R.A.F.

[steve white]

hi all

was the royal airforce called the RAF in 1918 or the royal flying corps.

i am asking because of this piece of trench art

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WW1-trnch-lighter-wi...1QQcmdZViewItem

I have an interest in such collecting old lighters but i am not sure about the history of the raf and wonder if this is a genuine item?

[CSMMo]

I don't know when they changed the name, but they were RAF by 1918 as my grandfather went to "RAF School of Aeronautics No. Three" in Egypt in 1918.

Mike Morrison

[Take on me]

was the royal airforce called the RAF in 1918 or the royal flying corps.

The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged on the 1st April 1918 becoming the seperate (under neither Army or Naval command) Royal Air Force.

Jon

[Audax]

The first Royal Flying Corps aircraft and personnel arrived at St Omer in October 1914. For the remainder of the war, the site was a major airfield and repair depot as well as the location for several important headquarters, including Headquarters Royal Flying Corps under the command of Major-General Hugh Trenchard.

Several flying squadrons were first formed here, including Nos 9 and 16 Squadrons, while more than 50 other squadrons operated from the airfield at one time or another.

At the formation of the Royal Air Force, on 1 April 1918, more than 4,000 personnel were based at St-Omer out of nearly 50,000 officers and airmen serving in France and Belgium.

More than 8,000 casualties were suffered on the Western Front by the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force and air forces from the British Empire, including Major Mick Mannock VC who was shot down on 26 July 1918 while on offensive patrol from St-Omer.

[steve white]

Thankyou, this is a great board for information.