Timeline of the Royal Air Force

1900-1918

• 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.
• 1911
  • 1 April - Air Battalion, Royal Engineers formed at Larkhill.
  • December - The Royal Naval Flying School formed at Eastchurch, Kent.
• 1912
  • 13 April - Royal Flying Corps (RFC) formed.
  • 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.
• 12 December 1916 - RFC expands to 106 front-line squadrons and 95 reserve and training squadrons.
• 29 November 1917 - The Air Force (Constitution) Act passed, providing for creation of an Air Force and an Air Ministry.
• 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.
  • 13 May - The Independent Force, RAF is created as the worlds first air force not controlled by an army or navy.
  • 3 June - The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Force Cross (AFC), Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), Air Force Medal (AFM) are constituted.
  • June - Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service formed.
  • 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.

1918-1939

• 1920
  • 5 February - The RAF College Cranwell is established.
• 1921
  • 1 October - RAF military control of Mesopotamia begins.
• 1925
  • March to May - The RAF carries out its first independent air action, bombing and strafing the mountain strongholds of Mahsud tribesmen in Waziristan.
• 1928
  • 23 December - 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

• 1939
  • 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 - RAF spitfires shoot down an He 111 bomber over Lothian, the first German aircraft to be shot down over the UK.
• 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, severly 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, severly 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.
• 1945
  • 22 February - Allied Air Forces launch Operation Clarion, a concerted effort to destroy German transportion within 24 hours.

1945-1990

• 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.

1990-present

• 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.

See also

Timeline of aviation

References

Royal Air Force website timeline