Air Force Constitution Established
The Air Force Constitution of 1917 was laid down with a provision for an Air Force Reserve and an Auxiliary Air Force.
Plan for a Reserve Air Force
Sir Hugh Trenchard decreed that a Reserve Airr Force should be set up on a Territorial basis. He envisaged the Auxiliariesas a corps d'elite composed of the kind of young men who would have been interested in horses but who now wished to serve their country in machines!
The Formation of the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 by amalgamating the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps into a single independent Force.
Territorial Air Force
Air Ministry document proposed the creation of a Territorial Air Force.
Reserve Air Force Bill
A Reserve Air Force Bill was drafted to raise 6 Auxiliary Squadrons and seven Special Reserve Squadrons with a longer term plan to raise a total of 20 Auxiliary Squadrons. The Bill was initially opposed, and it did not become law until 1924.
Order in Council
An Order in Council made in the name of the King established the Auxiliary Air Force was signed on 9 October 1924. The first Squadrons were formed the following year.
First Special Reserve Squadron
The first Special Reserve Squadron to be formed was 502 (Ulster) Squadron at Aldergrove on 15 May 1925. It became an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron in 1937.
602 Auxiliary Squadron Formed
The first Auxiliary Squadron to be formed was 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron at RAF Renfrew.
600 ,601 and 603 Auxiliary Squadrons Formed
600 (City of London) Squadron and 601 (County of London) Squadron were formed at RAF Northolt, and No 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron was formed at RAF Turnhouse.
605 Auxiliary Squadron Formed
605 (County of Warwick) Squadron was formed at Castle Bromwich
503 Special Reserve Squadron Formed
No 503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron was formed at RAF Waddington
504 Special Reserve Squadron Formed
504 (County of Nottingham) formed at RAF Hucknall.
501 Special Reserve Squadron Formed
501 (County of Bristol) Squadron formed at Filton airfield.
604, 607 and 608 Squadrons Formed
604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron was formed at Hendon, 607 (County of Durham) at RAF Usworth and 608 (North Riding) at RAF Thornaby.
500 Special Reserve Squadron Formed
500 (County of Kent) Squadron , the last of the 5 Special Reserve Squadrons, was formed at RAF Manston.
First Flight over Everest
First flight over Mount Everest,the world's highest mountain, undertaken in a private venture by Sir Douglas Hamilton and David McIntyre, both of 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron.
609, 610 and 611 Auxiliary Squadrons Formed
609 (West Riding) Squadron was formed at Yeadon and 610 (County of Chester) and 611 (West Lancashire) Squadrons at Hendon.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Formed
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was formed to provide a pool of reservist aircrew who could support the RAF as individuals rather than as a members of a formed reservist unit aka the Auxiliary Squadrons.
RAF Balloon Group Formed
30 (Balloon Barrage Group) formed at RAF Stanmore Park. It comprised initially of 10 Barrage Balloon administered at 4 centres around London.
612, 614 an 615 Auxiliary Squadrons Formed
612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron was formed at RAF Dyce, 614 County of Glamorgan) Squadron at Pengam Moors and 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron atRAF Kenley.