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This is alist of aircraft wings of the Royal Navy. A Wing designation consisted a number to differentiate each one and a simple label for the role of the wing. Each wing was formed of a small number ofNaval Air Squadrons and were mostly either afighter wing or atorpedo,bomber andreconnaissance wing, and there included a proposed MAC ship (Merchant Aircraft Carrier) wing.^[1]

TheFleet Air Arm squadrons, embarked on theFleet andLight Fleetaircraft carriers, were grouped into explicit Wings from June 1943. Due to the existingRoyal Air Force Wings having the same number designation, each Fleet Air Arm Wing contained the word Naval in its title. The Wings were each allocated a unique number and the name of each wing also contained the designated wings role. There were two significant roles with each wing being either a Fighter wing or a Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance wing, with the latter known as a TBR wing.^[2]

Beginning on 25 October 1943, the establishment of certain Royal Navy air wings commenced. However, not all of the air wings that the Fleet Air Arm intended to create were ultimately realised.^[2] The air wings that were part of theBritish Pacific Fleet were reorganized into new Carrier Air Groups, resulting in their disbandment. This restructuring was implemented to conform toUnited States Navy policy following theconclusion of the Second World War in Europe, with the aim of bolsteringAllied operations in thePacific War againstJapan in 1945.^[3]

The remaining Wings were gradually disbanded in the months that followed, typically coinciding with the return of the aircraft carrier to its home port.^[2]

The table below covers all the wings that were formed or proposed during World War II.

• 2nd Naval TBR Wing - formed on 24 January 1944. Allocated to thename ship ofher class,HMS Implacable (R86), on 11 March, it comprised828 and841 Naval Air Squadrons. The wing's aircraft,Fairey Barracuda, acarrier-bornetorpedo anddive bomber, embarked onto the aircraft carrier during August 1944, although some aircraft had a short detachment to theIllustrious-classaircraft carrier,HMS Formidable. When 828 NAS absorbed 841 NAS on 28 November, the Wing disbanded.^[10] The Wing reformed on 10 December 1944 atRNAS Katukurunda (HMSUkussa), inCeylon. Designated asNo. 2 Strike Wing it consistedGrumman TBF Avenger AmericanTorpedo Bomber equipped,820 and849 Naval Air Squadrons, however, during January 1945 the squadrons embarked on different aircraft carriers, which effectively disbanded the wing.^[2]
  • Wing Leader^[10]
    • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, 24 January 1944
    • unidentified, 23 July 1944
• 3rd Naval Fighter Wing - formed on 25 October 1943 consisting threeSupermarine Seafire L.IIc, a naval version of theSupermarine Spitfire, Fleet Air Arm Squadrons: Nos808,886 and897 Naval Air Squadrons. Initially atRNAS Burscough (HMSRingtail), in Lancashire, the squadrons embarked in theAttacker-class escort carriers:HMS Hunter (D80),HMS Attacker (D02) andHMS Stalker (D91) respectively. The wing moved toRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus), in Hampshire, on 25 February 1944 and added885 Naval Air Squadron to its formation. Its role altered to that of an air spotting pool supporting theRAF Second Tactical Air Force for theNormandy landings. 808 NAS absorbed 886 NAS and 885 NAS absorbed 897 NAS and the wing relocated toRNAS Ballyhalbert (HMSCorncrake), inCounty Down, Northern Ireland, on 4 August. Later the squadrons re-equipped withGrumman F6F Hellcat, an Americancarrier-basedfighter aircraft, and the wing increased in size bringing onboard Nos800 and1840 Naval Air Squadrons. In October 1944,881 and882 Naval Air Squadrons, equipped withGrumman F4F Wildcat, an Americancarrier-basedfighter aircraft, briefly joined No. 3 Wing for three weeks. It departed early in 1945, on theRuler-classescort carriers:HMS Emperor (D98) (800 NAS),HMS Khedive (D62) (808 NAS),HMS Ruler (D72) (885 NAS) andHMS Speaker (D90) (1840 NAS), seeing active service, before disbanding on 9 December 1945.^[11]
  • Wing Leaders^[12]
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) S.J. Hall,RNVR, 25 October 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) R. MCD Hill, RNVR, 13 March 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett,DSC,RN, 22 May 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, 30 September 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) B. H.C. Nation, RN, 16 November 1944
    • Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie,RM, 11 February 1945
    • Lieutenant Commander R.H.P. Carver, DSC, RN, 8 April 1945
• 4th Naval Fighter Wing - formed on 25 October 1943 at RNAS Burscough (HMSRingtail), consisting three Supermarine Seafire units,807,809 and879 Naval Air Squadrons.^[12] It departed on theAttacker-class escort carriersHMS Hunter (D80) (807 NAS),HMS Stalker (D91) (809 NAS) andHMS Attacker (D02) (879 NAS), seeing active operations in mid-1944 inItaly, and during August 1944 thelandings in the South of France. The wing then saw time in theAegean, followed byEgypt, and early-1945 it re-embarked forCeylon. After operating with theEast Indies Fleet,^[2] the wing returned to the UK and then disbanded post war atRNAS Nutts Corner (HMSPintail), on 25 January 1946.^[12]
  • Wing Leaders^[12]
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.C. Wallace, RNVR, 25 October 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) G.C. Baldwin, DSC, RN, 3 June 1944 - 16 November 1945
• 5th Naval Fighter Wing - formed atRNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet), in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during December 1943. It was made up of1839 and1844 Naval Air Squadrons, both units equipped with the American Grumman Hellcat fighter aircraft. The wing embarked in theRuler-classescort carrierHMS Begum (D38), during February 1944, to join theEast Indies Fleet and later transferred to the modifiedIllustrious-classaircraft carrierHMS Indomitable (92) in July.^[12] It was active with the British Pacific Fleet, forming the11th Carrier Air Group on 30 June 1945, along with857 Naval Air Squadron.^[13] It remained withIndomitable until disbanding on 30 November 1945.^[12]
  • Wing Leaders^[12]
    • Commander H.P. Sears, RN, 28 February 1944
    • Commander T.G.C. Jameson (Senior Officer Air), RN, 7 April 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) T.W. Harrington, RN, 9 September 1944
    • unidentified, April 1945
• 6th Naval Fighter Wing - initially consisted solely1837 Naval Air Squadron and formed at RNAS Burscough (HMSRingtail) on 28 February 1944. It embarked in theRuler-class escort carrier,HMS Atheling, and journeyed toBritish Ceylon, transferring to thelead ship ofher class ofaircraft carrier,HMS Illustrious (87) during June 1944. It disbanded, aboardIllustrious's sister ship,HMS Victorious, into the 47th Naval Fighter Wing. The wing reformed in Britain with the American fighter aircraft,Vought F4U Corsair equipped units,1841 and1842 Naval Air Squadrons, embarking inHMS Formidable, anotherIllustrious-class aircraft carrier.^[12] It participated in attacks against theGerman battleshipTirpitz and then moved to the Pacific War seeing action with the British Pacific Fleet.^[14] It disbanded a second time into the newly formed2nd Carrier Air Group forFormidable, on 30 June 1945.^[12]
  • Wing Leaders^[12]
    • Commander H.P. Sears, RN, 28 February 1944
    • Major R.C. Hay,DSO andBar, DSC, RM, 24 May 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) R.L. Bigg-Wither, RN, 14 August 1944
• 7th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Eglinton (HMSGannett) on 30 October 1943. It consisted six squadrons: four of them 881, 882,896 and898 Naval Air Squadrons, operated with Grumman Wildcat fighter aircraft, and two: 800 and804 Naval Air Squadrons, were equipped with Grumman Hellcat, a Wildcat replacement fighter aircraft. 800 and 804 Naval Air Squadrons embarked in theRuler-class carrier, HMSEmperor (D98), 881 and 896 Naval Air Squadrons embarked in theAttacker-class carrier,HMS Pursuer (D73), and 882 and 898 Naval Air Squadrons, embarked inHMS Searcher (D40), also anAttacker-class carrier. Due to operational limits on the carriers, in June 1944, 804, 896 and 898 NAS disbanded into their sister squadrons.^[12] The Wing participated inOperation Dragoon inProvence, southernoccupied France, in 1944, and later on, operations in theAegean Region.^[2] When the wing returned to the UK the squadrons moved on and it disbanded on 16 December 1944.^[12]
  • Wing Leader^[12]
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) M.F. Fell, DSO, RN 30 October 1943
    • disbanded 16 December 1944
• 8th Naval TBR Wing - formed for the modifiedCourageous-classbattlecruiserHMS Furious on 25 October 1943, with827 and830 Naval Air Squadrons, both operated with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bomber aircraft. The wing participated in attacks on the German battleshipTirpitz, focusing its operational area around Norway. It disbanded on 3 October 1944 with 830 NAS merging into 827 NAS.^[15]
  • Wing Leaders
    • Lieutenant Commander R.S. Baker-Faulkner, DSC, RN, 25 October 1943^[15] - (KiA 14 July 1944)
    • Lieutenant Commander R.D. Kingdon, DSC, RNVR, 15 July 1944
    • disbanded, 3 October 1944^[14]
• 9th Naval TBR Wing - consisted Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber equipped 820 and826 Naval Air Squadrons, formed on 11 February 1944. It embarked in theImplacable-classaircraft carrier,HMS Indefatigable and operated off Norway, including attacks against theKriegsmarine battleshipTirpitz. 820 NAS absorbed 826 NAS on 23 October 1944, disbanding the wing.^[15]
  • Wing Leaders^[15]
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J.I. Temple-West, RN, 11 February 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) W.R.Nowell, RN, 1 August 1944
• 10th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet) on 14 October 1944, for the British Pacific Fleet. It was made up of1843 and1845 Naval Air Squadrons, both equipped with the American Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. In December 1944 1845 NAS embarked in theRuler-class escort carrierHMS Slinger (D26) and 1843 NAS embarked inHMS Arbiter (D31), anotherRuler-class escort carrier, and the squadrons never operated as a wing. On 5 April 1945, 1845 NAS disbanded and its aircraft were merged into the existing squadrons on theIllustrious-classaircraft carrierHMS Formidable.^[15] 1845 NAS reformed and on 30 June 1945, both squadrons were absorbed into the3rd Carrier Air Group.^[16]
  • Wing Leader^[15]
    • Major P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM 14 October 1944
• 11th Naval TBR Wing - formed with822 and823 Naval Air Squadrons on 21 April 1944, atUlunderpet, inIndia, by renumbering45th Naval TBR Wing. Both units were equipped with Fairey Barracuda, torpedo and dive bomber aircraft. It disbanded when 822 NAS absorbed 823 NAS on 6 July 1944.^[15]
  • Wing Leader^[8]
    • unidentified, 21 April 1944
• 12th Naval TBR Wing - consisted815 and817 Naval Air Squadrons and formed 24 January 1944, for the British Pacific Fleet,^[15] with an intended embarkation in the modifiedIllustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMSIndomitable (92). The wing joined theRuler-class escort carrier HMSBegum (D38) the following month, withIndomitable still under repair, and went to thefar east, later on embarking in the initially intended HMSIndomitable (92) during July 1944.^[8] The wing saw operational service before disbanding on 28 December 1944.^[15]
  • Wing Leader^[15]
    • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN
• 15th Naval Fighter Wing - consisted1830,1831 and1833 Naval Air Squadrons, equipped with Vought Corsair, American fighter aircraft and formed on 8 November 1943, atRNAS Stretton (HMSBlackcap). 1831 NAS disbanded into the other two squadrons before the wing embarked in the lead ship of her class of aircraft carrier, HMSIllustrious (87). The aircraft carrier was initially with theEastern Fleet and then moved to the British Pacific Fleet and the wing saw numerous operational activities with both. It disbanded on 28 July 1945, when the wing returned to the United Kingdom.^[15]
  • Wing Leaders^[8]
    • Lieutenant Commander J.W. Sleigh, DSC, RN, 8 November 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander(A)R.J. Cork, DSO, DSC, RN, 2 December 1943 - (KiA 14 April 1944)
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.M. Tritton, DSC & 2 Bars, RNVR, 15 April 1944
    • disbanded, 28 July 1945
• 18th Naval MAC-Ship Wing - This was a proposed Wing. The intention was to form this wing in order to control the squadrons whose aircraft were embarked on theMerchant Aircraft Carriers, or MAC-Ships.^[8]836 Naval Air Squadron became an operational pool ofFairey Swordfish, a Britishbiplane torpedo bomber, operating from the MAC-Ships, absorbing other squadrons and detachments, and was given primary responsibility for all MAC-Ship flights.^[17] There is doubt if the MAC-Ship Wing, as it was more generally known, was ever known by its number.^[8]
• 21st Naval TBR Wing - formed atRNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail) on 25 October 1943. It consisted810 and847 Naval Air Squadrons, both operating with Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber aircraft. The wing joined HMSIllustrious (87) during November 1943, then sailed to join the Eastern Fleet. It disbanded after 810 NAS absorbed 847 NAS on 30 June 1944.^[15]
  • Wing Leaders^[8]
    • Lieutenant Commander N.R. Corbet-Milward, RN, 25 October 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander B.E. Boulding, DSC, RN, 18 November 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J.B. Forde, RN, 27 February 1944
    • disbanded, 30 June 1944
• 24th Naval Fighter Wing - formed of 887 and 894 Naval Air Squadrons on 25 October 1943, atRNAS Henstridge (HMSDipper). Both squadrons were equipped with Supermarine Seafire. The wing joined HMSIndefatigable during May 1944, for operations off Norway. HMSIndefatigable joined the Eastern Fleet during November 1944, and then joined British Pacific Fleet. The wing was involved in operations against Japanese forces, before being absorbed into7th Carrier Air Group, on 30 June 1945.^[15]
  • Wing Leaders^[8]
    • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett, DSC, RN, 31 December 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander B.F. Wiggington, DSC, RNVR, 22 May 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) A.J. Thomson, DSC, RNVR, 1 November 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander N.G. Hallett, DSC, RN, 12 March 1945
    • disbanded into 7th Carrier Air Group, 30 June 1945
• 30th Naval Fighter Wing - formed at RNAS Machrihanish (HMSLandrail) on 10 October 1944 and consisting Supermarine Seafire equipped 810 and 880 Naval Air Squadrons. The wing embarked in HMSImplacable during November 1944,^[18] sailing, to join up with the British Pacific Fleet, on 15 March 1945.^[8] However, the wing disbanded into the8th Carrier Air Group, on 30 June 1945, before seeing any operations.^[18]
  • Wing Leader^[8]
    • Lieutenant Commander C.P. Campbell-Horsfall, RN, 10 October 1944
• 31st Naval TBR Wing - it was proposed to form during October 1943 atRNAS Hatston (HMSSparrowhawk). It was to consist 832 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons, both equipped with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bombers aircraft. However, intended for theIllustrious-class HMSVictorious (R38), the aircraft carrier was not available and therefore, in November, the formation of the wing was cancelled. The squadrons were reallocated toHMSEngadine, for passage to the Far East.^[8]
  • Wing Leaders^[8]
    • Lieutenant Commander WH Crawford, RN, 20 October 1943
    • disbanded, 26 November 1943
• 45th Naval TBR Wing - formed for service in HMSIndefatigable,^[8] with the Fairey Barracuda equipped 822 and 823 Naval Air Squadrons, on 25 October 1943, however, until the squadrons were ready to depart in HMSAtheling, to join the Eastern Fleet during February 1944, they did not combine. The wing was renumbered as11th Naval TBR Wing, on 21 April 1944.^[18]
  • Wing Leaders^[19]
    • Lieutenant Commander B.E. Boulding, DSC, RN, 25 October 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander G. Douglas, DFC, RN, 1 December 1943
    • unidentified, 31 January 1944
    • renumbered 11th Naval TBR Wing, 21 April 1944
• 47th Naval Fighter Wing - consisted1834 and1836 Naval Air Squadrons and formed on 17 January 1944 at RNAS Stretton (HMSBlackcap).^[18] Both units were equipped with Vought Corsair fighter aircraft.^[20] The wing joined up with theIllustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMSVictorious (R38), during March 1944 to cover with air strikes against the German battleshipTirpitz. During June, the carrier and wing travelled toCeylon, and the wing was augmented with 1837 Naval Air Squadron in August 1944,^[18] also equipped with Vought Corsair,^[21] however, this squadron disbanded into the other two. The wing saw action against Japanese forces, before being absorbed into the1st Carrier Air Group on 30 June 1945.^[18]
  • Wing Leader^[19]
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) F.R.A. Turnbull, DSC, RN, 17 January 1944
    • Major R.C. Hay, DSC, RM, 14 August 1944 (Lieutenant Colonel 12 December 1944)
    • disbanded into 1st Carrier Air Group, 30 June 1945
• 52nd Naval TBR Wing - Initially planned for the name ship of her class HMSImplacable (R86), with 815 and829 Naval Air Squadrons, in October 1943, the wing actually formed on 26 November and was reallocated to theIllustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMSVictorious (R38). However, with the aircraft carrier unavailable, the squadrons joined theRuler-class escort carrier, HMSBegum (D38) and operated with the 12th Naval Wing.^[19] The wing formed again on 5 January 1944, for HMSVictorious (R38). It was made up of 829 and831 Naval Air Squadrons, both operated with Fairey Barracuda torpedo and dive bomber aircraft and was later augmented by 827 Naval Air Squadron for air strikes on the German battleshipTirpitz. The wing disbanded on 9 July 1944, when 831 NAS absorbed 829 NAS.^[18]
  • Wing Leader^[19]
    • Lieutenant Commander J.C.N. Shrubsole, RN, 26 November 1943
    • Lieutenant Commander E.M. Britton, RN, 5 January 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander(A) F.H. Fox, RN, 24 January 1944
    • Lieutenant Commander V. Rance, OBE, RN, 15 February 1944
    • disbanded, 9 July 1944

List ofWing Codes of the Fleet Air Arms Naval Air Wings, applied between 1943 and 1945.^[19]

• List of Fleet Air Arm groups

• List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons
• List of aircraft units of the Royal Navy
• List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
• List of escort carriers of the Royal Navy
• List of air stations of the Royal Navy

• Lists of Royal Navy units and formations
• Naval aviation units and formations of the United Kingdom
• British wings

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