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Wings within the Royal Air Force have both administrative and tactical applications. Over the years, the structure and role of wings has changed to meet the demands placed on the RAF. Many of the RAF's numbered wings were originally Royal Flying Corps units.

Wings can be found at every station in the RAF and also abroad, deployed on operations.

Wings by number[]

No. 1 Wing - No. 99 Wing[]

Wing Date of establishment Date of disestablishment Notes
No. 1 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 2 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 3 Wing RAF 1 March 1915 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 4 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 5 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 1966 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 6 Wing RAF 20 August 1915 Originally Royal Flying Corps
No. 34 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW (ISTAR) RAF Waddington)
No. 38 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW (Air Transport) RAF Lyneham)
No. 39 Wing RAF
No. 40 Wing RAF 5 October 1917 1 April 1920
No. 41 Wing RAF 11 October 1917 15 February 1919
No. 42 Wing RAF
No. 43 Wing RAF
No. 44 Wing RAF
No. 45 Wing RAF
No. 46 Wing RAF
No. 47 Wing RAF
No. 48 Wing RAF
No. 49 Wing RAF
No. 50 Wing RAF Army Co-operation in France 1939-40 - No.s 4, 13, and 16 Squadrons flying Westland Lysanders.[1]
No. 51 Wing RAF
No. 52 Wing RAF October 1939 May 1940
No. 53 Wing RAF
No. 54 Wing RAF
No. 55 Wing RAF
No. 56 Wing RAF
No. 57 Wing RAF
No. 58 Wing RAF
No. 59 Wing RAF
No. 60 Wing RAF
No. 61 Wing RAF
No. 62 Wing RAF
No. 63 Wing RAF
No. 64 Wing RAF
No. 65 Wing RAF
No. 66 Wing RAF
No. 67 Wing RAF
No. 68 Wing RAF
No. 69 Wing RAF
No. 70 Wing RAF in September 1939, comprised Nos. 18 and 57 Squadrons at RAF Upper Heyford as part of No. 2 Group RAF
No. 71 Wing RAF
No. 72 Wing RAF
No. 73 Wing RAF
No. 74 Wing RAF
No. 75 Wing RAF when with the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force in May 1940, consisted of No. 88 Squadron RAF at Mourmelon, No. 103 Squadron RAF at Betheniville, and No. 208 Squadron RAF at Auberive, all three equipped with Fairey Battles.
No. 76 Wing RAF
No. 77 Wing RAF
No. 78 Wing RAF Chain Home technical control wing at RAF Ashburton in Devon.[2]
No. 79 Wing RAF
No. 80 (Signals) Wing RAF [3]
No. 81 Wing RAF
No. 82 Wing RAF
No. 83 Wing RAF the Wing consisted of Nos 107 and 110 Squadrons flying Bristol Blenheims from RAF Wattisham, forming part of No. 2 Group RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War
No. 84 Wing RAF
No. 85 Wing RAF HQ, 85 Wing was at Uetersen, Germany from 1 September 1947 – 31 October 1948.
No. 86 Wing RAF
No. 87 Wing RAF
No. 88 Wing RAF
No. 89 Wing RAF
No. 90 Wing RAF
No. 91 Wing RAF
No. 96 Wing RAF

No. 100 Wing - No. 199 Wing[]

No. 200 Wing - No. 299 Wing[]

  • No. 215 Wing RAF
  • No. 231 Wing RAF
  • No. 232 Wing RAF
  • No. 233 Wing RAF
  • No. 234 Wing RAF
  • No. 235 Wing RAF
  • No. 236 Wing RAF
  • No. 237 Wing RAF
  • No. 238 Wing RAF
  • No. 239 Wing RAF
  • No. 240 Wing RAF
  • No. 241 Wing RAF
  • No. 242 Wing RAF
  • No. 243 Wing RAF
  • No. 244 Wing RAF
  • No. 245 Wing RAF
  • No. 246 Wing RAF
  • No. 247 Wing RAF
  • No. 248 Wing RAF
  • No. 249 Wing RAF
  • No. 250 Wing RAF
  • No. 251 Wing RAF
  • No. 252 Wing RAF
  • No. 253 Wing RAF
  • No. 254 Wing RAF
  • No. 255 Wing RAF
  • No. 256 Wing RAF
  • No. 257 Wing RAF
  • No. 258 Wing RAF
  • No. 259 Wing RAF
  • No. 260 Wing RAF
  • No. 261 Wing RAF
  • No. 262 Wing RAF
  • No. 263 Wing RAF
  • No. 264 Wing RAF
  • No. 265 Wing RAF
  • No. 266 Wing RAF
  • No. 267 Wing RAF
  • No. 268 Wing RAF
  • No. 269 Wing RAF
  • No. 270 Wing RAF
  • No. 272 Wing RAF
  • No. 273 Wing RAF
  • No. 274 Wing RAF
  • No. 275 Wing RAF
  • No. 276 Wing RAF
  • No. 280 Wing RAF
  • No. 281 Wing RAF
  • No. 282 Wing RAF
  • No. 283 Wing RAF
  • No. 284 Wing RAF
  • No. 285 Wing RAF
  • No. 286 Wing RAF
  • No. 287 Wing RAF
  • No. 292 Wing RAF
  • No. 293 Wing RAF
  • No. 294 Wing RAF
  • No. 295 Wing RAF
  • No. 296 Wing RAF
  • No. 297 Wing RAF
  • No. 298 Wing RAF Included 26 Squadron SAAF

No. 300 Wing - No. 499 Wing[]

  • No. 300 Wing RAF
  • No. 301 Wing RAF
  • No. 302 Wing RAF
  • No. 303 Wing RAF
  • No. 321 Wing RAF
  • No. 322 Wing RAF
  • No. 323 Wing RAF
  • No. 324 Wing RAF
  • No. 325 Expeditionary Air Wing

(a) 14/9/42 - 30/6/43 - (Naval Co-operation) (b) 25/8/43 - 12/8/44 - (General Reconnaissance)links (c) 1 Apr 2006 - c.2009(?) - Expeditionary Air Wing - RAF Kinloss - Maritime Patrol and Surveillance

  • No. 326 Wing RAF
  • No. 328 Wing RAF
  • No. 329 Wing RAF
  • No. 330 Wing RAF
  • No. 332 Wing RAF
  • No. 333 Wing RAF
  • No. 334 Wing RAF
  • No. 335 Wing RAF
  • No. 336 Wing RAF
  • No. 337 Wing RAF
  • No. 338 Wing RAF
  • No. 339 Wing RAF
  • No. 340 Wing RAF
  • No. 341 Wing RAF
  • No. 342 Wing RAF
  • No. 343 Wing RAF
  • No. 344 Wing RAF
  • No. 345 Wing RAF
  • No. 346 Wing RAF
  • No. 347 Wing RAF
  • No. 348 Wing RAF
  • No. 349 Wing RAF
  • No. 350 Wing RAF
  • No. 351 Wing RAF

No. 500 Wing - No. 999 Wing[]

Expeditionary Air Wings[]

Formed 1 April 2006, Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) are found at the following RAF Flying Stations and other airfields:

Force Protection Wings[]

Formed from RAF Regiment field squadrons, Force Protection (FP) Wings are responsible for defending aircraft and personnel whilst deployed on operations. the overarching Force Protection Force HQ is located at RAF Honington. Each FP Wg is parented by an RAF Station with whom it is usually deployed:

RAF Force Protection Wings were, until April 2004, were known as Tactical Survive To Operate Headquarters (Tac STO HQs).

Miscellaneous Wings[]

Station-based Wings[]

A typical Royal Air Force flying station (not training) will have the following integrated wing-based structure:

  • Administrative Wing / Base (Station) Support Wing
  • Depth Support Wing
  • Forward Support Wing
  • Operations Wing

On a smaller RAF Station, these functions may be termed squadrons but their role is identical.

Specialised Station-based Wings[]

Some stations has Wings which are customised to their particular role with the RAF:

Tactical Wings[]

Wings termed 'Tactical' within the Royal Air Force provide are cohesive, specialised units that are usually found in DPM uniform.

References[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at List of Wings of the Royal Air Force and the edit history here.
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