Spurred on by the desire to save lives, boost morale and preserve trained manpower, Air Sea Rescue was transformed during the Second World War. After a career in the service, the former high speed rescue launch captain explores how air sea rescue developed in the years before, during and just after the Second World War and reflects on how changes in people, technology, techniques, training and increases in manpower moved the service forward. He also gives us a flavour of what life was like using launches to rescue airmen who came down in the sea.

Gp. Capt. R. L. Flower addressed his lecture, Air Sea Rescue, to a meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 27 September 1977. The recording was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.