RNAS Lee-on-Solent Becomes RAF Station (1 April 1918)

1918

On 1 April 1918, a major reorganization of British military aviation occurred when the Royal Naval Air Service merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, a wholly independent military service operating under its own Air Ministry. The Naval Seaplane Training School at Lee-on-the-Solent was transferred from Naval control to RAF administration and redesignated as an RAF station. This transition maintained complete operational continuity while aligning command structures under the newly created Air Ministry. The organizational change was controversial within both the Navy and the Army, with naval officers viewing the separation of naval aviation from Naval control as detrimental to naval operations. The RAF, however, asserted that unified air command would enable more effective allocation of resources and development of air power doctrine. Lee-on-the-Solent continued its training mission under RAF administration, operating seaplanes for coastal patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and pilot training throughout the final eight months of World War I. RAF command emphasized pilot training and aircraft development, accelerating the pace of innovation. By the war's end, the station had trained hundreds of pilots and supported intensive operational flying. The transition to RAF control positioned the station as a strategic asset in postwar air force planning, with long-term investment and development commitments. The station retained its seaplane focus but gradually diversified into land-based aircraft operations.

Context

The creation of the RAF was a major restructuring of British military aviation, centralizing air operations under a single command independent of Army and Navy control. The RAF's establishment reflected growing recognition of air power's strategic importance following four years of intensive air operations. The creation of the RAF proved controversial but ultimately successful, establishing an independent air force that would become one of the world's largest and most effective air services.

Impact

RAF control positioned Lee-on-the-Solent as a strategic asset in the post-war air force, ensuring continued investment and development at the site. The station's transition to RAF control ensured its survival and growth beyond the immediate postwar period.