Royal Flying Corps of World War I

Motto: Per Ardua ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars)

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed by Royal Warrant on 13 April 1912 and assumed control of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers on 13 May 1912. It was comprised of a Military Wing, a Naval Wing, a Reserve, the Central Flying School at Upavon and the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough. Following the Military Aeroplane Competition at Larkhill, Wiltshire in August 1912, the B.E.2 was selected for use by the Royal Flying Corps. By the end of 1912, the RFC was equipped with 1 airship, 12 manned kite balloons and 36 unarmed biplanes.

1	1 Squadron	19	24 Squadron	37	64 Squadron
2	2 Squadron	20	28 Squadron	38	67 Squadron
3	3 Squadron	21	29 Squadron	39	68 Squadron
4	6 Squadron	22	32 Squadron	40	70 Squadron
5	10 Squadron	23	40 Squadron	41	71 Squadron
6	11 Squadron	24	41 Squadron	42	72 Squadron
7	12 Squadron	25	43 Squadron	43	73 Squadron
8	13 Squadron	26	44 Squadron	44	74 Squadron
9	16 Squadron	27	45 Squadron	45	79 Squadron
10	17 Squadron	28	46 Squadron	46	80 Squadron
11	18 Squadron	29	47 Squadron	47	84 Squadron
12	19 Squadron	30	48 Squadron	48	85 Squadron
13	20 Squadron	31	54 Squadron	49	87 Squadron
14	21 Squadron	32	56 Squadron	50	88 Squadron
15	22 Squadron	33	60 Squadron	51	92 Squadron
16	23 Squadron	34	62 Squadron	52	111 Squadron
17	25 Squadron	35	65 Squadron
18	27 Squadron	36	66 Squadron

The London Gazette, 10 July 1915
    "I have once more to call your Lordship's attention to the part taken by the Royal Flying Corps in the general progress of the campaign, and I wish particularly to mention the invaluable assistance they rendered in the operations described in this report, under the able direction of Major-General Sir David Henderson.
    The Royal Flying Corps is becoming more and more an indispensable factor in combined operations. In co-operation with the artillery, in particular, there has been continuous improvement both in the methods and in the technical material employed. The ingenuity and technical skill displayed by the officers of the Royal Flying Corps, in effecting this improvement, have been most marked.
    Since my last despatch there has been a considerable increase both in the number and in the activity of German aeroplanes in our front. During this period there have been more than sixty combats in the air, in which not one British aeroplane has been lost. As these fights take place almost invariably over or behind the German lines, only one hostile aeroplane has been brought down in our territory. Five more, however, have been definitely wrecked behind their own lines, and many have been chased down and forced to land in most unsuitable ground." J. D. P. French, Field-Marshal, Commanding-in-Chief, The British Army in France

Books

Cormack, Andrew. British Air Forces 1914-1918 (1). Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2000

Cormack, Andrew. British Air Forces 1914-1918 (2). Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2001

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