query: when did the royal flying corps became the raf

pos: Royal Flying Corps the modern RAF. A typical example is James McCudden's grave, though there are many others. The following had command of the RFC in the Field: The following served as chief of staff for the RFC in the Field: Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War, until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC supported the British Army by artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance. This

pos: RAF Upavon Upavon. Two officers of the CFS at Upavon developed the bomb sight between 1914–1915, and this was used in a very successful manner at the Western Front. For a short period of time during 1917, Upavon was used as an "air fighting school". On 1 April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps became the Royal Air Force, and Upavon became Royal Air Force Station Upavon, commonly abbreviated to RAF Upavon. Accordingly, the former Army Central Flying School became Royal Air Force Central Flying School (RAF CFS). The RAF CFS became the centre of training of all RAF flying instructors. Upavon is

pos: RAF Spitalgate RAF Spitalgate RAF Spitalgate formerly known as RFC Station Grantham and RAF Station Grantham was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station, located south east of the centre of Grantham, Lincolnshire, England fronting onto the main A52 road. The station opened in 1915 as Royal Flying Corps Station Grantham, becoming RAF Station Grantham on 1 April 1918 - a name it bore until 1942 when it was renamed as RAF Station Spitalgate. Throughout the First World War the station was a flying training facility and headquarters of No. 21 Group RAF, RAF Flying Training Command. The main lodging

pos: Leadenham Aerodrome Leadenham Aerodrome Leadenham Aerodrome was a Royal Flying Corps First World War airfield at Leadenham, Lincolnshire, England. It became RAF Leadenham in April 1918 until it closed in 1919. In 1916 an 86-acre landing field was established to the east of Leadenham village for the use of detachments of 38 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 biplane fighters which were used to defend against Zeppelin attacks. These detachments continued until May 1918 when the squadron moved to France. In August 1918 No. 90 Squadron RAF was based with a detachment of

pos: RAF Mousehold Heath RAF Mousehold Heath The area of Norwich between the Salhouse and Plumstead roads (outside of the outer ring road) was originally the Cavalry Training Ground and then became the Royal Flying Corps Mousehold Heath aerodrome where Boulton Paul, among other manufacturers, passed over the aircraft they made for service. It was sometimes known as Norwich aerodrome by the Royal Flying Corps before it became Royal Air Force Station Mousehold Heath in April 1918. After the First World War, Boulton and Paul continued to use the site. The Norwich & Norfolk Aero Club was formed at the airfield in 1927 which

pos: No. 52 Squadron RAF Aircraft Factory B.E.2s of 34 Squadron. It re-equipped again with R.E.8s in May, flying in support of the allied offensives at Ypres that summer. In March 1918 it suffered heavy losses flying ground attack sorties against the German Spring Offensive in March 1918. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force when the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918, continuing in the Corps Reconnaissance role, for the rest of the war. It returned to the United Kingdom in February 1919, disbanding at Lopcombe Corner on 23 October 1919. No 52 Squadron

pos: Arthur Spurling No. 49 Squadron RAF in July 1918, flying the Airco DH.9, a light bomber with two crew members (a pilot and an observer who doubled as a defensive gunner). By then, the Royal Flying Corps had merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to create the independent Royal Air Force (RAF), to which service Spurling now belonged. On 23 August 1918, Spurling was returning from a bombing mission when he became separated from his formation. Thinking he was over the British lines, he prepared to land on a German airfield near Lens which he mistook for

pos: Group (military aviation unit) German groups was the "escadron" or Geschwader. In the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), a squadron was usually composed of 18–24 aircraft. When the Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed in 1918 from a merger of the RFC and RNAS, an officer with the rank of Colonel typically commanded a group. The following year, when the RAF introduced its own rank system, RAF colonels became group captains, reflecting both the level of command responsibility and the seniority of naval captains (the equivalent Royal Navy rank). By World War II, the "groupes" of the "Armée de

pos: VIII Brigade RAF VIII Brigade RAF The VIII Brigade or 8th Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps and from 1 April 1918, Royal Air Force, was a bomber formation which carried out air raids against Germany in the First World War. The VIII Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps was created on 28 December 1917 by raising the 41st Wing to Brigade status. The 41st Wing continued to exist as a subordinate formation of the VIII Brigade. The VIII Brigade's only Commander was Brigadier-General C. L. N. Newall. Although the VIII Brigade had been established in December 1917 it did not exercise command

pos: Charles Sims (RAF officer) Squadron, which later became No. 213 Squadron RAF when the RNAS was merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. Flying a Sopwith Camel single-seat fighter he was diligent in trench strafing and ground support missions. He also scored nine aerial victories between 9 July and 9 November 1918, just before the end of hostilities. His most notable wins were on 25 September, when one Fokker D.VII he downed spun into a second, taking it out also; and his triple win on 14 October. His final tally was a balloon and

pos: Christopher Draper the ground. On 1 April 1918, 8 Naval Squadron became No. 208 Squadron RAF when the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps merged to become the Royal Air Force. Draper refused to wear the new blue RAF uniform, and continued to wear the old Naval blacks. On 13 October 1918, he was wounded by anti-aircraft fire. One morning while flying towards the front lines Draper accidentally flew under a bridge while in full view of a large body of troops. The troops cheered so heartily that Draper repeated the stunt wherever possible. This earned him his nickname "The Mad Major".

pos: Alfred Haines (RAF officer) Alfred Haines (RAF officer) Lieutenant Alfred John Haines (1898–10 August 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Haines joined the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet, was appointed a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 14 July 1917, and confirmed in his rank on 26 September. He was assigned to No. 45 Squadron in Italy, flying the Sopwith Camel. He gained his first victory on 4 February 1918, destroying an Albatros D.V over Susegana. His next did not come until 7 June, when he set two Albatros D.IIIs afire over Arsiera. He then

pos: RAF Throwley in June 1919 112 Squadron RAF was disbanded and the land was returned to agricultural use. RAF Throwley Royal Air Force Throwley or more simply RAF Throwley is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) installation located south of Throwley, Kent and north of Ashford, Kent. The installation was also used by the Royal Flying Corps was previously called Throwley Aerodrome before being taken over the RAF during April 1918 and renamed to its current name. Land situated between Bells Forstal and Throwley Forstal, including Dodds Willows and the Bells Forstal farmhouse was acquired by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916

pos: RAF Acklington RAF Acklington Royal Air Force Station Acklington, simply known as RAF Acklington, is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station located south west of Amble, Northumberland and north east of Morpeth, Northumberland. The airfield was operational initially from 1916 being used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and from April 1918 its successor the Royal Air Force (RAF) before being closed in 1920 however it was reopened in 1938 being used by the RAF until 1975. After 1975 the site was turned over to Her Majesty's Prison Service for the creation of two new prisons. Acklington was

pos: No. 87 Squadron RAF No. 87 Squadron RAF No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War. 87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flying School. On 17 December 1917, it moved to Hounslow Heath Aerodrome and was equipped with Sopwith Dolphins and S.E.5As, moving on to France in April 1918. After the armistice, the squadron moved back to England and was disbanded at RAF Ternhill on 24 June 1919. The squadron did have seven aces on this

pos: RAF Throwley RAF Throwley Royal Air Force Throwley or more simply RAF Throwley is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) installation located south of Throwley, Kent and north of Ashford, Kent. The installation was also used by the Royal Flying Corps was previously called Throwley Aerodrome before being taken over the RAF during April 1918 and renamed to its current name. Land situated between Bells Forstal and Throwley Forstal, including Dodds Willows and the Bells Forstal farmhouse was acquired by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 for use as a landing ground for home defence squadrons defending London and the Thames Estuary

pos: No. 142 Squadron RAF on Remembrance Sunday when a wreath is laid by an Ashdown Forest Ranger, at the request of Mrs Sutton, together with one from the Ashdown Forest Riding Association. The Ashdown Forest Centre has published a circular walk to the memorial from Hollies car park. No. 142 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formation of the Royal Air Force, on 1 April 1918, 142

pos: RAF Manywells Height Squadrons would have visited occasionally by day to check suitability for operations, but there is no evidence that it was ever used in its intended capacity. On the formation of the Royal Air Force from the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918, RFC Manywells Height became RAF Manywells Height. It was active until the 26 June 1919 when its use was discontinued by the Royal Air Force. The strip was on an official Air Ministry notification detailing aerial postal services from Hounslow (now Heathrow) to Manywells Height via Sheffield. The site was considered

pos: RAF Middle East Command RAF Middle East Command Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that had been activated in 1917 although a small Royal Flying Corps presence had been operational in the region since 1914. RAF Middle East Command was formed on 29 December 1941 following the redesignation of RAF Middle East. During the early part of the Second World War, the Command was one of the

pos: RAF Middle East Command Middle East (Air Officer's Commanding in Chief) Middle East Command RAF Middle East Command Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that had been activated in 1917 although a small Royal Flying Corps presence had been operational in the region since 1914. RAF Middle East Command was formed on 29 December 1941 following the redesignation of RAF Middle East. During the early part of

pos: Herbert Travers to flight commander on 30 June 1917. He served as the Commanding Officer of No. 11 (Naval) Squadron RNAS, a bomber squadron, from 11 March to 25 May 1918, during which time (on 1 April 1918) the Royal Naval Air Service was merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, and his unit became No. 211 Squadron RAF. On 1 May 1919 he was appointed an acting major, and was transferred to the RAF unemployed list on 24 August 1919. Travers returned to flying in 1926, being commissioned as a probationary flying officer (Class "A")

pos: Flying officer is equivalent to a lieutenant in the British Army or the Royal Marines. However, it is superior to the nearest equivalent rank of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force was "section officer". The term "flying officer" was originally used in the Royal Flying Corps as a flying appointment for junior officers, not a rank. On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service sub-lieutenants (entitled flight sub-lieutenants) and Royal Flying Corps lieutenants becoming lieutenants in the RAF. However, with

pos: Fittleton Netheravon Airfield was created for the Royal Flying Corps in 1913 from farmland in the southwest of the parish, and in 1918 became RAF Netheravon, an operational and training base. It was the home of No. 1 Flying Training School RAF from 1919 until 1931, and during the Second World War was used again for training and as a short-term base for operational squadrons, with glider and parachute activity from 1941. In 1963 the airfield and camp were transferred to the Army, and became AAC Netheravon (Army Air Corps) from 1966 until 2012. Part of the site is today used

pos: Almaza Air Base World War I the aerodrome was operated by the British Royal Flying Corps, housing several squadrons as well as a training wing, and then the Royal Air Force, being designated RAF Heliopolis in April 1918. In the inter-war period it remained an active RAF base, housing several squadrons, including No. 208 Squadron RAF which was based there almost continuously from 1927 until 1942. In the 1920s it was named Almaza Airport by the Egyptian government. It became the first base of the Egyptian Army Air Force (EAAF) when on 2 June 1932 the first five de Havilland Gipsy Moth trainer

pos: No. 107 Squadron RAF No. 107 Squadron RAF No. 107 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps bomber unit formed during the First World War. It was reformed in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and was operational during the Cold War on Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles. Though already formed at Catterick, as a day bomber unit on 8 October 1917, No. 107 Squadron was not equipped with aircraft until 15 May 1918 at RFC Lake Down, Salisbury, when it received Airco DH.9s, which it took to the Western Front on 3 June of that year. The squadron became at

pos: Hillingdon House training of recruits in ground gunnery, the RFC used parts of the estate not required by the Canadian hospital and established a firing range on the opposite side of the river from the house. When the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918, following the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, the Uxbridge site came under the control of the new service, becoming known as the RAF Central Depot, Uxbridge. The site was then split to form administratively two RAF stations: the area east of the River Pinn including Hillingdon House became

pos: RAF Eastchurch his untimely death, George Cockburn took his place, giving his services free of charge. Technical instruction was provided by Horace Short. The airfield later became the Naval Flying School, Eastchurch. Towards the end of World War I, on 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps amalgamated. The station at Eastchurch was transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force and was re-designated Royal Air Force Station Eastchurch, or RAF Eastchurch for short. During the last few months of the War, No. 204 Training Depot Station, the 64th (Naval) Wing and the 58th (Training) Wing

pos: No. 142 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formation of the Royal Air Force, on 1 April 1918, 142 Squadron was at RFC Julis in Palestine, becoming No. 142 Squadron RAF. After operations in Palestine the squadron retired to RAF Suez where it disbanded on 1 February 1920, to form No. 55 Squadron RAF. Re-formed at RAF Netheravon on 1 June 1934, 142

pos: Mark Kerr (Royal Navy officer) he found himself in disagreement on several matters of strategy with Sir Hugh Trenchard, the Chief of the Air Staff and on 1 April 1918, when the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps were merged to form the RAF, Kerr left the Air Council and was appointed General Officer Commanding No. 2 Area with his headquarters at Chafyn Grove School in the Wiltshire city of Salisbury. In May 1918, with a renaming of the RAF's areas, Kerr was redesignated General Officer Commanding South Western Area. He retired from the RAF in October 1918. He later became a

pos: William Miller (RAF officer) the Northumberland Fusiliers until 15 July 1915, when he was transferred to the 20th (Service) Battalion (1st Tyneside Scottish), for service in France. Miller was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1917, and was appointed an acting captain while serving as a company commander from 31 May 1917 until 17 January 1918. Miller then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and was granted a commission as a second lieutenant (honorary lieutenant) on 15 May 1918, to serve as an observer officer. Miller was posted to No. 18 Squadron RAF on 4 April, only days after the Royal Flying Corps and

pos: No. 143 Squadron RAF No. 143 Squadron RAF No. 143 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter unit in the First World War and reformed as an RAF Coastal Command fighter and anti-submarine unit in Second World War. No. 143 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force a month later, but it disbanded on 31 October 1919 having operated the Sopwith Camel and Sopwith Snipe. The squadron reformed in June 1941 as a coastal command long range fighter unit based at RAF Aldergrove unit and equipped with

pos: No. 131 Squadron RAF No. 131 Squadron RAF No. 131 (County of Kent) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II. No. 131 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force, but it disbanded on 17 August 1918 without becoming operational. The squadron reformed in 1941 at RAF Ouston as a fighter unit equipped with Spitfires and then provided air defence for convoys from RAF Atcham and Llanbedr in Wales. It moved to

pos: Cuthbert Hoare France. In January 1917 Hoare was appointed Officer Commanding, Royal Flying Corps Canada, an organisation formed to recruit and train pilots and aircrew, with its main base at Borden, near Barrie, Ontario. On 1 August he was appointed brigade commander and became General Officer Commanding, with the temporary rank of brigadier-general. (His brother, Colonel Francis Hoare, served under him in charge of technical branch.) On 1 April 1918, the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and Hoare was commissioned into the RAF with the same rank.

pos: Royal Air Force Police Royal Air Force Police The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the Provost Marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defence missions. The RAFP was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RAF was formed by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. By the end of World War II there were 500 officers and 20,000 NCOs in the RAFP. In January 1947, the RAF Provost Branch

pos: Charles Lupton moved further south, and on the 22nd of that month Lupton, now flying with AGL A. G. Wood, drove down another Albatros D.V south-west of Vendhuile. He was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross, which was gazetted posthumously on 4 June 1918. His citation read: When the Royal Naval Air Service and the Army's Royal Flying Corps were merged to form the Royal Air Force on 1 April, Lupton was promoted to captain, and No. 5 (Naval) Squadron became No. 205 Squadron RAF. A week later, on 6 April 1918, he sent a Fokker Dr.I down in flames north-east of

pos: Hugh White (RAF officer) where he served as a flying instructor in No. 59 Training Squadron at RFC Yatesbury. He was promoted to lieutenant on 7 October, and from November served in No. 38 Training Squadron at Rendcomb. White returned to France on 25 February 1918 to fly a S.E.5a single-seat fighter in No. 29 Squadron RFC. On 1 April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force, and his unit became No. 29 Squadron RAF. On 15 May White drove down an Albatros D.V over Bailleul, then on three successive days, 17, 18

pos: No. 223 Squadron RAF No. 223 Squadron RAF No. 223 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Originally formed as part of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), the Squadron flew in both World Wars. What later became 223 Squadron was formed as B Flight (soon known as "B Squadron") of the RNAS operating from Mytilene on the island of Lesbos as a general duties unit. It was equipped with a mixture of aircraft types including the Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Airco DH.4. On 1 April 1918, the RNAS was merged with the Royal Flying Corps to produce the RAF, with

pos: No. 88 Squadron RAF No. 88 Squadron RAF No 88 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed at Gosport, Hampshire in July 1917 as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) squadron. After forming at Gosport in July 1917, the squadron was moved to France in April 1918 where it undertook fighter-reconnaissance duties. It was also involved in the development of air-to-air wireless telegraphy. After the foundation of the Royal Air Force in June 1918, the squadron became part of No. 80 Wing RAF, which specialised in attacks on German airfields. Despite its short service at the front, the

pos: RAF Machrihanish shelter from woodland, it is thought that the airfield saw little use by airships. On 1 April 1918, Machrihanish came under the control of the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF), when the RNAS was merged with the army's Royal Flying Corps. The airfield became part of No. 25 (Operations) Group, with No. 272 Squadron forming on 25 July 1918, operating eighteen Airco DH.6s on anti-submarine patrols in the Firth of Clyde. Along with its parent station at Luce Bay, Machrihanish closed towards the end of 1918, with the airfield transferring to civil aviation use. In the 1930s, it was

pos: No. 143 Squadron RAF the Bristol Beaufighter. It was then stationed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and East Anglia and employed on anti-shipping missions. It re-equipped with the de Havilland Mosquito and was disbanded on 25 May 1945. No. 143 Squadron RAF No. 143 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter unit in the First World War and reformed as an RAF Coastal Command fighter and anti-submarine unit in Second World War. No. 143 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force a month later, but it disbanded on

pos: No. 134 Squadron RAF No. 134 Squadron RAF No. 134 Squadron RAF was a part of the Royal Air Force which was formed as a light bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter squadron in World War II. No. 134 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force a month later but disbanded on 17 August 1918. The squadron reformed from a nucleus provided by 17 Squadron in July 1941 as a fighter unit equipped with Hawker Hurricanes stationed at RAF Leconfield. It was then based near Murmansk to

pos: No. 128 Squadron RAF No. 128 Squadron RAF No. 128 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a day bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II. No. 128 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 February 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force, but it disbanded on 4 July 1918 having not become operational. The squadron reformed in 1941 from a fighter unit equipped with Hurricanes in Sierra Leone. It was disbanded in 1943 and reformed in 1944 at RAF Wyton with Mosquitos as part of the

pos: No. 117 Squadron RAF No. 117 Squadron RAF No. 117 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a transport and communications unit in World War II. No. 117 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed as a bomber squadron on 31 January 1918 and was based at RAF Wyton where it was equipped with the DH9. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Ireland for a time before it was merged with No. 141 squadron on 6 October 1919. No. 117 reformed on 30 April

pos: No. 124 Squadron RAF No. 124 Squadron RAF No. 124 (Baroda) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a light bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II. No. 124 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 February 1918 at RFC Old Sarum and became a unit of the Royal Air Force. After a move to RAF Fowlmere 124 Sqn disbanded on 17 August 1918 having only operated as a training squadron. Around the outbreak of World War II, from April to September 1939, 124 Sqn was allocated a squadron code

neg: Felton Holt to RAF Uxbridge when it crashed at Seahurst Park near Chichester, following a collision with an Armstrong Whitworth Siskin. Holt managed to get out of the aircraft, but his parachute did not open in time. Felton Holt Air Vice Marshal Felton Vesey Holt, (23 February 1886 – 23 April 1931) was a squadron and wing commander in the Royal Flying Corps who became a brigadier general in the newly established Royal Air Force (RAF) just before the end of the First World War. During the inter-war years Holt remained in the RAF, serving in several staff appointments before becoming Air

neg: RAF Wrexham RAF Wrexham RAF Wrexham was a Royal Air Force station at Borras, on the outskirts of Wrexham, Wales and east of the town centre. Initially opened as a municipal aerodrome the airfield was used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II. The airfield became the site of a Royal Observer Corps nuclear bunker during the Cold War. The first noted involvement of aviation with Wrexham was in 1912 when Gustav Hamel visited the Racecourse Ground to entertain the public with air displays. The local council discussed transforming the racecourse

neg: RAF Wrexham and used as a recording studio. RAF Wrexham RAF Wrexham was a Royal Air Force station at Borras, on the outskirts of Wrexham, Wales and east of the town centre. Initially opened as a municipal aerodrome the airfield was used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II. The airfield became the site of a Royal Observer Corps nuclear bunker during the Cold War. The first noted involvement of aviation with Wrexham was in 1912 when Gustav Hamel visited the Racecourse Ground to entertain the public with air displays. The

neg: No. 75 Squadron RAF No. 75 Squadron RAF No. 75 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated as a bomber unit in World War II, before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1945. Established as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps for Home Defence, it was formed at Goldington on 1 October 1916 with BE2c and later BE2e aircraft, it moved to Elmswell in East Anglia in September 1917, exchanging BE2c for FE2b. Operational flying against day and night raids proved fruitless and the pilots did not engage the enemy. Late in 1917, the Squadron became part of 50

neg: Alfred Warrington-Morris Telegraphy" and promoted to Acting Lieutenant Colonel just before the Royal Flying Corps was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the new Royal Air Force in April of that year. His commission as a Lieutenant Colonel was made permanent and gazetted on 22 August 1919 when he was appointed "Deputy Director of Flying Instrumentation". When RAF rank structure was reorganised in late 1919 Warrington-Morris became a Wing Commander and his name was removed from the Royal Navy list. He was appointed "Commandant, RAF Electrical and Wireless School" on 1 August 1921 and was promoted to Group Captain

neg: RAF Ripon RAF Ripon Royal Air Force Ripon (also known as Royal Flying Corps Ripon) was a First World War airfield maintained by the Royal Flying Corps in the city of Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. The airfield was home to No. 76 Squadron which was employed on Home Defence (HD) in the United Kingdom. The airfield was created when the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) commandeered the southern half of Ripon Racecourse in 1916. After the end of the First World War, the airfield was returned to horse-racing. In 1916, the southern part of Ripon Racecourse, only south-west of the city of Ripon,

neg: RAF Yatesbury RAF Yatesbury RAF Yatesbury is a former Royal Air Force airfield near the village of Yatesbury, Wiltshire, England, about east of the town of Calne. It was an important training establishment in the First and Second World Wars, and until its closure in 1965. For a time in the 1950s, part of the site became RAF Cherhill. The Royal Flying Corps began pilot training at Yatesbury in 1916. Formations included No. 99 Squadron, and No. 7 and No. 8 squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps. The aerodrome's site was farmland on the north side of the A4 road, south of

neg: No. 71 Squadron RAF the Second Tactical Air Force. In October 1953 it became a "day fighter" unit with the North American Sabre. The Sabres were replaced by Hawker Hunters in April 1956. The squadron moved to RAF Bruggen in May 1956 and disbanded on 30 April 1957. No. 71 Squadron RAF No. 71 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. The number has been used three times: once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron; in the Second World War as an Eagle Squadron; and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit under the command of Royal Air Force Germany.

neg: RAF Spitalgate of Londonthorpe & Harrowby Without. Spitalgate acted as a parent station for a relief landing ground four miles further south at RAF Harlaxton from November 1916 until 1945. In 1975 the RAF vacated the site and the following year it became a British Army base known as Prince William of Gloucester Barracks. RAF Spitalgate RAF Spitalgate formerly known as RFC Station Grantham and RAF Station Grantham was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station, located south east of the centre of Grantham, Lincolnshire, England fronting onto the main A52 road. The station opened in 1915 as Royal Flying

neg: Risalpur Cantonment itself lies on high ground, some 30 feet above the surrounding area, with the oldest building dating from 1913 or 1914. In 1910 Risalpur had a former aerodrome and airfield of the Royal Flying Corps, and later the Royal Air Force. During the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps established an airfield and a fighter conversion unit at Risalpur in British India. In the Second World War and by 1940, RAF Risalpur had become both an established training and an operational airfield of the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom. It officially became the airfield of

neg: RAF Manywells Height RAF Manywells Height Royal Air Force Manywells Height (also known as Royal Flying Corps Manywells Height, Royal Flying Corps Cullingworth and Royal Air Force Cullingworth) was a grassed airstrip in use as Home Defence during the First World War. The site was just south of the village of Cullingworth which is south of Keighley and north west of Bradford in West Yorkshire. It was considered as a civilian airbase for West Yorkshire on decommissioning, but Yeadon became the hub of civilian flights as Leeds Bradford International Airport. It was used by aircraft from 1913 and commissioned as an airfield by

neg: Harold Fowler (RAF officer) to lieutenant on New Year's Day 1916 and then joined the Royal Flying Corps, as an observer. He was promoted to Flying Officer (Observer) in April 1916 and then qualified as a pilot in late July 1916. In January 1917 he joined No. 2 Squadron RAF flying from French airfields and was promoted to captain in February 1917. Fowler then became the a flight commander at No. 12 Squadron RAF and is credited with downing a German aircraft in late February 1917. He flew with his navigator on numerous sorties and was awarded the Military Cross in July 1917. When

neg: RAF Usworth RAF Usworth RAF Usworth was a Royal Air Force station near Sunderland. In 1958 the station was closed and the airfield became Sunderland Airport. Following the closure of the airport in 1984, the site has since been redeveloped as a manufacturing facility for Nissan cars - Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK. In October 1916, the airfield that subsequently became Sunderland Airport started as a Flight Station for 'B' Flight of No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and was originally called Hylton (after nearby Hylton Castle), although when being prepared it was known as West Town Moor. Due to

neg: No. 43 Squadron RAF No. 43 Squadron RAF No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It saw distinguished service during two world wars, producing numerous "aces". The squadron last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland, in the air defence role, until it was disbanded in July 2009. The squadron was formed at Stirling on 15 April 1916, from No. 18 Reserve Squadron as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps, and was equipped with various types, which it used for training until December 1916 when Sopwith 1½

neg: RAF Wyton has been a military airfield since 1916, when it was used for training by the Royal Flying Corps and then its successor the Royal Air Force (RAF). The following squadrons were posted to Wyton between 1916 and 1935: In 1935, it was upgraded to contemporary standards. The following squadrons were posted to Wyton between 1935 and 1939: During the Second World War it was used primarily as a bomber base, flying Bristol Blenheim, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster aircraft. In 1942 it became the home of the Pathfinder Force under the command of Group Captain Don Bennett. The following

neg: RAF Marham Royal Naval Air Station Narborough, later RAF Narborough, the Marham base was originally a military night landing ground on an site within the boundary of the present day RAF Marham. In 1916, the aerodrome was handed over to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The aerodrome was closed in 1919 when the last units moved out. In 1935 work started on a new airfield which became active on 1 April 1937, with a resident heavy bomber unit from within 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command. The first squadron, No 38, arrived in May 1937 with Fairey Hendon bombers. In June No. 115

neg: RAF Kenley RAF Kenley The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and the RAF in the Second World War. It is located near Kenley, Surrey, England. Its main active phase commenced in 1917, and ceased in 1959 when RAF Fighter Command left the aerodrome. RAF Kenley now hosts 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS), a Unit within the RAF 2 Flying Training School (2 FTS). RAF Kenley is classed as a Government aerodrome and is regulated by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA); as such,

neg: Ashingdon was not injured and he climbed down the tree to firm ground. Some people in the village say that a "Flying Flea" also crashed into the churchyard trees. Eventually, Southend Municipal Airport opened on the old Royal Flying Corps/RAF base and all flying moved to the new airport by the late 1930s. Soon it reverted to military use as RAF Rochford and it became a Battle of Britain RAF base as well as a pilot training airfield. After the Second World War, RAF Rochford became a civil airport again, now called London Southend Airport. So, early aviation has taken place

neg: No. 113 Squadron RAF in Britain. No. 113 Squadron RAF No. 113 Squadron began service in 1917 with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force commanded by General Edmund Allenby. Initially, the squadron was a unit of the Royal Flying Corps, serving during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and as a reconnaissance, army cooperation, bomber, fighter, transport and missile operation squadron during its existence. No. 113 Squadron was formed on 1 August 1917 at what became RAF Ismailia, Egypt, as a corps reconnaissance and army co-operation unit, taking over duties of trench reconnaissance from No. 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps, otherwise known as 67 (Australian) Squadron RFC.

neg: No. 113 Squadron RAF No. 113 Squadron RAF No. 113 Squadron began service in 1917 with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force commanded by General Edmund Allenby. Initially, the squadron was a unit of the Royal Flying Corps, serving during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and as a reconnaissance, army cooperation, bomber, fighter, transport and missile operation squadron during its existence. No. 113 Squadron was formed on 1 August 1917 at what became RAF Ismailia, Egypt, as a corps reconnaissance and army co-operation unit, taking over duties of trench reconnaissance from No. 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps, otherwise known as 67 (Australian) Squadron RFC. In September

neg: Felton Holt Felton Holt Air Vice Marshal Felton Vesey Holt, (23 February 1886 – 23 April 1931) was a squadron and wing commander in the Royal Flying Corps who became a brigadier general in the newly established Royal Air Force (RAF) just before the end of the First World War. During the inter-war years Holt remained in the RAF, serving in several staff appointments before becoming Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area. Holt was killed in a flying accident not long after taking up his final appointment. He was flying in a de Havilland DH.60M Moth from RAF Tangmere to take him back

neg: No. 67 Squadron RAF 1952, the squadron moved again to Germany in May 1952 when it moved base to Wildenrath and re-equipped there in May 1953 with North American Sabres. In July 1955 the squadron moved to another base again, RAF Bruggen and the Sabres were exchanged for Hunters. On 31 May 1957 the squadron disbanded and has not been active since. No. 67 Squadron RAF The name No. 67 Squadron has been used by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force for two quite different units. During the First World War, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps — formed at Point

neg: James Robb (RAF officer) James Robb (RAF officer) Air Chief Marshal Sir James Milne Robb, (26 January 1895 – 18 December 1968) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. After early service in the First World War with the Northumberland Fusiliers, Robb joined the Royal Flying Corps and became a flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force in 1919 and commanded No. 30 Squadron RAF in the Iraqi revolt against the British. In 1939, Robb travelled to Canada to help establish the Empire Air Training Scheme, a massive training program that provided the

neg: James Robb (RAF officer) Warhurst. He died at a nursing home in Bognor Regis, Sussex on 18 December 1968. James Robb (RAF officer) Air Chief Marshal Sir James Milne Robb, (26 January 1895 – 18 December 1968) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. After early service in the First World War with the Northumberland Fusiliers, Robb joined the Royal Flying Corps and became a flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force in 1919 and commanded No. 30 Squadron RAF in the Iraqi revolt against the British. In 1939, Robb travelled to Canada

neg: RAF Andover subsequently became home to the Army Headquarters. RAF Andover RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station located west of Andover, Hampshire and north east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. The airfield has a notable place in history, being the site of both the first attempt to develop a viable long-range electronic navigation system, during the First World War, and also of the first British military helicopter unit and first European helicopter flying training school, during the Second World War. RAF Andover was also used before and after the Second World War for a variety of

neg: Edward Masterman 22 Group. His rank was commuted to air commodore when current RAF ranks were introduced. In 1922 Masterman was appointed as Commandant of the RAF's Central Flying School. Between 1 March 1929 when he retired from the RAF and 1 April 1936, Masterman was the Commandant of the Observer Corps and was the first former RAF officer to hold this appointment. Headquarters Royal Observer Corps was located at Hillingdon House, RAF Uxbridge, only relocating to RAF Bentley Priory after Masterman retired. He was succeeded as Commandant Observer Corps by Air Commodore Alfred Warrington-Morris. Following his retirement as Commandant, Air Commodore

neg: History of Lincolnshire 1945 the number of RAF bases exceeded 46. Some of these had by that stage been lent to the Eighth United States Army Air Force. The very first airfields had been built for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or the Royal Naval Air Service, the first of them at Skegness, on the coast, in 1912, when the RFC was established. Among the more famous Royal Air Force stations in the county was and is RAF Cranwell. This had begun as The Royal Naval Air Service Central Training Establishment, Cranwell; commonly known as HMS Daedalus, commissioned 1 April 1916. It became

neg: Upavon RAF Upavon, is situated about east of Upavon village. The site was originally constructed around 1912 as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) base, and became the home of the RFC Central Flying School on 19 June 1912, later to be the RAF Central Flying School upon formation of the Royal Air Force. Upavon is referred to as the birthplace where the Royal Air Force was formed. Since 1993 the main function of the military base has changed, and it is now largely an MoD administrative centre, and home to administrative headquarters of the British Army. Today the airfield is still

neg: No. 57 Squadron RAF squadron under MFTS. No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF is a Royal Air Force flying training squadron. 57 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed from on 8 June 1916 at Copmanthorpe, Yorkshire when it was split off from 33 Squadron, taking on its parent unit's part-time training role to allow 33 Squadron to concentrate on its main duties as a night fighter unit. No. 57 Squadron continued in its training role, equipped with a mixture of Avro 504s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s, until October that year, when it began to prepare for its planned role

neg: No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF is a Royal Air Force flying training squadron. 57 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed from on 8 June 1916 at Copmanthorpe, Yorkshire when it was split off from 33 Squadron, taking on its parent unit's part-time training role to allow 33 Squadron to concentrate on its main duties as a night fighter unit. No. 57 Squadron continued in its training role, equipped with a mixture of Avro 504s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s, until October that year, when it began to prepare for its planned role as a fighter-reconnaissance

neg: RAF Finningley RAF Finningley Royal Air Force Finningley or RAF Finningley is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, England, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. RAF Finningley was decommissioned in 1996. The airfield has been now developed into an international airport named Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which opened on 28 April 2005. During the refurbishment of the Royal Flying Corps station at Doncaster in 1915 a decision was taken to move operations temporarily to an air strip

neg: No. 28 Squadron RAF No. 28 Squadron RAF No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Puma and Chinook helicopters from RAF Benson. No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915 at RAF Gosport. Initially a training squadron it became a fighter squadron equipped with the Sopwith Camel. After the end of the First World War it had claimed 136 victories. It numbered eleven flying aces among its ranks, including: future Air Vice-Marshal Clifford MacKay McEwen, William George Barker, Harold B. Hudson, James Hart Mitchell, Stanley Stanger, Arthur Cooper, Percy Wilson, Thomas Frederic Williams, and Joseph

neg: Charles Hubert Boulby Blount a Maurice Farman biplane in 1916 and became a Flying Officer in the Royal Flying Corps. He was awarded the Military Cross on 14 November 1916 for organising his squadron and his own flying. He took command of a flight of No. 34 Squadron, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 on the Western Front, in November 1916, became the squadron's acting commander in May 1917, and was confirmed as its commanding officer the following month, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. He was promoted to Temporary Major in June 1917, and became a Temporary Major in the RAF on 1

neg: RAF Shawbury is operated by FB Heliservices, part of Cobham. Flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Shawbury. No. 22 Group (Training) RAF It was announced by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in November 2016 that MOD staff currently based at 1300 Parkway in Bristol would be relocated to Shawbury by 2020. RAF Shawbury Royal Air Force Shawbury otherwise known as RAF Shawbury is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. The station at Shawbury was first used for military flying training in 1917 by the Royal Flying Corps. No.

neg: RAF Desford RAF Desford Royal Air Force Desford or RAF Desford is a former Royal Air Force station located south of Desford, Leicestershire, and west of Leicester, Leicestershire, England. Flying at Desford began in 1916, during the First World War, when the Royal Flying Corps rented a field from a local farmer to be used as an emergency landing ground for No. 38 (Home Defence) Squadron RFC, who were based at Melton Mowbray. It was then designated RFC Peckleton. After the war the site reverted to agricultural use, until the Leicestershire Aero Club rented 43 acres of land from farmer John Cart

neg: John Salmond Having been seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, he became a flight commander at the Central Flying School on 12 November 1912 and then a squadron commander there on 31 May 1913. In December 1913 he set the solo British altitude record at 13,140 feet. He became Officer Commanding No. 7 Squadron flying Sopwith Tabloids and the RE8s from RAF Farnborough with the temporary rank of major on 1 May 1914. He continued in that role during the early weeks of the First World War until August 1914, when he became Officer Commanding No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front.

neg: No. 59 Squadron RAF RAF Gutersloh, Germany in August 1956, when No. 102 Squadron was re-numbered 59, flying English Electric Canberra B.2s and B(I).8s. No. 59 Squadron was last disbanded in 1961, when it was re-numbered to No.3 Squadron. Australian War Memorial 59 Squadron RAF- Roll of Honour https://www.awm.gov.au/people/roll-search/roll_of_honour/?unit=59+Squadron&op=Search No. 59 Squadron RAF No. 59 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. No.59 Squadron was formed at Narborough Airfield in Norfolk on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. On 13 February 1917, the Squadron crossed the English Channel, deploying to Saint-Omer in northern France to operate in

neg: RAF Barkston Heath RAF Barkston Heath Royal Air Force Barkston Heath or RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force station near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. RAF Barkston Heath has the Naval and Army Elements of No. 3 Flying Training School RAF (3 FTS) which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly two-seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob Tutor T.1. A secondary role of RAF Barkston Heath is as a Relief Landing Ground for the flying training activities at RAF Cranwell. 3 FTS provides elementary flying training for Royal Navy and Army Air Corps students. The distinctive black

neg: No. 71 Squadron RAF No. 71 Squadron RAF No. 71 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. The number has been used three times: once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron; in the Second World War as an Eagle Squadron; and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit under the command of Royal Air Force Germany. The first unit known by the British military as "No. 71 Squadron" was No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), during the First World War. The squadron was formed at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia on 16 October 1916, after which it travelled to England.

neg: Royal Flying Corps Canada for both the RFC and the new Royal Air Force (RAF). Of these trainees, 2,624 went to Europe for operational duty. Royal Flying Corps Canada The Royal Flying Corps Canada (RFC Canada) was a training organization of the British Royal Flying Corps located in Canada during the First World War. It began operating in 1917. As the war progressed, Great Britain found that it needed more trained aircrew and more training facilities. Training was provided both by the "Curtiss Aviation School" at Long Branch near Toronto (land plane training) and Hanlan's Point on Toronto Island (for flying boat training), and

neg: Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt of the war as Inspector-General of the RAF and did not retire until November 1945, making him the RAF officer with the longest service as an Air Chief Marshal throughout the history of the RAF. Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt, (9 June 1886 – 15 August 1973) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. Educated at Eastman's School, Radley College and Sandhurst, Ludlow-Hewitt was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rifles in 1905, but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) before the First World War, where he qualified on 11 September 1914 for the Royal Aero

neg: Robert Foster (RAF officer) Robert Foster (RAF officer) Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Mordaunt Foster, (3 September 1898 – 23 October 1973) was a Royal Flying Corps pilot in the First World War, and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and the immediate post-war years. Foster was educated at Winchester College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, graduating as a Gentlemen Cadet. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers on 19 July 1916, but was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, and on 7 October 1916 was appointed a flying officer. He

neg: Chesley G. Peterson joined the Army Air Corps and was selected for air cadet training, but was dismissed before graduation from flight school. He moved to Los Angeles after being dropped from flight school and was working at Douglas Aircraft when he became interested in flying for the Royal Air Force (RAF), who were at that time recruiting Americans to fight the Germans. Peterson arrived in England in late 1940 and was assigned to No. 71 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). No. 71 Squadron was one of the three Eagle squadrons made of volunteer American pilots. The Americans would fly Hurricanes

neg: Clairmarais aerodrome Clairmarais aerodrome Clairmarais aerodrome (also known as Clairmarais North, not to be confused with the newer Clairmarais South), at Clairmarais, Pas-de-Calais, France, near St. Omer and not far from Ypres, was an airfield used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later Royal Air Force (RAF) in the First World War. The site was briefly reused by the Germans during the occupation of France in the Second World War. Clairmarais aerodrome (at Clairmarais, Pas-de-Calais) was used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War. RFC/ RAF squadrons 1, 20, 27,

neg: No. 3 Squadron RAF No. 3 Squadron RAF No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. It was formed in 1912 as one of the first squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps. No 3 Squadron (Royal Flying Corps) was formed at Larkhill on 13 May 1912 by the renaming of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of the Air Battalion Royal Engineers, under the command of Major Robert Brooke-Popham. Being already equipped with aeroplanes and manned by pilots and air mechanics, No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company was thus the first British, Empire or Commonwealth independent military

neg: No. 64 Squadron RAF No. 64 Squadron RAF No. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars. No. 64 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Sedgeford in Norfolk on 1 August 1916. Initially, it was equipped with a variety of types for training purposes, including Henry Farmans, Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2bs, Avro 504s and Sopwith Pups. In June 1917, the squadron re-equipped with its intended operational equipment, the Airco DH.5 fighter, and began to work

neg: No. 69 Squadron RAF No. 69 Squadron RAF The designation No. 69 Squadron has been used by the Royal Air Force for two quite different units. No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps was formed at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia in 1916. To avoid confusion with No. 3 Squadron, RFC, it was known to the British military as "No. 69 Squadron RFC", although this terminology was never accepted by the squadron or the Australian Imperial Force. The squadron was "re-formed" on 10 January 1941 during World War II, when No. 431 (General Reconnaissance) Flight RAF, briefly re-designated as No. 1431 Flight RAF. on Malta became

neg: RAF Montrose RAF Montrose RAF Montrose was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Forfarshire (now more commonly called Angus) in Scotland. On 26 February 1913, it became the first operational military aerodrome to be established in the United Kingdom. In 1912, the British government planned twelve "Air Stations" operated by the Royal Flying Corps. Under the instructions of the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, the first of these was at Montrose, allowing aircraft the ability to protect the Royal Navy bases at Rosyth, Cromarty and Scapa Flow. On 13 February 1913 five aircraft of No. 2 Squadron of the

neg: RAF Kidbrooke RAF Kidbrooke RAF Kidbrooke was a Royal Air Force base, situated in Kidbrooke in south-east London, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The site was operational from 1917 to 1965 and was mainly used as a stores, maintenance and training facility. Established in 1917, the facility was initially a Royal Flying Corps storage depot, situated on both sides of the railway line close to Kidbrooke railway station. In 1917, several large storage warehouses and offices were constructed, that stretched for alongside both sides of the line, served by sidings and an extensive gauge network. The RFC became the RAF on

neg: RAF Martlesham Heath RAF Martlesham Heath Royal Air Force Station Martlesham Heath or more simply RAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force station located south west of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. It was active between 1917 and 1963, and played an important role in the development of Airborne Interception radar. Martlesham Heath was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I. In 1917 it became home to the Aeroplane Experimental Unit, RFC which moved from Upavon with the site named as the Aeroplane Experimental Station which became the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) in 1924. The A&AEE

neg: No. 36 Squadron RAF No. 36 Squadron RAF No 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (later the Royal Air Force) was formed at Cramlington in 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1975. No 36 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was first formed on 18 March 1916 at Cramlington, Northumberland as a Home Defence squadron, defending the coastline between Newcastle upon Tyne and Whitby against German Zeppelin attacks. On 27 November 1916, Second Lieutenant Ian Vernon Pyott, flying a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c destroyed Zeppelin L.34 over Hartlepool, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Once Zeppelin attacks on the

neg: No. 45 Squadron RAF No. 45 Squadron RAF 45 Squadron is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was established on 1 March 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. Formed during World War I at Gosport on 1 March 1916 as Number 45 Squadron, the unit was first equipped with Sopwith 1½ Strutters which it was to fly in the Scout role. Deployed to France in October of that year, the Squadron found itself suffering heavy losses due to the quality of its aircraft. This did not change until it transitioned to the Sopwith Camel in mid-1917. Transferred to the

neg: Arthur Coningham (RAF officer) Arthur Coningham (RAF officer) Air Marshal Sir Arthur "Mary" Coningham, (19 January 1895 – presumably 30 January 1948) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. During the First World War, he was at Gallipoli with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was discharged in New Zealand as medically unfit for active service, and journeyed to Britain at his own expense to join the Royal Flying Corps, where he became a flying ace. Coningham was later a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War, as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief 2nd Tactical Air Force and subsequently the Air Officer

neg: Thomas Williams (RAF officer) Thomas Williams (RAF officer) Air Marshal Sir Thomas Melling Williams, (27 September 1899 – 10 June 1956) was an ace pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, scoring nine aerial victories, and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and the following years. Williams was commissioned into the 12th South African Infantry and was in action in German West Africa in 1916 and 1917. He transferred into the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. After training as a pilot, Williams was assigned to No. 65 Squadron in France, flying Sopwith Camels.

neg: Stanley Vincent Stanley Vincent Air Vice Marshal Stanley Flamank Vincent, (7 April 1897 – 13 March 1976) was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was the only RFC/RAF pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in both world wars. Stanley Vincent was born in Hampstead, North London, on 7 April 1897, the son of Dr Charles Vincent and Hannah Phillips. He was educated at Lancing College. Vincent was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) after the completion of his training in 1915 at the Central Flying School, Upavon.

neg: Percy Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon operational command in July 1944 when he was promoted to acting air commodore and appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 224 Group RAF. During his time in command, 224 Group saw action in Burma, including fighting against the Japanese in the Arakan sector. As AOC he very unofficially continued to fly on operational sorties, removing his air commodore rank badges and flying instead in a flying officer’s uniform. In December 1945 the Earl became the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, taking over from the retiring Air Commodore Finlay Crerar. The Earl assumed command of the Corps at a time

neg: Alan John Lance Scott instructor. In 1920, Scott's book "Sixty Squadron RAF: A history of the squadron from its formation" was published. Scott died on 16 January 1922 in London, England aged 38. Alan John Lance Scott Group Captain Alan John Lance Scott, (29 June 1883 – 16 January 1922) was an officer in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during the First World War and the following years. Scott was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 29 June 1883 and was originally an officer in the British Army's Sussex Yeomanry, later transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. Scott never became a