcher was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1918: Only six years after the formation of the RFC, the rapid strides made in military aircraft technology were demonstrated by the creation by the new Royal Air Force of the Independent Air Force - the first ever air formation expressly designed for strategic bombing. Whilst the bulk of the RAF deployed on the Western Front concentrated on direct support to the Army's operations, the IAF, commanded by Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard, targeted German industry and airfields. Its nine squadrons of bombers and one squadron of escort fighters bombed by both day and night, and dropped 550 tons of bombs in the remaining five months of the war.

1940: In his first speech as Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, ''I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat''

Meanwhile, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her government were carried to exile in Britain by destroyer HMS Hereward and would spend the war in Canada. Dutch Government was evacuated by HMS Windsor

1943: Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered, marking the final end of the long North African campaign.

1944: During heavy fighting near Monte Cassino, Captain Wakeford of the Hampshire Regiment went forward with just one man, and, armed only with a revolver, captured an enemy position, taking a score of prisoners. The following day he led an assault on a hill, and despite being wounded in the face and each arm, pressed on to the top. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1945: The American Twentieth Air Force with its Boeing B-29 Superfortresses began Phase III of Operation Starvation, the mining of Japanese waters. During the night of 13/14 May, 12 B-29s dropped mines in the Shimonoseki Strait, Japan

1968: The partly-constructed fire support base, Base Carol, north of Saigon, was defended by elements of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, when it was attacked by North Vietnamese troops. Eleven Australians were killed and 28 wounded before the attackers were driven back.