Llu Awyr Frenhiniol Gymreig - Royal Welsh Airforce (Welsh History Post Glyndwr)

The Llu Awyr Frenhiniol Gymreig was born by Royal Charter on the 20th July 1919 at a ceremony in the Aerodrome at Llanilltyd Fawr. The King, a keen amaetur pilot had contributed his personal squadron of bi-planes (Morane-Saulnier P aircraft) which formed the nucleus around which the young airforce would grow. Hostility within both the Admirality and the War Office had led to the delay in either service utilising any form of air power (although by 1912 the Army had begun to formalise the use of balloon's with its artillery units (mainly as spotters). The two forces pushing for the Airforce would be the King and a forward thinking Army general by the name of Emrys Gruffudd Vaughan (an Artillery officer by trade)

Background - Air Power in Wales Pre-1919
With the era of flight ushered in first by balloons and later by heavier than air machines, Wales lagged behind the rest of Europe. The Generals in the War Office refused to see the military use of balloons and with the first aircraft being launched they could not see the potential in them either. It wasn't until Milwraid (Colonel) Vaughan, an up and coming officer in the Welsh Royal Artillery pushed for a balloon spotting company to be formed that Wales possessed any form of military air application. Number 1 Balloon Company (Cymdeithas Balwn Cyntaf) was formed at the Caerodor Barracks on the 10th Dec 1908 and would be the sole "air unit" of the Welsh Military until the official formation of the Airforce some 11 years later. Under Colonel Vaughan the Balloon Company would continue to exist but it was highly scorned in the higher reaches of the Welsh Army.

From 1908 till 1916 airpower was the reserve of rich businessmen and the nobility with several owning various aircraft. With the outbreak of the European War of 1914-18 however things began, finally, to change. Whilst Wales was officially allied to the United Kingdom, she failed to send men to the front. The War Office, looking to exploit the chance for glory, sent men to France via the Catrawd Cyfandirol Gwirfoddolwr Gymreig (CCGG or Welsh Continental Volunter Regiment WCVR), which was under the command of the by now Cadfridog Uchgapten (Major General) Vaughan. His reports sent back to Caerfilli soon had the High Command increasingly looking with favour on the use of aircraft over the battlefield. In 1916, the War Office put in an order for 20 SPAD VII aircraft whilst the king purchased 10 Morane-Saulnier P reconnaissance aircraft. The Army aircraft where put through their paces both in France under Cad-Uchgapten Vaughan and back home, while the king formed the Cymdeithas Awyrenneg Frenhiniol Gymreig - Royal Aeronautic Society of Wales (which would provide the Airforce with many of its early pilots). In the autumn of 1917 the Navy began to be interested and purchased 10 Sopwith Pup's.

With the conclusion of the war, the CCGG returned home and Vaughan was plunged straight into the political arguments surrounding the best usage of aircraft. Whilst the senior General's and Admiral's were still biased against the use of aircraft, both commands wanted to ensure that any further use of them would determined by the seperate departments (Swyddfa Rhyfel & Y Morlys - War Office & Admiralty). The King, and Vaughan were increasingly against such an idea, especially with the formation of the independent Anglo-Scottish Royal Airforce in 1918. With the political capitial provided by the English having such a body, the aging Generals and Admirals were forced into a corner. Finally submitting to both Royal and political brow-beating they consented to the creation of a Welsh Airforce independent of either the Admiralty or the War Office. The Gweinidogaeth Awyr - Air Ministry was formed in the November of 1918 and then yet more political squabling occured over the post of "General of the Airforce". In the end, Vaughan's close friendship with the King, formed during 1918 after Vaughan had returned to Wales (Feb 1918) whilst flying with the king was a telling weapon in his arsenal. With reluctance, Vaughan was frocked to the rank of Cadfridog Is-Gapten and given the command of the 40 Government owned aircraft (the 20 aging SPAD's, the Morane Saulnier and the Pups).

Birth of an Airforce
With the Airforce now established and with an Air Ministry to fight the political battles, Vaughan was able to proceed with building the Airforce. The first purchase was of 40 Sopwith Snipes and 40 Sopwith Salamanders. Forming four Squadrons (initially called Nos 1-4 Sqn) these were all based in the Aerodrome at Llanilltyd Fawr, before Ty Dewi Aerodrome was opened in 1920 (which housed 3 & 4 Sqn)

Current LAFG Order of Battle
As at 01 Aug 2010

No 1 (Southern) Command

Llantwit Major AFB

No 1 Fighter Squadron – F16 Viper – Air Defence

No 12 Fighter Squadron – Mirage F1 - Strike

No 66 (Dragon) Squadron – C130J Hercules/ Boeing 767 - Transport

No 100 (Breheinol) Squadron – AB206 Jet Ranger, Dassault Falcon – VIP Transport

No 8 (Western) Command

St Davids AFB

No 5 Fighter Squadron – BAe Gripen F1 – Air Defence

No 9 Fighter Squadron – F16 Viper – Strike

No 14 (Maritime) Squadron – P3 Orion, AB412 Griffon, Dornier 228 – Maritime Patrol/SAR

No 10 (Support) Command

Ludlow AFB

No 8 Squadron – C130J Hercules – Transport/AAR

No 60 Squadron – C27J Spartan – Transport

No 63 Squadron – UH60F Blackhawk – Army Cooperation

No 99 Squadron – UH60C Blackhawk/UH72 Lakota – Army Cooperation

No 111 (Redbirds) – AH1W Cobra – Attack

No 1 FTS – Grob Tutor/BAe Hawk/Bell 212/Pilatus PC9/Beech King Air – Pilot Training

No 32 (Northern) Command

Holyhead AFB

No 7 Fighter Squadron – Gripen F1 – Air Defence

No 22 Squadron – AB412 Griffon – SAR

No 30 Squadron – P3 Orion – Maritime Patrol

No 50 Squadron – C27J Spartan – Transport

No 1 (Naval) Command

Caerodor Naval Air Station

The LFAG fly Naval aircraft on behalf of the Navy.

No 771 Sqn - Dassault Super Etendard - Strike - Ex French Navy, purchased in 1995

EADS Rafale M - Multi Role - Licence Built in Wales

No 772 Sqn - McDonnell Hornet - Multi Role - Licence built examples in operation since 1993

No 773 Sqn - Grumman Hawkeye - AWACS - Licence built, in operation since 1992, replaced the Tracker/Tracer

No 774 Sqn - Eurocopter Dauphin 65 - SAR/ASW - Ex US Coast Guard and French Navy, purchased in 1985 replaced the Sea King

No 775 Sqn - Grumman Greyhound - Transport/Tanker - New Build under licence. Replaced the Gannet in 1982

No 776 Sqn - AB 412 Gryfen, SH60F Seahawk, NH 90- Shipborne ASW/SAR Sqn provides helicopters for all surface vessels