Per ardua ad astra
Per ardua ad astra ( lat. Through difficulties [better “hardness” or “ambition”] to the stars ) is the motto of the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces, such as the RAAF , RNZAF and the earlier RCAF . It dates from April 1913 and was used by the newly formed Royal Flying Corps .
origin
The first commanding officer of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) was Colonel Frederick Sykes . He asked his officers to devise a motto for the new service that would produce a strong esprit de corps .
Shortly afterwards, two junior officers went from the officers' mess in Farnborough to Cody's Shed on the Laffan Plain. As they walked, they discussed the problem of the motto and one of them, Lieutenant JS Yule, mentioned the phrase “Sic itur ad Astra” (how to attain immortality) by Virgil . He then expanded this with the sentence “Per Ardua ad Astra”, which he translated as “Through fights to the stars”. Colonel Sykes confirmed this as a motto and passed it on to the War Department. It was then presented to the king, who approved its adoption.
reception
See also
Web links
- The Royal Air Force motto - "Per Ardua ad Astra" ( Memento from December 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ The Royal Air Force Badge raf.mod.uk, accessed March 22, 2011.
- ^ Royal Air Force - RAF Heraldry Trust. In: rafht.co.uk. Accessed March 5, 2019 .