Timeline of the Royal Air Force

1900–1918: The origins of the Royal Air Force

• 1901
  • 29 October – The Aero Club of Great Britain is established. In the following years many early military pilots were trained by members of the Club.
• 1905
  • 27 April – Sapper Moreton of the British Army's Balloon Section is lifted 2,600 ft (792 m) by a kite at Aldershot under the supervision of the kite's designer, Samuel Cody.
• 1908
  • Samuel Cody completes the first powered flight in the UK at Farnborough.
• 1909
  • The Aero Club establishes the first British flying ground near Leysdown in Kent.
  • 2 May – John Moore-Brabazon becomes the first Englishman to make an officially recognized aeroplane flight in England.
• 1910
  • The Aero Club moves its flying from Leysdown to the nearby Eastchurch.
  • June – Charles Rolls becomes the first Englishman to fly across the Channel.
• 1911
  • 1 April – Air Battalion, Royal Engineers formed at Larkhill.
  • December – The Royal Naval Flying School formed at Eastchurch, Kent.
• 1912
  • 13 April – The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) is established by Royal Warrant. An Air Committee to liaise between the Admiralty and the War Office is also created.
  • 13 May – RFC assume control of Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers and the Naval Air Service.
  • 19 June- Central Flying School (CFS) is formed at Upavon.
• 1914
  • 1 July – Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) formed by splitting airship squadrons away from the RFC
  • September – The first RNAS aircraft squadrons formed. 1 Squadron RNAS at Antwerp, 2 Squadron RNAS at Eastchurch, 3 Squadron RNAS at St. Pol, France.
• 1916
  • 15 February – The Joint War Air Committee is established to co-ordinate the activities of the RFC and RNAS.
  • 15 May – The Air Board replaces the ineffective Joint War Air Committee.
  • 12 December – RFC expands to 106 front-line squadrons and 95 reserve and training squadrons.
• 1917
  • 29 November – The Air Force (Constitution) Act passed, providing for creation of an Air Force and an Air Ministry.

1918–1939: The inter-war years and policing the Empire

• 1918
  • 2 January – The Air Ministry comes into being with Lord Rothermere as Secretary of State for Air. Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchard becomes the first Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
  • 1 April
    • The Royal Air Force is formed by amalgamating the RFC and RNAS.
    • First operational mission by the RAF carried out by 22 Squadron
    • Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) formed.
  • 3 June – The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Force Cross (AFC), Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), Air Force Medal (AFM) are constituted.
  • 6 June – The Independent Air Force, the RAF's strategic bombing force, is formed.
  • June – Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service formed.
  • 19 July – The Imperial German Navy's airship base at Tønder is bombed in the Tondern raid
  • 19 September to 1 October – Battle of Megiddo. The RAF's Palestine Brigade plays a key role in the British victory over the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Ottoman Seventh Army.
  • 11 November – At the end of the First World War, the RAF was the largest air force in the world with 27,333 officers, 263,837 other ranks, 22,647 aircraft, 103 airships, 133 front-line squadrons, 15 flights and 270 aerodromes overseas, 55 front-line squadrons, 75 training squadrons/depots, 401 aerodromes at home and 25,000 WRAF members.
• 1919
  • July – the R34 airship becomes the first aircraft to make an east to west transatlantic flight
  • August – RAF officer ranks are introduced.
• 1920
  • January to February – The defeat of the "Mad Mullah". The beginnings of colonial air control as RAF aircraft acting with the Somaliland Camel Corps in British Somaliland overthrow the Dervish leader.
  • 5 February – The RAF College Cranwell is established.
  • WRAF disbanded.
• 1921
  • 1 October – RAF military control of Mesopotamia begins.
• 1922
  • 1 October – RAF Iraq Command is formed.
• 1925
  • March to May – Pink's War. The RAF carries out its first independent air action, bombing and strafing the mountain strongholds of Mahsud tribesmen in Waziristan.
• 1928
  • 23 December – The Kabul Airlift. The world's first air evacuation is carried out by the RAF when the British Legation in Kabul is flown to safety.
• 1932
  • April to June – Following Sheikh Ahmad Barzani's small-scale revolt in north-east Iraq, the RAF conducts psychological and conventional air operations which result in Sheikh Ahmad's surrender.
• 1936
  • 14 July – The UK's air defences are reorganised into four commands: Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Coastal Command and Training Command.
• 1938
  • 1 April – Maintenance Command is formed.
  • 1 November – Balloon Command is formed.

1939–1945: World War II

• 1939
  • 24 August – The Advanced Air Striking Force is formed in preparation for operations on the Continent
  • 3 September – Following the UK's declaration of war on Germany, the RAF conducts photographic reconnaissance of the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven.
  • 29 November – RAuxAF spitfires shoot down an He 111 bomber over Lothian, the first German aircraft to be shot down over the UK in World War II.
  • Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) instituted.
• 1940
  • 16 May – Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding writes his letter to the Air Ministry which results in no further aircraft squadrons, earmarked for home defence, being sent to France.
  • 10 July – The Battle of Britain begins.
  • 13 August – Adlertag (Eagle Day). The Luftwaffe's attempts to gain air superiority over Britain fail, with the balance of aircraft losses being strongly in the RAF's favour.
• 1941
  • 15 May – The maiden flight of first British jet aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39.
  • 20 July – Ferry Command is formed.
  • 24 December – The Avro Lancaster enters service with the RAF.
• 1942
  • 30 May – Over 1,000 bombers set out to raid Cologne, severely damaging the city.
  • 1 June – Around 1,000 bombers set out to raid Essen, however many crews mistakenly bomb other cities.
  • 25 June – Around 1,000 bombers set out to raid Bremen, severely damaging the city and successfully bombing the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory.
• 1943
  • 5 March – In an effort to decimate the German industrial base, Bomber Command begins bombing the Ruhr region.
  • 25 March – Transport Command is formed by redesignating Ferry Command.
  • 16 May – Aircraft of 617 Squadron set out on Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid. The Mohne and Eder dams are breached.
  • 18 November – This is the first night of a four-month bombing campaign against Berlin.
• 1944
  • 24 March – RAF and Dominion Air Force personnel are murdered by the Gestapo after the "great escape" from Stalag Luft III Prisoner of War Camp.
  • 6 June – D-Day commences. Diversions supplied by Avro Lancasters of 101 Squadron operating the ABC radio jamming equipment. Reconnaissance photographs were supplied by Spitfires of 16 Squadron.
• 1945
  • 22 February – Allied Air Forces launch Operation Clarion, a concerted effort to destroy German transportation within 24 hours.

1945–1990: The Cold War years

• 1948
  • 28 June 1948 to 30 September 1949 – The RAF conducts Operation Plainfare, the British contribution to the Berlin Airlift.
  • June – The RAF conducts Operation Firedog against Malayan terrorists during the Malayan Emergency. Two Spitfires of No. 60 Squadron fly the first offensive mission on 6 July, destroying an enemy base at Perak. Involvement continues until 1960.
• 1949
  • Women's Auxiliary Air Force becomes Women's Royal Air Force
• 1953
  • Avro Lincoln squadrons flying out of RAF Eastleigh conduct anti-Mau Mau operations in Kenya. Operations continue until 1955.
• 1956
  • 31 October – Canberras fly reconnaissance sorties and bomb Egyptian airfields on the opening night of Suez War's air campaign.
• 1958
  • 3 November – Signals Command is formed.
• 1967
  • 1 August – Air Support Command is formed by redesignating Transport Command
• 1968
  • 30 April – Strike Command is formed from Fighter Command and Bomber Command.
  • 28 November – Coastal Command is absorbed into the newly created Strike Command.
• 1969
  • 1 January – Signals Command is absorbed into Strike Command.
• 1972
  • 1 September – Air Support Command is absorbed into Strike Command.
• 1982
  • 30 April – Operation Black Buck. Vulcan bombers set out from RAF Ascension Island on the first of six raids against Argentine positions in the Falkland Islands.
• 1986
  • 8 January – RAF Marine Branch disbanded.

1990–present: Expeditionary operations

Tail of Tornado GR4 ZG750, marking 25 years of Tornado GR operations, at the 2016 Farnborough Airshow.

• 1990
  • RAF fighters based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait prior to the Gulf War
• 1991
  • 16 January to 11 April – During the Gulf War, RAF aircraft fight in the air battle over Kuwait and Iraq.
  • The RAF begins Operations Resonate North and Resonate South, the British contribution to the Allied efforts to enforce the Iraqi no-fly zones. These operations continue for over a decade.
• 1993
  • RAF Tornado F3s and AWACS aircraft contribute to NATO's operation to restrict airspace movements over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Operation Deny Flight. The operation continues until late 1995.
• 1998
  • 16 December – Operation Desert Fox. RAF Tornados and USAF F-117s bomb military targets in Iraq.
• 2001
  • 9 October – During the third day of Operation Veritas, RAF aircraft commenced the provision of air-to-air refuelling, reconnaissance and surveillance support to US aircraft operating over Afghanistan.
• 2004
  • September – A detachment of six RAF Harriers from Joint Force Harrier was based at Kandahar Airfield to support colilition ground forces.[1]
  • 30 October – 31 December – Four Tornado F3s deployed to Lithuania for the British rotation as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing.[2]
• 2005
  • RAF deployed to Indonesia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake disaster to provide aid relief support and transport
• 2006
  • July – Three Chinook helicopters of 27 Squadron deployed to RAF Akrotiri to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon.
• 2007
  • April – Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command merge to form Air Command.

See also

• Timeline of aviation
• Timeline of British military aviation

References

1. "Ministry of Defence | Fact Sheets | Operations Factsheets | Operations in Afghanistan: Background Briefing 1". 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. Hansard, 14/12/04

Royal Air Force website timeline