Canberra B.6 bombers of No.101 Squadron RAF on an exercise (IWM neg CAM1688)

The English Electric Canberra, Britain's first jet bomber, entered RAF service in 1951 and showed as the Mosquito had, that a high-performance unarmed medium bomber could avoid enemy fighters.

Canberras saw action over Malaya in 1954 - 1956 and during the Suez Crisis, and then went on to serve in the tactical nuclear bomber role. They were widely exported and manufactured under licence in the United States as the Martin B-57.

The PR 9 Reconnaissance version continued in RAF service until 2006.

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