Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the
IAF, and the
PAF, WGCDR in the
RNZAF and
RAAF
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior
commissioned rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
in the British
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and air forces of many countries which have historical British influence, including many
Commonwealth countries but not including
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
(since
Unification) and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. It
ranks immediately above
squadron leader and immediately below
group captain.
It has a
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
ranking code of
OF-4
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The rank scale is used for specifying posts within NATO.
Definitions
NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in ...
. It is equivalent to
commander in the
Royal
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ...
and
United States Navies, as well as to
lieutenant colonel in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, the
Royal Marines, and the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
,
Air Force and
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
. The equivalent rank in the
Women's Auxiliary Air Force and the
Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and in
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.
It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment ...
(until 1980) was wing officer. The equivalent rank in the
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 Decembe ...
(until 1995) was observer commander, which had a similar rank insignia.
Origins
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. 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
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
reeves or wing-leaders. However, the rank title wing commander was chosen as
wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
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 and has been used continuously since then.
Usage
In the early years of the RAF, a wing commander commanded a flying wing, typically a group of three or four aircraft
squadrons. In current usage a wing commander is more likely to command a wing which is an administrative sub-division of an
RAF station
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. 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
The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British volunteer-military youth organisation. They are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force. The majority of staff are volunteers, and some are paid for full-time work – including C ...
, a wing commander is usually the
officer commanding
The officer commanding (OC), also known as the officer in command or officer in charge (OiC), is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size), principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, t ...
of a wing.
Insignia and command flag
The rank insignia is based on the three gold bands of commanders in the Royal Navy and consists of three narrow light blue bands over slightly wider black bands. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulder of the
flight suit
A flight suit is a full-body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical (plenty of pockets), and durable (includi ...
or the casual uniform.
The command pennant is two triangular command pennants used in the RAF. Two thin red lines differentiate this one from the other.
During 1941-45
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Brita ...
's wing leaders (of wing commander rank) were also allowed to use their own initials as aircraft identification letters on their personal aircraft, e.g., Wing Commander
Roland Beamont's personal
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...
, ''JN751'', was coded "R-B", Wing Commander
John Robert Baldwin's personal
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and i ...
was coded "J-B".
File:UK-Air-OF4.svg, An RAF wing commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia
File:File-UK-Air-OF4-mess-insignia.svg, An RAF wing commander's sleeve mess insignia
File:RAF-Wg Cdr-OF-4.png, An RAF wing commander's sleeve on No. 1 service dress uniform
Other air forces
The rank of wing commander is also used in a number of the air forces in the
Commonwealth, including the
Bangladesh Air Force,
Ghana Air Force
The Ghana Air Force (GHF) is the aerial warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The GHF, along with the Ghanaian army (GA) and Ghanaian navy (GN), make up the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF), which are controlle ...
,
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese ...
,
Indian Air Force,
Namibian Air Force
The Namibian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force. It was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base. Accessed 2007/07/27 Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air ...
,
Pakistan Air Force,
Royal Australian Air Force,
Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the
Sri Lankan Air Force. It is also used in the
Egyptian Air Force,
Hellenic Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 8 November
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
,
Royal Air Force of Oman,
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
and the
Air Force of Zimbabwe. The
Royal Malaysian Air Force
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...
used the rank until it was retitled as that of
lieutenant colonel in 1973, with the same rank insignia.
File:Australia RAAF OF-4.svg, An RAAF
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
wing commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia
File:NZ-Air-OF4.svg, An RNZAF wing commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia
File:CDN-Air Force-Lieutenant Colonel (OF4)-2015.svg, alt=, A RCAF lieutenant colonel's sleeve/shoulder insignia, with rank braids in the traditional Commonwealth style.
File:Hellenic Air Force OF-4.svg, A Hellenic Air Force ''antisminarchos'' (wing commander's) rank insignia
File:Indian IAF OF-4.svg, An Indian Air Force wing commander's rank insignia
File:11-Namibia Air Force-WGCDR.svg, A Namibian Air Force wing commander's rank insignia
File:RTAF OF-4 (Wing Commander).svg, An RTAF wing commander's rank insignia
File:Pak-air-force-OF-4.svg, A PAF Wing Commander's shoulder insignia
Royal Canadian Air Force
Canada is a unique exception. Due to the unification of the
Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, the
air force rank titles are the same as those of the Canadian Army. However, like their Commonwealth counterparts, rank braids are pearl grey and increase from OF-1 to OF-5 in half strip increments. The decision was taken not to retain the historic rank titles for the RCAF due to it being deemed "too confusing."
In the 1990s, the
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(the post-1968 RCAF) altered the structure of those
bases under its control, redesignating them as wings. The commander of such an establishment was re-designated as the "wing commander" (or "Wg Comd"). Like the United States Air Force usage, the term "wing commander" (as used in the Canadian Forces and again in the RCAF) is an appointment, not a rank. A wing commander usually holds the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
.
On 16 August 2011, the Government of Canada announced that the name "Air Command" was being changed to the air force's original historic name of
Royal Canadian Air Force. Though traditional insignia for the RCAF was restored in 2015, there has been no restoration of the traditional RCAF officer rank structure that paralleled the RAF.
United States Air Force
In the
United States Air Force (USAF), a wing commander is a command billet, not a rank. The equivalent USAF rank is most often a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
(some USAF wings are commanded by a
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
) who typically has command of an air wing with several group commanders reporting to him/her.
United States Navy
In the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN), a wing commander is also a command billet, not a rank. The equivalent USN rank is a
captain. Navy wing commanders are either
Naval Aviators or
Naval Flight Officer
A naval flight officer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many "co-pilot" or ...
s who typically have command of a
carrier air wing
A carrier air wing (abbreviated CVW) is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct mo ...
or a "functional" air wing or air group such as a strike fighter wing, a patrol and reconnaissance wing, a tactical air control group, or a training air wing, with several squadron commanding officers reporting to him/her. Those officers commanding carrier air wings are called "CAG," dating back to when carrier air wings were called carrier air groups. Those officers commanding functional air wings and air groups are called
"commodore." Unlike USAF, "group" commands in USN are either equal to or senior to an air wing.
Civil Air Patrol (United States Air Force Auxiliary)
The
Civil Air Patrol, the volunteer auxiliary of the USAF, follows the USAF rank structure. The CAP divides the nation into 52 wings (each corresponding to a state, territory, and District of Columbia). Each wing is headed by a CAP colonel, who holds the position of wing commander.
Notable wing commanders
*
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, (; 21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared p ...
World War II fighter pilot and double amputee, was the first commander to lead formations of three or more squadrons during the Battle of Britain
*
Roland BeamontWorld War II
fighter pilot and post-war test pilot
*
Abdel Latif Boghdadipilot in the
Egyptian Air Force turned politician
*
M. Hamidullah Khan TJ, SH, BP Fought two wars in South Asia, 1965 Indo Pak War, Bangladesh War of Independence 1971. First and third
provost marshal and commander of Ground Defense Command of the
Bangladesh Air Force.
*
Pierre Clostermann
Pierre Henri Clostermann (28 February 1921 – 22 March 2006) was a World War II French fighter pilot.
During the conflict he achieved 33 air-to-air combat victories, earning the accolade "France's First Fighter" from General Charles de ...
World War II fighter pilot and author of ''The Big Show''
*
Linda Corbouldfirst woman to command a
RAAF flying squadron
*
Roald DahlWorld War II fighter pilot, and famous novelist. His record of five aerial victories has been confirmed by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records. (He ended the war with the temporary rank of wing commander; substantive rank was
squadron leader)
*
Roly Falktest pilot on the maiden flight of the
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe an ...
*
Brendan "Paddy" Finucanetop ranking RAF World War II ace with 32 kills. A native of
Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland (who
emigrated to Britain with his family in 1936), he is the youngest wing commander in the history of the RAF. He was promoted to the rank in 1942 at age 21 and was shot down and killed shortly thereafter
*
Preller Geldenhuyscombat pilot in the
Rhodesian Air Force
The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the ...
, survivor of the Rhodesian War and author of ''
Rhodesian Air Force Operations''
*
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, (12 August 1918 – 19 September 1944) was a distinguished bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was the first Commanding Officer of No. 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam ...
commanding officer of 617 Squadron and leader of the "Dam Busters" raid
*
Andy Greencurrent holder of the
land speed record
The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regula ...
and first person to break the sound barrier on land
* Walter "Taffy" Holden (
Holden%27s Lightning flight) Commander of
No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF; inadvertently took off in an
English Electric Lightning during ground testing; managed to land safely despite his only prior experience being with light training aircraft.
*
Humphrey de Verd Leighinventor of the
Leigh light which was developed to spotlight U-boats as they surfaced at night. The Leigh light is reputed to have changed the course of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
*
Norman MacmillanAviation author and pilot of the first attempt to fly around the world in 1922.
*
Mervyn Middlecoatfighter pilot who belonged to Pakistan Air Force
* Nouman Ali KhanWing Commander of the
Pakistan Air Force who downed an
Indian Air Force MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
piloted by Abhinandan Varthamanand and crashed in Pakistan administered Kashmir on 27 February 2019. He was conferred with
Sitar-e-Jurat for his bravery
*
Abhinandan VarthamanWing 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.
*
Ken Wallis
Wing Commander Kenneth Horatio Wallis (26 April 1916 – 1 September 2013) was a British aviator, engineer, and inventor. During the Second World War, Wallis served in the Royal Air Force and flew 28 bomber missions over Germany; after the war ...
World War II fighter pilot, aircraft engineer, and multiple world record holder in autogyro aircraft flight
*
Adrian Warburtonlegendary for his role as a reconnaissance aviator in the defence of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
; shot down over Germany on 12 April 1944, aged 26. It was only in 2002 that his remains were found in the wreckage of his plane
*
Dennis Wheatleythe popular historical novelist and thriller writer was granted a commission and brought into Whitehall's World War II Joint Planning Staff
*
Russell Williams British-born Canadian convicted rapist and murderer and former Colonel in the Canadian Forces
*
Peter Overton
Peter John Overton, (born 5 April 1966) is an Australian television journalist and news presenter. He is currently the presenter for Nine News Sydney from Sunday to Thursday at 6 pm.
Early life and family
Born in England, Overton moved t ...
A news presenter & journalist for the 9 Network Australia and 60 Minutes Australia. He is a Wing Commander in the Royal Australian Air Force as a specialist reserve public affairs officer.
* Michael Sutton OBE - led the first Typhoon deployment on operations over Iraq and Syria. The only typhoon pilot to have used the aircraft's gun in combat. Author of bestselling memoir ''Typhoon''.
See also
*
Air force officer rank insignia
*
British and U.S. military ranks compared
*
Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various nations' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention '' ...
*
RAF officer ranks
The officer ranks of the Royal Air Force, as they are today, were introduced in 1919. Prior to that Army ranks were used.
Ranks
Notes
Origins
Lieutenant General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a comb ...
*
Ranks of the RAAF
* ''
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
'', a popular computer game series
References
{{UK officer ranks
Military ranks of the Commonwealth
Military ranks of Australia
Former military ranks of Canada
Military ranks of the Royal Air Force
Air force ranks
Military ranks of Pakistan
Military ranks of Bangladesh
Military ranks of Sri Lanka
Military ranks of the Indian Air Force