Wing commander (rank)

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A Wing Commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia

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 Royal Air Force[1] and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence, including many Commonwealth countries but notably not including Canada or South Africa. 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 ranking code of OF-4, and is equivalent to a Commander in the Royal Navy or a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, Royal Marines or the US Army or United States US Marine Corps.

The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968), and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) was Wing Officer. The equivalent rank in the Royal Observer Corps (until 1995) was Observer Commander which had a similar rank insignia.

Origins

The rank insignia of a Royal Naval Air Service wing commander

On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service commanders (titled as wing commanders) and Royal Flying Corps Lieutenant Colonels becoming Lieutenant Colonels in the RAF. 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 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 has been used continuously since 1 August 1919.

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 a 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]

Navies Armies Air forces
Commissioned officers
Admiral of
the fleet		 Marshal or
Field marshal		 Marshal of
the air force
Admiral General Air chief marshal
Vice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshal
Rear admiral Major general Air vice-marshal
Commodore Brigadier or
Brigadier general		 Air commodore
Captain Colonel Group captain
Commander Lieutenant colonel Wing commander
Lieutenant
commander		 Major or
Commandant		 Squadron leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant Lieutenant or
First lieutenant		 Flying officer
Ensign Second
lieutenant		 Pilot officer
Midshipman Officer cadet Officer cadet
Enlisted grades
Warrant officer or
Chief petty officer		 Warrant officer or
Sergeant major		 Warrant officer
Petty officer Sergeant Sergeant
Leading seaman Corporal Corporal
Seaman Private Aircraftman

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 flying suit 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 Fighter Command'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, JN751, was coded "R-B", Wing Commander John Robert Baldwin's personal Hawker Typhoon was coded "J-B".

  • An RAF Wing Commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia

  • An RAF Wing Commander's sleeve mess insignia

  • An RAF Wing Commander's command pennant

  • 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, Nigerian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Malaysian 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, Royal Air Force of Oman and the Royal Thai Air Force.

  • An RAAF Wing Commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia

  • A RNZAF Wing Commander's sleeve/shoulder insignia

  • A Hellenic Air Force antisminarchos (Wing Commander's) rank insignia

  • An Indian Air Force Wing Commander's rank insignia

  • A RTAF Wing Commander's rank insignia

  • A Pakistan Air Force Wing Commander's rank insignia.

Royal Canadian Air Force

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) used the rank until the unification of the Canadian Forces (CF) in 1968, when army-type rank titles were adopted. A Canadian Wing Commander then became a Lieutenant Colonel. In official French Canadian usage, a Wing commander's rank title was lieutenant-colonel d'aviation. The rank of Wing Commander continues to be used as a Cadet rank at the Royal Military College of Canada.

In the 1990s, the Canadian Forces Air Command (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 modern Canadian Forces) is an appointment, not a rank. A "Wing commander" usually holds the rank of Colonel.

United States Air Force

In the United States Air Force (USAF) Wing commander is a duty title, not a rank. The equivalent USAF rank is Lieutenant Colonel who typically has command of a Squadron. Because USAF Wings are larger formations than RAF Wings, the commander of a Wing must hold at least the rank of Colonel, and is typically a Colonel or a Brigadier General. The one exception to this is the commander of the 59th Medical Wing (Wilford Hall Medical Center) who is customarily a Major General.

Civil Air Patrol (United States Air Force Auxiliary)

The Civil Air Patrol, the volunteer auxiliary of the USAF, follows the USAF rank structure. 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

See also

References

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NATO rank code /
Service branch		 student
officer		 OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6
★		 OF-7
★★		 OF-8
★★★		 OF-9
★★★★		 OF-10
★★★★★
Royal Navy OC Midshipman Sub-Lt Lt Lt Cdr Cdr Capt Cdre RAdm VAdm Admiral Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines OCdt 2Lt Lt Capt Major Lt Col Colonel Brig Maj-Gen Lt-Gen General Captain-General
British Army OCdt 2Lt Lt Capt Major Lt Col Colonel Brig Maj-Gen Lt-Gen General Field marshal
Royal Air Force Off Cdt / SO APO / Plt Off Fg Off Flt Lt Sqn Ldr Wg Cdr Gp Capt Air Cdre AVM Air Mshl Air Chf Mshl Mshl of the RAF
lists

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