Wing leader

Wing leader, or wing commander (flying), denotes the tactical commander of a Commonwealth military wing on flying operations. The terms refer to a position, not a rank, although the role was usually taken by an officer ranked wing commander. The position was also distinct from the commanding officer of the wing, generally a higher-ranked officer. The first wing leaders were appointed in 1941, and the position remained in use until the 1960s.

The role of wing leader originated in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, when senior fighter pilots, usually of wing commander rank, were given responsibility for coordinating the operations of several squadrons—originally three, later as many as five—in combat. Previously, such formations were led by the most senior or experienced commander of the squadrons involved. The "Big Wing" had been conceived as a defensive measure against German air raids during the Battle of Britain in 1940, when Squadron Leader Douglas Bader led the prototypical Duxford Wing in combat, though the distinct "wing leader" position had not yet been devised. In December 1940, RAF Fighter Command began preparing for offensive fighter sweeps over France, using massed formations under the tactical command of wing leaders, also known as wing commanders (flying). Two of the first wing leaders appointed, in March 1941, were Wing Commander Bader at RAF Tangmere and Wing Commander "Sailor" Malan at RAF Biggin Hill. Each led a wing of three Supermarine Spitfire squadrons.

Several of the early wing leader appointees were, like Bader and Malan, veterans of the Battle of Britain. Their average age in 1941 was twenty-eight to twenty-nine; in 1942 it was twenty-six to twenty-seven. Norman Franks has contended that, to be successful, appointees had to possess "clear fighting ability and an equally tactical ability to command more than one squadron in the air". Wing leaders did not have administrative or command responsibility for their formations; that role was reserved for a more senior officer, generally a group captain. According to Johnnie Johnson, wing leader at RAF Kenley and, later, of No. 144 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Wing:

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