FAQs Page

Something we can help you with? Do you have a query?

If your question is not answered here, please contact us via the menu. Please send us your questions and we will add the most frequently asked ones to this page with our answers so that every user will be able to benefit. Email us

The website is designed as a tool to share news and communicate with comrades, old and new - please read on for a quick user guide to the site.

Member Search - use this function to search for anyone you may have been stationed with - use any or all of the search categories to search our registered members.

Member Forum - register here and you can talk to comrades about any topics you wish, a chat room for the RAF Family.

Member Mail - if you find someone you wish to email without giving away your personal email address - and purely through the site. Search for friends through the search function, add them to your address book (click on the star next to their name) and send them a message.......

Update My Details - you can amend any details - from your service history to your password at any point, through this function.

Your Views - share your stories with us for all to read.

CHQ News - this is where we can communicate with you, please check this page frequently for any new news and stories.

Picture Gallery - share your photographic memories - recent and past with our members to view.

Leaflet & Logos - RAF-Comrade-Contact logos for you to download and a leaflet for you to print out and distribute.

Contact Us - if you have a comment, thought, suggestion or story - use this function to contact us and tell us about it......we welcome your input.

Question - You have my email address as I have received a message from you but I am unable to access the site, what now?

Answer - In order to actively use the website you must first register with the site. Although we may have your email address on file and been in previous contact with you via this, you will be unable to use the site unless you are fully registered.

In infrequent cases, even if you may have registered some months ago, the site does not recognise your details, you will need to re-register I'm afraid.

Setting up a new RAF-Comrade-Contact account will only take a few minutes of your time and can be done so via the Register Here button on the right hand side of the home page screen.

Question - I'm asked to enter my RAFA Membership Number when registering on the website - what is this?

Answer - Your RAFA membership number is the second part of the series of numbers on your membership card. Your membership card number will look something like this: 0111/24365.

The first portion of your number (before the forward slash) is your Branch number - ie the Branch you are personally allocated to.

The second portion (after the forward slash) is your personal membership number and is either 4, 5 or 6 digits long.

When you are requested - on registering on the website, to enter your RAFA membership number - this is simply the second portion on your card.

Question - Can anyone join RAF-Comrade-Contact?

Answer - Yes, so long as you are a member of The RAF Association (RAFA) we welcome you to join. As the website is specifically aimed to RAF personnel, whether serving or ex-service personnel - any of these people are fully entitled to join up. Please follow the Registration details on the home page to find out more.

Question - What is my 'Username'?

Answer - Your username is your personal email address and you will use this whenever you log onto the RAF-Comrade-Contact Website. The reason for this is that you should not forget your email address where as a generic username can be mislaid.

Answer 2 - Your username when you are in the Member Forum is the name you wish to be referred to as. This is the name that when you make a comment in the forum and when you log on here you are known as.

Question - How do I get onto the Message Forum?

Answer - You will need to register with the Member Forum once you go into it, this will enable you to post a reply and interact with the members. If you try to post a reply and are not logged in, the bottom of the screen will show that you cannot post replies or interact.

When you register here (you will only need to do this once and subsequently will need to log on at any subsequent visit) you may pick any name to be your username here, this is not your email address (for privacy reasons) and can be simply a name you are referred to on the site - this will come up against any comments you make on the forum such as 'Peter5'.

Once you are a member of the forum, you will need to log on at each subsequent visit but you may actively use the forum from now on.

Further information about using the Forum can be obtained from the Help facility located at the top of the page once you are in the Forum.

Question - How do I search for an Old Comrade

Answer - The search facility - Member Search (through the main menu) enables you to use one or several of the various categories to search for an individual.

You can search by Member Forename, Surname, Nickname, City, Station, Squadron and Dates by either typing their details into the box or selecting the details from the drop down box. There is no need to fill out all of the boxes but the more detail you enter, the more refined your search becomes.

Example: Should you wish to find anyone stationed at RAF Cosford for the 10 year period you were stationed there - simply select Cosford and put the years in and all registered members with RAF-Comrade-Contact will appear on the screen.

You are able to make contact with any of these people by their names which will automatically take you to the email facility on the site so you can contact them directly.

Answer 2 - You are also able to put a message on our message board in the Member Forum (through the main menu) under Reunions, Events and Comrade Search where there is a specific message board for Comrade searching.

Question - How do I make the page easier to read? i.e. enlarge or reduce the size of the text?

Answer - This is a setting on your individual computer and is easy to change and will apply when you view any website on the internet.

At the top of your page go to the View drop down menu (next to File and Edit when viewing through Internet Explorer - possibly different for other Web Browsers).

Drop down the View menu, go down to Text Size - often this is set at Medium - you can amend this to either be larger or smaller at your preference.

Question - How do I read the text in the drop down boxes when registering and entering my service history? I can't read the years or the stations.

Answer - Your text size may be too large to read the text in these boxes, to change this temporarily - please do the following:

At the top of your browser, click on View, Text Size and alter the text size to medium - this generally solves this in order to read the years and stations adequately in the boxes. You can change this back the same way at any time.

Question - How do I talk to the Managers of RAF-Comrade-Contact?

Answer - Just click on the 'Contact Us' menu option on any page where you are able to fill out a form which will be received by us here - we aim to respond to every query within 48 hours. Equally, you may click on the email hyperlink underneath our logo on each page which will automatically take you to your email provider where you can compose a message. Alternatively, please email webmaster@rafa.org.uk

Question - How can I help the RAF Association (RAFA)?

Answer - Your help can be given in many ways from helping with collections through your local Branch to making a small donation on line. Please follow this link to our RAFA site for more information - click here.