this is bbc news. our main headlines for you the british cabinet ministers are backing theresa may's controversial plan on leaving the european union after intense negotiations at the prime minister's country residence. the duo proposes a free trade area with a blog for industrial and agricultural goods. rescue teens in thailand succeed in getting an airline to the cave where 12 boys and their football coach are trapped. but there'll be no rescue attempt in the next few hours. china has retaliated against the us, matching tariffs imposed by washington worth $34 billion. beijing is accusing the trump administration of starting the largest trade war in economic history. and brazil aren't out of the world cup, belgium beat the former champions 2—1 in a thrilling game and we will now —— will now join france in the final four of the tournament. that is it from me at ten o'clock, rita will be here with a full round up of the day's news

but first here is sophie ray worked with a special programme ahead of the scene scenery of the raf called into the blue. —— sophie raworth. this is the last world war i aerodrome left in europe. young pilot group from here to confront the giant german airships that were crossing the channel to attack london. it was the first time the airpower had been used in warfare will stop so, what was it like for those pioneering pilot and their tiny aircraft like this one who were fighting in the skies above britain, france and belgium? among them was a teenager who joined france and belgium? among them was a teenager whojoined the france and belgium? among them was a teenager who joined the royal flying corps in 1916. his name was edwin ray werth, and he was my grandfather. they got in the aircraft knowing that there was a better than likely chance they were not coming back. for a new pilot and the life

expectancy could be between 11 and 17 days. some people to and did it all over again. just terrifying, terrifying. until very recently, i never knew my grandfather had been a pilot in world war i. and then my father told me to look inside a dusty old suitcase in their seller. it's really heavy. it is so heavy. incredible. look at that, if god initials on it. oh, my goodness. look at that. wow. look at all this stuff, photographs a cat. look at that, it's beautiful. that is his

royal flying corps had. it is the cap my grandfather was wearing when he posed with fellow pilots for the only photo we have from his short flying career. we have now got all this extraordinary step, which when you look at it is incredible. it is. about 100 years old. what did you think we need down all of this?” was astonished. first i was astonished by the weight of the case. and also, these things here. the cap is obvious. that he wore that. and the cats, we knew somehow that. and the cats, we knew somehow that he had that for good luck.” love this. i find that extraordinary. that is absolutely beautiful. it's100 years old, is that the? yes. do we know, did he carry it in the aircraft with him? yes. did he? he flew with the cat for luck. and he was lucky because he was one of the pilots who did

come back alive. he did. how much does grandpa tell you about what he did in world war i? very little indeed. he never really spoke about it at all. i'm immensely proud of him, even though he was very secretive about what he did, and i think i would love to let —— i would love to know more about what he did, how he did it. edwin raworth was just 17 when he left home to join the royal flying corps. he was a child when the early pioneers of aviation were launching their fragile machines, and making history. he may just fragile machines, and making history. he mayjust have remembered the excitement about frenchman louis valerio when he landed at dover castle after becoming the first man to fly across the english channel. aero planes were here to stay, and within three years they have replaced balloons as a way of

keeping an eye on the enemy. my grandfather was an inexperienced teenager when hejoined grandfather was an inexperienced teenager when he joined up, grandfather was an inexperienced teenager when hejoined up, like so many of the early wartime pilots. the pilots of world war i came from all sorts of different branches of the armed forces. they came from the army, they came from the navy, and they came in search of a new life with the royal flying corps, so they came foran with the royal flying corps, so they came for an escape from the claustrophobia and mud of the trenches and they wanted to embrace the new field of aviation that was so the new field of aviation that was so exciting to these young idealistic men. and they were very, very young, were they? incredibly young. they were around the early to mid 20s, i know your grandfather entered at the age of 17 and cut the rules. they were incredibly young and ina rules. they were incredibly young and in a lot of cases very underqualified to be flying the aircraft that they were. some of those early planes have

survived and are kept here at the raf museum in north london. around and above me were creations of wood and above me were creations of wood and wire, that made you wonder how they stayed in the air. these planes are beautiful, aren't they? yes, they are marvellous things. they are made in survivors and over here we have... made in survivors and over here we have. . . what made in survivors and over here we have... what my grandmother flew. exactly the type of thing. and the construction is amazing. it's a wooden frame around which is stretched the irish went in and you can hear its type and also been lacquered with... linen? linen fabric that's been covered to keep it airtight and it's almost like plastic the way it is done. it looks so plastic the way it is done. it looks so fragile and flimsy. that is right. early construction techniques we re right. early construction techniques were kind of a bit of trial and

error. the whole thing, the wings are braced in shape with piano wires. so, factories that would produce things like that would also be urged to make aircraft, make things for the war effort so those factory workers would do that. things for the war effort so those factory workers would do thatm was so new. factory workers would do thatm was so new. manned flight was... 1908 in britain. the first manned flight 1908 in britain. the first manned flight and these guys are going up 1916, 1917, so less than a decade later. that is right, that is it. my grandfather started off in reconnaissance, flying over france, taking images of the battlefields from a plane like that. that is right. they did not have parachutes either, did they? no parachute at all. the authorities would consider that if you are in danger, if you're aircraft was damaged and you are a bit scared about bad you mightjust ta ke bit scared about bad you mightjust take to the parachute and leave. the other theory that goes with that is of course that parachutes were enormous in those days. there was no

where to put them inside the plane and the word to hook them on the side. just terrifying. absolutely. you wonder how frightened they must have been or did theyjust take it in their stride? i think because these machines were all that there was, and in many cases much better than being in the trenches. absolutely. really tough. it would not have been long before edwin raworth had a taste of what lay ahead of him. his first clothing issue was a clue to life in the cockpit. is this the kind of stuff they would have worn? this is exactly what they would have won, they would have won us over their uniforms, but that is not sufficient to keep them warm because they are in subzero temperatures and this is the clothing —— clothing you need to survive. your grandfather would've had to put this all on and he would've had help with that. can i touch it? you certainly can. there are reid there are some goggles and may protect you from extreme cold,

the wind created by the propeller, there is a helmet. hardly a helmet. that is it is it. it excludes some of the noise of the engine, cut out some of the extreme cold and that is 100 years old now. here we have a state cop suit issued in 1917, they would've had to go to a department store to buy these and regent street, yes. robinson and cleaver was one of the shops near piccadilly. they are really heavy. very heavy, quilted, lots of layers, lots of stepping. and gloves as well, not dissimilar to what raf crews had to wear nowadays. you wear a silk gloves to keep the sweat off and to stop it from freezing and you might weara and to stop it from freezing and you might wear a will and to stop it from freezing and you might weara willand and to stop it from freezing and you might wear a will and gloves. leather on the fingers and so you can still control your plan, and all of this sheepskin in this case traps the heat, keeps the cold air out. my

grandfather joined hundreds of cadets a mouthful of youthful enthusiasm, some from far beyond the uk. -- enthusiasm, some from far beyond the uk. —— filled with youthful enthusiasm. dario herrera travelled around the world from japan to do his bit for the allies —— harry omara. he heard about the war in you heard about england and he decided tojoin up to. he heard about england and he decided to join up to. he fought heard about england and he decided tojoin up to. he fought in heard about england and he decided to join up to. he fought in the trenches. he had 70 wounds in all, because afterwards they said it was a miracle that he was still going on and wanting to go on and not giving up. he insisted he wanted to fly after he heard about it. and they took him

on, but as a mechanic because it was the start of this flying business. but he was very, very good. very, very good. the girls who were there, secretary or whatever, they kept on saying i want to go also, so he set all right, come on. come with me so she got in the back and he blew her up she got in the back and he blew her up and then he said he suddenly stalled the engine and he said come on, come and kiss me now and she started yelling. so he brought the plane down quickly and landed. pilots were so inexperienced that many never even made it to france. training squadrons reported at least one cadet killed in a crash every day. unfortunately and a lot of cases a lot of them felt they were handed a manual, sit up and were ready to go but of course they

really weren't. —— sent up. in the first years a lot of the casualties sustained were in training itself. we know that about 8000 men perished in the first 15 hours of training, considering that about 16,000 died overall in the war of british airmen, it was an incredible percentage that struggled in those early years. and credible. so many people died in the training alone. just in the training, yes. edwin raworth had to learn quickly. his service record shows him training on different aircraft at bases around the uk. six months after joining bases around the uk. six months afterjoining up bases around the uk. six months after joining up he bases around the uk. six months afterjoining up he wasjudged ready for front—line service. this afterjoining up he wasjudged ready forfront—line service. this is afterjoining up he wasjudged ready for front—line service. this is the pilot's ready room, where these young men would have come and try to get sleep orjust young men would have come and try to get sleep or just sat around waiting for their next mission, and it's extraordinary to think that my grandfather would have come into a

place like this. he was so young, 17, 18 years old, and it does make me wonder whether he was right or not. because the reality was that it was only a matter of days for most pilots before they were either killed or injured. the restored first world war aerodrome at stone mares in essex is one of the last places where you can still get a real sense of life in the royal flying corps. there's certain things that resonate today, but the bravery. ian flint is in charge of the restoration work. the sort of calibre that these men were, we really cannot understand that. they really cannot understand that. they really were the cavaliers. cavaliers, nothing less. they had to put their own personal safety completely out of their mind, because if you thought about personal safety you would not even get in one. it is that simple. so, the plane that my grandfather flew,

what would it have been like for him? terrifying. there's no other word for it, terrifying. yes, you are ina word for it, terrifying. yes, you are in a two seater but there were no calm, there was a radio between the two of you, you are shouting and banging each other to gain attention. you are freezing, terrified. there is oil because you're in the front, oil is being blown directly into your place. —— into your face. you are flying on a plane that has no armour and if you look at the journals and diaries it is all the same and it is something thatis is all the same and it is something that is echoed by military and aviation combat in the world over. anyone who says they were not terrified is either crazy or lying. asa terrified is either crazy or lying. as a trainee bomber pilot, my grandfather had a better chance of survival than the men who became known as the suicide squad. exhausted and living on their nerves, most fighter pilots lasted less tha n nerves, most fighter pilots lasted less than a month. gently pull the joystick back

towards you now. this is absolutely extraordinary. i'm going to crash. no, you're not. you can look around,. this was as close to combat asi around,. this was as close to combat as i could get. don't play in a straight line, always leave, always look over your shoulder. don't get fixated... dennis has build a simulator based on those actually used in 1916. keep it inside. just above, that is it. this is utterly extraordinary. i cannot even... i could be in the air. it is so realistic. definitely. full hardback. as much back as you can and that will tighten the turn. now start leveling off. start shooting it now. look where the bodies are going, nose down and that is where you need to lead the target, but you need... that is not bad at all.”

cannot imagine being a pilot in one of these. i can see... i have obviously read and heard so much about what my grandfather did, and he was so young when he did it, but to sit in that and to have such a real experience of what it must be like is actually rather moving. i cannot believe he did it. i cannot believe he had to do this. a handful of pilots did manage to extend their lives with a mixture of bravery and bravado. these were the aces, responsible for shooting down dozens aces, responsible for shooting down d oze ns of aces, responsible for shooting down dozens of their opponents. the most successful of all was a german, the red baron. look at that.

and here we've got, so, that's one of the very early german plane, isn't it? this man is the baron's great—nephew. how did your uncle began in the war was not what was he doing at the start of world war i? he was part of the cavalry and afterwards the mustapha. he became a pilot in 1915? 15, 16. and he was very young. he was very young, because he died a few days before his 26th birthday on the beginning of may. he was of course the most famous pilot in world war i. he had 80 kills... 80 kills. he shut down

the aeroplanes, but not every pilot was dead, many were landing. afterwards in the evening there was drinking and because, you know... there was drinking? with englishmen. really? yes. not like today where nobody sees you work will shut down. he was an extraordinary pilot. he shot down 80 aircraft, but then one day he... he was shot from the earth and then he fell down with his aeroplanes and the soldiers came and took everything off his aeroplanes. the soldiers did? because he was so famous, wasn't he? yes, and therefore they gave him a... they

gave them a formal military burial, the enemy buried him? amazing. he was really revered and respected. incredible, what an incredible man. edwin raworth would have seen the horrors of air warfare from it —— for himself. 14,000 allied pilots died in the daily battles above the trenches. thousands more suffered burns or horrific injuries. 0nce again, my grandfather was lucky. when his aircraft crashed after a photographing mission in may of 1918, he and his pilot walked away with only minor injuries. i was beginning to get a much bigger picture of edwin raworth‘s experiences, and those of the young men who lived and died around him. the fellow bomber pilot, captain w e

johns, used his experiences to create the fictional character bagels that went on to be read by generations of children. they were serialised in modern boy covers. a complete collection of first election books. roger harris has collected every single one of the books and articles. this is signed bywe books and articles. this is signed by w e johns. his plane was hit by anti—aircraft fire. it burst the petrol tank, he dropped out of formation, he was set upon by german plane, shot down under a hail of bullets, his rear gunner was killed. all of those experiences, he can put into his novels, because he knows what it feels like to be shot down some 20,000 feet. in fact, there is a book called the first of the many by a book called the first of the many by alan moore is where he pays tribute to captain w e johns, and he says the nation owes him a great

debt for his books, which encouraged thousands of people to join the auxiliary air force and the raf volu nta ry reserve auxiliary air force and the raf voluntary reserve and of course in the 30s we needed pilots by 1939. hello. good morning. this is my father, richard, jenny. wow, here you are coming here is the plane. more than 100 years after my grandfather flew for the first time, i was about to get a sense of what it would have been like. wow. this is the beauty. a replica, it's a hundred years old, is it? the great war display team restore and fly aircraft from the period. pulled a

sta ble aircraft from the period. pulled a stable endless laws of the can photograph down on the trenches and it was actually pretty successful of late to the war. no means of self—defense though. late to the war. no means of self-defense though. so it was cannon fodder but they knew they we re cannon fodder but they knew they were up there today photographed.- ta ke were up there today photographed.- take photographs. what is it like to fly? you'll find it very interesting. what is it like seeing this plane? her father flew interesting. what is it like seeing this plane? herfatherflew in this. extraordinary that he flew in one of those, and in combat as well. extraordinary that he flew in one of those, and in combat as wellm extraordinary that he flew in one of those, and in combat as well. it is time to go flying, sophie. i'm taking my grandfather's lucky mascot with me. oh, the lucky black cat, come on then. this cat has not been in the airfor100 come on then. this cat has not been in the air for 100 years. i never met my grandfather, but for just a moment i suddenly felt very close to him. a frightened teenager in the skies above france, and i

started to understand why he rarely shared his wartime memories. thank you. that was just extraordinary. that was incredible. i was actually really nervous about going up in that, but that was incredible. you could also quickly, you disappeared. i couldn't even get the lens on. my dad would have been really so proud of you. do you think so? i do. amazing. amazing to have done that. edwin raworth was still flying

bombing missions in france when the world it to lead the war ended in november 19 18. —— when the war ended. by then the royal flying corps and the royal naval air service had combined to form the new royal air force. but my grandfather had had enough. three years after world war i he said his goodbyes, slipped back into civilian life and raised a family. but the experience stayed with him for the rest of his life. the grandfather captain edwin raworth left the new raf in 1921. until now all it had is a photograph of him with one of his aeroplanes and his lucky black cat, but i really feel now that i got a much better sense of what he must have been through as a teenager. the fear he must have felt, the horror of it all, and it does explain why he never talked about it to anyone. and he never got in an aeroplane again. good evening. no surprises today, no

surprises really over the weekend either. today with strong sunshine of it like this, we saw temperatures getting over 30 degrees or so. and over the weekend there'll be areas of cloud but it's going to be dry and there'll be spells of sunshine and there'll be spells of sunshine and if it is not hot is going to be very won for most places. not much happening really overnight. it is dry, there'll be clear spells around, still got a lot of heat left over from the daybell across the

southern of the uk, particularly in urban areas where it's going to be quite an uncomfortable night for sleeping. furthermore it slightly cooler, fresher air so there's temperatures that are more co mforta ble temperatures that are more comfortable at 10—12d. i warm up very quickly tomorrow in the sunshine. not much breeze around at all. some cloud coming and going, sunshine could be a little tv at times with the threat of low cloud lingering around some irish sea coast. temperatures a bit high for scotla nd coast. temperatures a bit high for scotland and northern ireland, typically the low 20s. high 20s widely for england and wales peaking at 30, 31 or so towards the southeast. high pressure in charge this weekend, just about all of the uk. another one of these very weak weather fronts, we seen a few recently. nibbling into the far north of scotland, bringing this band of cloud here, maybe a little bit of drizzle particularly over the highlands. 0therwise bit of drizzle particularly over the highlands. otherwise i think it's going to be a dry day, plenty of sunshine, that of their weather cloud developing and another scorching day across england and wales. you can see we have cooler conditions across the northwest of scotland, temperatures elsewhere in scotland, temperatures elsewhere in scotland, northern ireland much like

those of saturday. we get to high 32 01’ so those of saturday. we get to high 32 or so around the london area is 90 fahrenheit. into the early part of next week still got high pressure in charge, but the centre of the high, just out to the west. around it we are drawing down somewhat cooler air from the north and tracking down a fair bit of cloud on monday, down the eastern side of england. the produce a few spots of drizzle towards the coast but not really winning the crown. sunnier skies for the west and the heat is getting pushed more towards the south and west of england and wales. temperatures probably up to around 20 degrees or so whereas for eastern parts of england, eastern scotland those numbers will be quite a bit lower than over the weekend. in general, as we move into next week with high pressure around, looked like it is staying dry but it won't be quite as hot day and night. family into that grave with you.

theresa may declares a cabinet breakthrough on brexit announces ministers have a shared position on the way ahead. a split cabinet brought together to hammer out a united position. the prime minister said it was an important further step. this is a proposal that i believe will be good for the uk and good for the eu and i look forward to it being received positively.