No. 122 Expeditionary Air Wing is a former deployable

Expeditionary Air Wing On 1 April 2006 Expeditionary Air Wings (EAWs) were formed at nine of the RAF's Main Operating Bases. Each EAW has its own identity and is led by the Station Commander, supported by his Station management team. The deployable elements of the st ...

of the

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 ...

based at

RAF Cottesmore Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. On 15 December 2009, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced that the ...

, Rutland, England. The current wing was established on 1 April 2006 the wing has history dating back to May 1944:

Second World War

No. 122 (Rocket Projectile) Wing within No. 15 Sector RAF, No. 83 Group RAF,

RAF Second Tactical Air Force The RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces, ...

was formed on 12 May 1944 at

RAF Gravesend Gravesend Airport, located south-east of Gravesend town centre, Kent and west of Rochester. It was operated from 1932 until 1956. It was initially a civil airfield, and became a Royal Air Force station known as RAF Gravesend during the Second W ...

operating

North American Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

s controlling: *

No. 19 Squadron RAF Number 19 Squadron (sometimes written as No. XIX Squadron) is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to operate the Supermarine Spitfire. It currently operates the UK's Control and Reporting Centre from RAF Boulmer. No. 1 ...

* No. 65 (East India) Squadron RAF * No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron RAF The wing moved to RAF Funtington on 13 May 1944 then to

RAF Ford HM Prison Ford (informally known as Ford Open Prison) is a Category D men's prison, located at Ford, in West Sussex, England, near Arundel and Littlehampton. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. Air Force and Navy use The ...

on 18 June 1944. It moved to France on 23 June 1944, going to B.2 Bazonville, B.7 Martragny, B.12 Ellon, No.24 St Andre-De-L'Eure, B.24 Beauvais and B.60 Grimbergen before moving to England and RAF Matlaske on 28 September 1944. Where the wing was disbanded and became No. 150 Wing RAF. No. 122 Wing was reformed on 28 September 1944 at Grimbergen, it moved to B.80 Volkel, B.112 Rheine-Hopsten, B.152 Fassberg, B.160 Kastrup and finally B.166 Flensburg where the unit was disbanded on 7 September 1945.

History of No. 122 Airfield

No. 122 Airfield Headquarters was formed on 15 February 1943 at

RAF Zeals Royal Air Force Zeals or more simply RAF Zeals is a former Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, sited to the north of the village of Zeals, next to the village of Stourton and the Stourhead estate. History The station was in operation fro ...

, moving shortly afterwards to

RAF Chilbolton Royal Air Force Chilbolton or RAF Chilbolton was a Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield was located in Chilbolton approximately south-southeast of Andover, about southwest of London Opened in 1940, it was used by t ...

on 24 February 1943. The HQ then moved to back to Zeals on 13 March 1943 and moved to

RAF Eastchurch Royal Air Force Eastchurch or more simply RAF Eastchurch (formerly RNAS Eastchurch) is a former Royal Air Force station near Eastchurch village, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England. The history of aviation at Eastchurch stretches back to the fi ...

on 4 April 1943, moving to RAF Bognor on 1 June 1943. The HQ moved to RAF Kingsnorth on 1 July 1943m then to

on 20 October 1943. On 15 April 1944 it had a four day stay at

before returning to Gravesend. Finally it moved to RAF Funtington on 29 April 1944 and was disbanded there on 12 May 1944. Squadrons: *

(15 February 1943 to ?) * No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron RAF (1 March 1943 to 18 May 1943) replaced by No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron RAF (18 May 1943 to 12 May 1944) * No. 174 (Mauritius) Squadron RAF (1 March 1943 to 3 May 1943) replaced by No. 181 Squadron RAF (3 May 1943 to 12 May 1944) * No. 184 Squadron RAF (1 March 1943 to 12 June 1943) replaced by No. 174 (Mauritius) Squadron RAF (12 June 1943 to 1 July 1943) replaced by No. 65 (East India) Squadron RAF (1 July 1943 to 12 May 1944) * No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron RAuxAF (31 May 1943 to 13 August 1943) replaced by No. 184 Squadron RAF (14 August 1943 to 18 August 1943) replaced by

(18 August 1943 to 12 May 1944)

Post war

The wing was reformed on 1 April 1953 at RAF Jever, it controlled: *

No. 4 Squadron RAF No. 4 Squadron, normally written as IV Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operates the BAE Hawk T2 in the training role from RAF Valley. History Formation and First World War IV Squadron formed at Farnborough in 1912 as part of the Royal Fly ...

* No. 92 (East India) Squadron RAF * No. 98 Squadron RAF (1 April 1953 to 15 July 1957) * No. 118 Squadron RAF (6 May 1955 to 22 August 1957) It was disbanded on 1 January 1960 stil at Jever.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* {{RAF Wings E 122