Royal Air Force uniform
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Air Force uniform is the standardized military dress worn by members of the Royal Air Force.
Contents |
[edit] Initial uniform
With the establishment of the Royal Air Force as an independent service on 1 April 1918, orders were issued detailing new uniform patterns. Major General Mark Kerr designed the first officer uniform which was largely pale blue with gold braid trimmings[1][2]. Additionally, the Royal Flying Corps' use of khaki was continued. It has been suggested that the pale blue colour was adopted as the cloth had been intended for use by the Imperial Russian Cavalry and, following their disbandment after the Bolshevik Revolution it became available at low cost. As it was the responsibility of officers to buy their own uniforms, a wearing-out period for old uniforms was allowed and the change-over to the air force uniform was slow.
The 'wearing out' period also applied to other ranks. Former members of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service continued to wear their old uniforms. New recruits into the newly formed Royal Air Force were often issued with the khaki Army Pattern General Service Tunic. Later in 1918 a belted khaki uniform was adopted for other ranks, and it was these tunics that first carried the RAF eagle badges on each shoulder.
The pale blue colour for officers' uniforms was unpopular and impractical [3] and John Slessor who was later promoted to Marshal of the RAF described it as "a nasty pale blue with a lot of gold over it, which brought irresistibly to mind a vision of the gentlemen who stands outside the cinema"[4]. A little over a year after its introduction, the pale blue colour was discontinued. On the 15 September 1919, Air Ministry Order 1049 replaced it with the blue-grey colour which has remained in use to this day. The khaki uniform continued to be worn until 1924 when it too was replaced by a blue-grey colour.
[edit] Full dress
In April 1920 Air Ministry Weekly Order 332 detailed a full dress uniform. It consisted of a single-breasted jacket in blue-grey with a stand-up collar. Rank was indicated in gold braid on the lower sleeve and white gloves were worn.
Initially the full dress uniform was worn with the service dress cap. However, in 1921 a new form of head-dress was introduced. It was designed to resemble the original flying helmet and it consisted of a leather skull cap trimmed with black rabbit fur. The helmet also featured an ostrich feather plume which was connected at an RAF badge. This helmet was never popular and junior officers were eventually permitted to wear the service dress hat on full dress occasions.
Group Captain HRH the Duke of York (later King George VI) wore RAF full dress at his wedding to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. The Duke wore or carried the full dress headgear rather than the service dress cap.
Today the blue-grey full dress uniform is no longer worn, except in a modified form by RAF bandsmen[5].
There is also a full dress uniform for use by officers in the tropics: known as the No.6A Service Dress (Warm Weather Areas), it consists of a white tunic with stand collar, matching trousers, blue-grey peaked cap and black leather shoes. It is only issued to specific appointment holders (e.g. aide-de-camp and air attaché), and even then these are hardly ever worn.
[edit] Service dress
The RAF's service dress is now often known as Number 1 dress and it is worn on formal and ceremonial occasions. In temperate regions, it is the most formal uniform in use at present. It remains essentially unchanged from the service dress uniform adopted in the early 1920s. It consists of a blue-gray jacket and trousers (or skirt for female personnel). Air marshals, and air commodores in certain appointments, may wear a ceremonial sash and shoulder boards. There is also a tan-coloured version for wear in the tropics.
In 1947, the temperate officers' services dress jacket was altered. The lower side pockets were removed and the single slit was replaced by two hacking jacket style slits. The lower button was moved up to a position behind the belt and silk embroidery flying badges were replaced with ones in bullion embroidery. These changes were unpopular and in 1951, with the exception of the lower button move, the former uniform style was re-adopted.[6]
[edit] Mess dress
In the RAF mess dress, often called Number 5 dress, is worn at formal evening functions. All officers possess mess dress whereas warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers wear mess dress if they choose to purchase it. It consists of a high waisted blue-grey single-breasted jacket (white for wear in the tropics), waistcoat or cummerbund and blue-gray trousers. Rank, for officers, is indicated in gold braid on the lower sleeve.
Officers serving at Scottish stations may wear the RAF tartan with their mess dress. The tartan was designed in 1988 and it was officially recognised by the Ministry of Defence in 2001. The tartan is also worn by the RAF's voluntary pipes bands, although not as part of an official RAF uniform.
[edit] Service working dress
Service working dress, often called Number 2 dress, is the routine uniform worn by most RAF personnel not on operations. It consists of a blue-grey jersey (not always worn), light blue shirt and blue-grey trousers. A long-sleeve shirt with a black tie or a short-sleeve shirt without a tie is worn. The RAF stable belt may be worn with service working dress.
A tropical pattern service working dress also exists.
[edit] Operational clothing
[edit] War service dress
War service dress, also known as battle dress, was introduced in 1940 as a blue/grey version of the British Army's battle dress. Initially, war service dress was only worn by air crew. However, in 1943, its use was authorised for all ranks. War service dress continued to be worn after the end of World War II. It was significantly altered in 1948 and not phased out until 1973.
[edit] Current operational clothing
At present, RAF personnel either on operations, on exercise or in certain formed units wear a disruptive pattern material uniform which is essentially the same as the British Army's operational uniform. In temperate regions Combat Soldier 95 uniform is worn and in hot desert regions, Desert Combat Clothing is worn.
In order to distinguish RAF personnel from Army personnel, in 2006 an operational clothing identity patch was introduced with the text "ROYAL AIR FORCE" in black capitals on a green background. The patch is worn over the right chest pocket and as of 2007 there is no desert pattern available.
Also in 2006 a 45mm squared tactical recognition flash was introduced for all personnel to wear on their operation clothing.
Aircrew on flying duties wear an olive drab flying suit or Khaki in desert regions.
[edit] References
- Hobart, Malcolm "Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force", ISBN 0-85052-739-2
- Royal Air Force - uniforms
[edit] External Links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
