Army Air Corps

The Army Air Corps is a vital component of the British Army. There are currently seven regiments of the AAC as well as five flights deployed in support of British Army operations across the world. They are currently located in Belize, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus and Germany.

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History of the AAC

The army first took to the sky when the requirement for observation aircraft was soon realised during the First World War with the created of the Royal Flying Corps.

Between the wars, the Army used RAF co-operation squadrons, though a true army presence did not occur until WWII.

At the beginning of WWII, Royal Artillery officers, with the assistance of RAF technicians, flew Auster observation aircraft under RAF-owned Air Observation Post Squadrons. Twelve such squadrons were raised, and each performed vital duties in a wide array of missions in many theatres.

In early WWII, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced the establishment of a new branch of army aviation, the Army Air Corps. It's forces comprised the Parachute Regiment, also known as the Red Devils, and the Glider Pilot Regiment, who would later take part in many successful and unsuccessful campaigns, landing specially trained infantry.

One of their most successful exploits during the war was the attack on Pegasus Bridge, which occurred on 6th June, prior to the landings at Normandy. Once the three Gliders landed, some roughly which incurred casualties, the pilots joined the Paras' to act as infantry. The Bridge was taken within ten minutes of the battle commencing and the men there withheld numerous attempts by the Germans to re-capture the location. They were soon, much to the relief of the men who stoutly repelled the counter-attacks, reinforced and relieved by soldiers from Lord Lovat's 6 Commando, famously led by the tune of the Bagpipes. It was subsequently further reinforced by units of the British 3rd Division.

The AAC was disbanded soon after the war. The pilots that had once gallantly flew the Glider in WWII, soon had to re-role into flying powered aircraft, becoming part of the Air Observation Post Squadrons.

In 1957 the Glider Pilot Regiment, as well as the Air Observation Squadron, were amalgamated into the present day Army Air Corps.

From 1970, nearly every army brigade had at least one Aviation Squadron that usually numbered twelve aircraft. The main rotor aircraft during the 70s were the Scout and Sioux general purpose helicopters. Their power though was soon bolstered by the introduction of the Westland Lynx helicopter in 1977 as well as the more lighter armed Gazelle.

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