First World War 34th (Training) Wing RFC was formed on 8 September 1917 at Stockbridge within the
Southern Training Brigade. It controlled Chattis Hill Aerodrome and Lopcombe Corner Aerodrome until 12 October 1918 when it was disbanded.
Second World War No. 34 (Army Co-operation) Wing RAF was formed on 22 August 1941 for Army Eastern Command attached to
Eastern Command HQ at
Luton Hoo under
RAF Army Cooperation Command controlling Army co-operations units based at
RAF Bottisham,
RAF Sawbridgeworth,
RAF Snailwell,
RAF Stapleford Tawney,
RAF Twinwood Farm and
RAF Westley. It was renamed to
No. 34 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing RAF on 1 June 1943 with
No. 12 Group RAF,
RAF Fighter Command attached to the
RAF Second Tactical Air Force. On 30 June 1943 the wing moved to
RAF Blackbushe, then to
RAF Northolt on 8 April 1944, on 1 September 1944 the wing moved to mainland Europe and used A.12 Balleroy, B.47 Amiens and Eindhoven before being disbanded on 30 September 1945. It controlled various squadrons including: 2, 4, 16, 69, 140, 168, 170, 182, 231, 239, 241, 268, 309, 613, 652, 654, 656, 657.
D-Day For
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, No. 34 was a reconnaissance wing in
RAF Second Tactical Air Force at
RAF Northolt with Nos 16 (
Spitfire PRXI), 69 (
Wellington XIII) and 140 (
Mosquito PRIX/XVI) Squadrons;
Operation Bodenplatte No. 34 Wing was based at B.56
Brussels-
Melsbroek during
Operation Bodenplatte, the German aerial attack of 1 January 1945. The Germans hit Melsbroek hard. According to
Emil Clade (leading III./
JG 27), the anti-aircraft gun positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets. The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The reconnaissance wings lost two entire squadrons worth of machines.
No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11
Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all
No. 140 Squadron RAF′s
de Havilland Mosquitoes were lost. At least five
Supermarine Spitfires from
No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed.
No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven
Handley Page Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed. 139 Wing reported five
North American B-25 Mitchells destroyed and five damaged. Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four
Austers and five
Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged.
Cold War After the Second World War 34 Wing was reformed as
No. 34 Reconnaissance Wing RAF at
RAF Gutersloh as part of
No. 2 Group RAF as part of
RAF Second Tactical Air Force in West Germany. The unit moved to
RAF Laarbruch on 1 November 1954, it was disbanded on 1 January 1960. It controlled various squadrons such as: 79, 541, 69, 31, 314, 68, 16 and 5. ==Current use==