RAF crew scrawled a message on a missile on its way to blast ISIS targets in Syria that read 'Love from Manchester.'
The defiant note was initially believed to be a social media hoax but RAF bosses confirmed its veracity later today.
It is understood it was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in the Middle East, in response to Monday night's terror attack at Manchester Arena that claimed 22 innocent victims.
RAF crew write 'Love from Manchester' on side of Paveway bomb on its way to blast ISIS targets in Syria
The defiant note on missile was initially believed to be a social media hoax
However RAF bosses confirmed its veracity with MailOnline this evening
Was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in Middle East
Followed Monday night's terror attack in Manchester that claimed 22 victims
By Thomas Burrows for MailOnline
26 May 2017
RAF crew scrawled a message on a missile on its way to blast ISIS targets in Syria that read 'Love from Manchester.'
The defiant note was initially believed to be a social media hoax but RAF bosses confirmed its veracity later today.
It is understood it was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in the Middle East, in response to Monday night's terror attack at Manchester Arena that claimed 22 innocent victims.
It was reported to be a Hellfire missile on social media, although it was later confirmed as a Paveway IV bomb.
The message 'Love from Manchester' was written on a Hellfire missile destined for ISIS
The picture appeared on Twitter with the caption: 'RAF Armourer on a Reaper UAV squadron wrote this on a Hellfire (sic) missile before taking off on a Syria mission'.
An RAF spokesman told MailOnline: 'The RAF can confirm the photo was genuine'.
A source said: 'The sentiment of the message is understandable under the circumstances.
'There's a history of messages being written on missiles in the RAF.
'It's unlikely the individual responsible for it will be disciplined.'
The tradition of writing messages on bombs dates back to the Second World War and has featured in every conflict since.
Following the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015 that left 130 dead, the message 'From Paris, With Love' daubed on American bombs and missiles bound for ISIS strongholds.
Russian military also inscribed 'For Paris' on bombs destined for ISIS targets in Syria, in solidarity with the victims of those horrifying attacks in the French capital.
'TO HITLER': MESSAGES ON BOMBS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Writing messages on bombs has become a tradition since the Second World War, where it is believed to have originated.
British and US airmen would use chalk to write taunts on the side of the explosives, often directed at Adolf Hitler.
Examples included 'Happy Easter to Adolph', 'Run, Rommel! Run!' and 'May this be your last Rising Sun', referring to Japan.
Messages on bombs are believed to have originated during the Second World War when airman would scrawl insults to Germany and Japan on the side of the explosives
These airmen were pictured painting 'Happy Easter to Adolph!' during the bombing of Nazi Germany
US forces wrote messages to Japan reminding them they 'had not forgotten' about Pearl Harbour
The tradition continued into the Vietnam War, with the messages often displaying national pride and referring to the home towns of those who wrote them
Decorating weapons became commonplace throughout the military, with soldiers often etching messages on their rifles or helmets, sometimes aiming insults at the enemy or referring to their national pride and home towns.
It has continued to this day, through conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf wars.
Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Americans wrote insults on bombs aimed at Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden during the War on Terror.
They included 'Dear Osama, special delivery from the cheerleaders of America', 'NYPD says Hi' and 'To Saddam, this one's for you!'
More recently messages have been inspired by reactions to terror attacks, with the Russians writing 'For Paris' on bombs dropped on ISIS in Syria.
Bombs also bore revenge messages regarding the September 11 attacks during the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq
The US continued the tradition by scrawling messages on bombs during the Iraq War, addressing the explosives to Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden
Russian airmen wrote 'For Paris' on explosives, pictured, dropped on ISIS in Syria following the horrific terror attack in November 2015
The US and UK forces also wrote messages in support of Paris on bombs used in air strikes against ISIS
Read more: RAF crew write 'Love from Manchester' on Hellfire missile* | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
The defiant note was initially believed to be a social media hoax but RAF bosses confirmed its veracity later today.
It is understood it was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in the Middle East, in response to Monday night's terror attack at Manchester Arena that claimed 22 innocent victims.
RAF crew write 'Love from Manchester' on side of Paveway bomb on its way to blast ISIS targets in Syria
The defiant note on missile was initially believed to be a social media hoax
However RAF bosses confirmed its veracity with MailOnline this evening
Was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in Middle East
Followed Monday night's terror attack in Manchester that claimed 22 victims
By Thomas Burrows for MailOnline
26 May 2017
RAF crew scrawled a message on a missile on its way to blast ISIS targets in Syria that read 'Love from Manchester.'
The defiant note was initially believed to be a social media hoax but RAF bosses confirmed its veracity later today.
It is understood it was the brainchild of a drone squadron based at a secret location in the Middle East, in response to Monday night's terror attack at Manchester Arena that claimed 22 innocent victims.
It was reported to be a Hellfire missile on social media, although it was later confirmed as a Paveway IV bomb.
The message 'Love from Manchester' was written on a Hellfire missile destined for ISIS
The picture appeared on Twitter with the caption: 'RAF Armourer on a Reaper UAV squadron wrote this on a Hellfire (sic) missile before taking off on a Syria mission'.
An RAF spokesman told MailOnline: 'The RAF can confirm the photo was genuine'.
A source said: 'The sentiment of the message is understandable under the circumstances.
'There's a history of messages being written on missiles in the RAF.
'It's unlikely the individual responsible for it will be disciplined.'
The tradition of writing messages on bombs dates back to the Second World War and has featured in every conflict since.
Following the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015 that left 130 dead, the message 'From Paris, With Love' daubed on American bombs and missiles bound for ISIS strongholds.
Russian military also inscribed 'For Paris' on bombs destined for ISIS targets in Syria, in solidarity with the victims of those horrifying attacks in the French capital.
'TO HITLER': MESSAGES ON BOMBS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Writing messages on bombs has become a tradition since the Second World War, where it is believed to have originated.
British and US airmen would use chalk to write taunts on the side of the explosives, often directed at Adolf Hitler.
Examples included 'Happy Easter to Adolph', 'Run, Rommel! Run!' and 'May this be your last Rising Sun', referring to Japan.
Messages on bombs are believed to have originated during the Second World War when airman would scrawl insults to Germany and Japan on the side of the explosives
These airmen were pictured painting 'Happy Easter to Adolph!' during the bombing of Nazi Germany
US forces wrote messages to Japan reminding them they 'had not forgotten' about Pearl Harbour
The tradition continued into the Vietnam War, with the messages often displaying national pride and referring to the home towns of those who wrote them
Decorating weapons became commonplace throughout the military, with soldiers often etching messages on their rifles or helmets, sometimes aiming insults at the enemy or referring to their national pride and home towns.
It has continued to this day, through conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf wars.
Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Americans wrote insults on bombs aimed at Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden during the War on Terror.
They included 'Dear Osama, special delivery from the cheerleaders of America', 'NYPD says Hi' and 'To Saddam, this one's for you!'
More recently messages have been inspired by reactions to terror attacks, with the Russians writing 'For Paris' on bombs dropped on ISIS in Syria.
Bombs also bore revenge messages regarding the September 11 attacks during the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq
The US continued the tradition by scrawling messages on bombs during the Iraq War, addressing the explosives to Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden
Russian airmen wrote 'For Paris' on explosives, pictured, dropped on ISIS in Syria following the horrific terror attack in November 2015
The US and UK forces also wrote messages in support of Paris on bombs used in air strikes against ISIS
Read more: RAF crew write 'Love from Manchester' on Hellfire missile* | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
