No. 5 Wing RAF
Encyclopedia
Number 5 Wing of the Royal Air Force
was a wing
of aircraft squadrons which was originally established as the Fifth Wing of the Royal Flying Corps
. Currently inactive, the wing has been formed and disbanded five times over the course of its history.
was one of the earliest wings
to be established. On 15 April 1915 No. 8 Squadron and No. 13 Squadron
of the RFC were grouped together at Fort Grange
, Gosport
to form the 5th Wing. Major LEO Charlton
, No. 8 Squadron commander, temporarily took command of the Wing until he travelled to France.
In November 1915 the 5th Wing, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel W G H Salmond
arrived in the Middle East. At this time it consisted of No. 14 Squadron
, No. 17 Squadron and an aircraft park. From 1918 to 1919 the Fifth Wing was headquartered at RAF Ramleh in Palestine. In 1918 the Wing, then designated the Fifth (Corps) Wing, played a key part in the Battle of Megiddo
. The 5th Wing was disbanded on 1 April 1920.
. On 30 April, Wing Commander
John Tyssen was appointed as the Officer Commanding. However, this period of the Wing's existence was short-lived and it was disbanded in April 1924.
, the Wing was reformed on 26 October 1935. The Officer Commanding was Group Captain
Raymond Collishaw
. It controlled No. 3 Squadron RAF
, No. 35 Squadron RAF, No. 47 Squadron RAF
and No. 207 Squadron RAF during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
. The Wing was disbanded on 14 August 1936.
, No. 5 Wing was responsible for controlling radar units based in France.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was a wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of aircraft squadrons which was originally established as the Fifth Wing of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. Currently inactive, the wing has been formed and disbanded five times over the course of its history.
1914 to 1920
The Fifth (Corps) Wing of the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was one of the earliest wings
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
to be established. On 15 April 1915 No. 8 Squadron and No. 13 Squadron
No. XIII Squadron RAF
No. 13 or XIII Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed on 10 January 1915 and most recently disbanded on 13 May 2011. It is expected to be reformed in 2012 flying the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle from RAF Waddington....
of the RFC were grouped together at Fort Grange
Fort Grange
Fort Grange is one of the Palmerston Forts, in Gosport, England. After Gomer and Elson forts had been approved in 1852, further consideration led to a decision to fill the gap between them by three more forts, and Grange is the most southerly of the three...
, Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
to form the 5th Wing. Major LEO Charlton
Lionel Charlton
Air Commodore Lionel Evelyn Oswald Charlton CB, CMG, DSO, RAF was a British infantry officer who served in the Second Boer War. During World War I, Charlton held several command and staff posts in the Royal Flying Corps, finishing the war as a brigadier-general...
, No. 8 Squadron commander, temporarily took command of the Wing until he travelled to France.
In November 1915 the 5th Wing, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel W G H Salmond
Geoffrey Salmond
Air Chief Marshal Sir William Geoffrey Hanson Salmond KCB, KCMG, DSO , commonly known as Sir Geoffrey Salmond, was a senior commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the War, he held senior appointments in the Middle East, Great Britain and India...
arrived in the Middle East. At this time it consisted of No. 14 Squadron
No. 14 Squadron RAF
No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:...
, No. 17 Squadron and an aircraft park. From 1918 to 1919 the Fifth Wing was headquartered at RAF Ramleh in Palestine. In 1918 the Wing, then designated the Fifth (Corps) Wing, played a key part in the Battle of Megiddo
Battle of Megiddo (1918)
The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
. The 5th Wing was disbanded on 1 April 1920.
Commanders
- 15 April 1915 L E O CharltonLionel CharltonAir Commodore Lionel Evelyn Oswald Charlton CB, CMG, DSO, RAF was a British infantry officer who served in the Second Boer War. During World War I, Charlton held several command and staff posts in the Royal Flying Corps, finishing the war as a brigadier-general...
http://www.8squadron.co.uk/history_1915-1920.php - November 1915 Lieutenant-Colonel W G H SalmondGeoffrey SalmondAir Chief Marshal Sir William Geoffrey Hanson Salmond KCB, KCMG, DSO , commonly known as Sir Geoffrey Salmond, was a senior commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the War, he held senior appointments in the Middle East, Great Britain and India...
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/SalmondW.htm - 1 July 1916 Lieutenant-Colonel P B Joubert de la FertéPhilip Joubert de la FertéAir Chief Marshal Sir Philip Bennet Joubert de la Ferté KCB, CMG, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1930s and the Second World War.-RAF career:...
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Joubert.htm - 5 February 1917 Lieutenant-Colonel A E BortonAmyas BortonAir Vice-Marshal Amyas Eden Borton CB, CMG, DSO, AFC was a pilot and commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1920s. He saw active service on the Western Front, in Palestine and in Iraq...
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Borton.htm - 8 October 1917 Lieutenant-Colonel C S BurnettCharles Burnett (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Burnett_C.htm
1923 to 1924
No. 5 Wing was reformed on 1 April 1923 and its function was to control all RAF fighter squadrons north of the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. On 30 April, Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
John Tyssen was appointed as the Officer Commanding. However, this period of the Wing's existence was short-lived and it was disbanded in April 1924.
1935 to 1936
Following the tensions surrounding the Abyssinia CrisisAbyssinia Crisis
The Abyssinia Crisis was a diplomatic crisis during the interwar period originating in the "Walwal incident." This incident resulted from the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Ethiopia...
, the Wing was reformed on 26 October 1935. The Officer Commanding was Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Raymond Collishaw
Raymond Collishaw
Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw CB, DSO & Bar, OBE, DSC, DFC, RAF was a distinguished Canadian fighter pilot, squadron leader, and commanding officer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force. He was the highest scoring RNAS flying ace and the second highest...
. It controlled 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.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
, No. 35 Squadron RAF, No. 47 Squadron RAF
No. 47 Squadron RAF
No. 47 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.-First formation:No. 47 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 1916 as a home defence unit, protecting Hull and East Yorkshire against attack by German...
and No. 207 Squadron RAF during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
. The Wing was disbanded on 14 August 1936.
1939 to 1940
During the first year of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, No. 5 Wing was responsible for controlling radar units based in France.