Wing commander: Difference between revisions

{{EngvarB|date=January 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service captains and Royal Flying Corps colonels officially becoming colonels in the RAF although there was some inconsistency in practice with some former naval officers using their former ranks unofficially.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fleet Air Arm, Naval Aviation, Royal Navy Air Service History- 1918 - 1 April: RNAS and RFC amalgamated to create RAF |url=https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-history-timeline |website=www.fleetairarmoa.org |publisher=Fleet Air Arm Officers Association |access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref> In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became wing commander would have been "air commander". Although the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on naval officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that RAF lieutenant colonels might be entitled [[Reeve (England)|reeves]] or wing-leaders. However, the rank title wing commander was chosen as [[Wing (air force unit)|wings]] were typically commanded by RAF lieutenant colonels and the term wing commander had been used in the Royal Naval Air Service. The rank of wing commander was introduced in August 1919<ref>{{cite book |last=Hobart |first=Malcolm C |date=2000 |title=Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ATMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |publisher=Leo Cooper |page=26 |isbn=0-85052-739-2}}</ref> and has been used continuously since then.

In the early years of the RAF, a wing commander commanded a flying wing, typically a group of three or four aircraft [[Squadron (aviation)|squadrons]]. In current usage a wing commander is more likely to command a wing which is an administrative sub-division of an [[RAF station]]. A flying squadron is normally commanded by a wing commander but is occasionally commanded by a squadron leader for small units. In the [[Air Training Corps]], a wing commander is usually the [[officer commanding]] of a wing.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

The rank of wing commander is also used in a number of the air forces in the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], including the [[Bangladesh Air Force]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://baf.mil.bd/website/rank.php |title=BAF Ranks |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2020 |website=Bangladesh Air Force Website |publisher=BAF Communication Unit |access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref> [[Ghana Air Force]], [[Nigerian Air Force]], [[Indian Air Force]],<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Officer ranks in Indian Army, Air Force and Navy |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/officer-ranks-in-indian-army-air-force-and-navy-1464351-2019-02-25 |work=[[India Today]] |location=[[New Delhi]] |date=25 February 2019 |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref> [[Namibian Air Force]], [[Pakistan Air Force]], [[Royal Australian Air Force]], [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]], and the [[Sri Lankan Air Force]].{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} It is also used in the [[Egyptian Air Force]], [[Hellenic Air Force]], [[Royal Air Force of Oman]], [[Royal Thai Air Force]] and the [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |title=Ranks and Badges in the AFZ  |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2020 |website=Air Force of Zimbabwe Website |publisher=Air Force of Zimbabwe |access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref> The [[Royal Malaysian Air Force]] used the rank until it was retitled as that of [[lieutenant colonel]] in 1973, with the same rank insignia.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

* [[Preller Geldenhuys]]{{spaced endash}}combat pilot in the [[Rhodesian Air Force]], survivor of the Rhodesian War and author of ''[[Rhodesian Air Force Operations]]''<ref name=airstrikelog>{{Cite book|title = Rhodesian Air Force Operations with Air Strike Log|last1 = Geldenhuys|first1 = Preller|author-link1=Preller Geldenhuys|publisher = Just Done Productions Publishing|year = 2007|isbn = 978-1-920169-61-9|location = Durban, South Africa|url = http://www.justdone.co.za/shop/index.php?id_product=29&controller=product|publication-date=13 July 2022}}</ref>

* [[Humphrey de Verd Leigh]]{{spaced endash}}inventor of the [[Leigh light]] which was developed to spotlight U-boats as they surfaced at night. The Leigh light is reputed{{Who|date=December 2022}} to have changed the course of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II

* [[Abhinandan Varthaman]]{{spaced endash}}Wing Commander of the [[Indian Air Force]].His aircraft was shot down in an aerial dogfight and he was held captive for 60 hours in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/f16-shot-down-varthamans-mig21-locked-in-pakistans-f16/articleshow/68193757.cms|title=Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG21 locked in Pakistan's F16|language=en|author=Manu Pubby|access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref>