We are glad you could visit us here at the Rathbone Museum of WWII Aviators. As you may have already guessed, this place is not your typical airplane museum.

First, we are only a virtual space. There is no building or place to visit the collection. It only exists here on the internet where the rent is cheap and anybody from the world can visit 24/7, 365 days of the year.

Second, our focus is on aviators and the uniforms, insignia and gear that set them apart from other elements of the military.

Third, our time line concentrates on WWII and the time immediately preceding the conflict - approximately 1938-1945. This time in history is unique in military aviation because it represents the first time that air forces came into their own as unique service organizations in many countries. The other factor that makes this period special is that finally most countries actually had air forces by WWII. Not that three squadrons of outdated seaplanes constitutes a real air force, but it still is remarkable that even the smallest countries recognized the need to develop this capability. That is why we are trying to find as many wings, uniforms and pictures from all the air forces of the time to demonstrate how truly global the conflict was.

We hope you enjoy the exhibits and please feel free to ask questions by e-mail. We are constantly trying to update the displays so come back often. And if you have anything to donate, please visit our 'donations' section and let us know.

Sincerely,

Rathbone Museum of WWII Aviators