Origins of RAF Ranks!

Did you know that when the RAF was formed there was lots of arguing before the RAF ranks were finally agreed on?

The Royal Air Force formed on 1 April 1918 during World War I, initially created by merging the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The creation of the new force was based on the 'Smuts Report' prepared by Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts for the Imperial War Cabinet with Major General Hugh Trenchard (initially opposing the formation of the RAF) becoming the first Chief of Air Staff and described as the ‘Father of the RAF.’

Trenchard - 'Father of the RAF'

Upon the formation of the RAF on 1 April 1918, rank titles and badges for Other Ranks (ORs) were adopted from the British Army, specifically the RFC e.g. Air Mechanic, Corporal, Sergeant and Flight Sergeant. To distinguish them from RFC personnel, the RAF wore the RAF Eagle (with beak to the rear suggesting ‘eyes everywhere’!) on a patch below the shoulder seam of the sleeve.  The rank of Leading Aircraftman was then created to fill a gap followed by the addition of Aircraftman on 1 Jan 2019.

1918 RAF Eagle Patch

There were other changes over the years; for example, on 1 July 1946 NCOs serving as aircrew were assigned different rank badges (e.g. Master Aircrew) which distinguished them from ORs in ground trades. While the RAF ranks for ORs were reasonably straight forward, the ranks for officers were far more contentious.   

Lieutenant General David Henderson (instrumental in establishing the RAF) originally proposed that RAF officers use a combination of Army and Royal Navy ranks. However, the War Office argued that the RAF should have its own ranks and in any event, both the Army and the Admiralty opposed any use of their rank titles for the RAF. With the strong Army and Navy objections, a further proposal for RAF officer ranks was: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Wing-Leader, Leader, Flight Ardian, Squadron Ardian, Wing Ardian, Ardian, and Air Marshal. However, this system was also rejected within the RAF.  King George V was also very influential on the outcome.

‘Today the Royal Air Force, of which you are the Minister in charge, comes into existence as the third arm of the defences of the Empire. As General-in-Chief I congratulate you on its birth and I trust that it may enjoy a vigorous and successful life.’

King George V to Lord Rothermere - 1 April 1918.

The present rank titles of the RAF were introduced by Air Ministry Order AMO 973/19 and in the end were based on Royal Navy ranks with their titles influenced by the usage in the RNAS during WW1. For example, the RAF rank of Flight Lieutenant was based on the RNAS rank of the same name. The rank of Squadron Leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of Squadron Commander. Furthermore, the military ranks of ‘Commander’ (as in Wing Commander), ‘Captain’ (as in Group Captain) and ‘Commodore’ (as in Air Commodore) all have their roots in the Royal Navy in the 18th Century!

So, despite all of the initial objections and contention, the RAF officer ranks were derived from the Senior Service (Royal Navy) and the other non-commissioned ranks from the British Army.

‘The R.N.A.S and R.F.C are dead: long live the R.A.F.!’

Here’s a Health to the RAF

(The Piloteer journal April 1918)

 Chocks Away!