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No. 41 Wing RAF
No. 41 Wing RAF;
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Size	Wing

No. 41 Wing of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), later the Royal Air Force (RAF), was a division which conducted strategic bombing operations against Germany during the First World War.

History

41 Wing was created on 11 October 1917^[1] under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Cyril Newall. It was based at Ochey in France. Its initial composition was:^[2]

The wing was subsequently augmented with:

No. 99 Squadron flying DH4s
No. 104 Squadron flying DH4s

Preparations for bombing missions started immediately and only six days later two flights of de Havilland aircraft conducted the Flying Corps' first long-range bombing mission. The Burbach iron foundry was hit, as were other buildings and railway lines. A week later Handley Page aircraft of the 41st Wing conducted the first night-time long range operation. Bombing continued into November, until the onset of winter weather.^[3]

No. 41 Wing was officially elevated to brigade status on 28 December 1917 as the VIII Brigade of the RFC, although the VIII Brigade did not exercise practical command until 1 February 1918. The 41st Wing continued to exist as a subordinate formation of the VIII Brigade and it received a new commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J E A Baldwin.^[4] Two months later on 1 April 1918, with the amalgamation of the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), it became part of the RAF. Following the creation of the RAF's Independent Air Force, it came under the Independent Air Force's command on 6 June 1918. Following the end of the war it was probably transferred back to the Royal Air Force in the Field and was disbanded on 15 February 1919.^[5]

References

^ Barrass, Malcolm (11 June 2007). "Wing Nos 1 - 50". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
^ "Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary / Development of the Strategic Bomber". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
^ Boyle, Andrew (1962). Trenchard Man of Vision. London: Collins. pp. 239–240.
^ "J e a Baldwin_P".
^ "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation". Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.