Royal Flying Host (alt-RAF)

I read how, when the RAF was created in OTL in 1919, there was a small debate about the new service using rank names from the other 2 more senior ones. Some made from scratch were propose but eventualy a mixture of army and navy name and insignias were adopted.

But what if the war upper echelon push their case harder, saying that the new service should develop its own tradition (and not steal the ones from the big boys) ?

This thread is my attempt to create the image of the alt-RAF which I have called the Royal Flying Host (in the medieval sense of the term) that is as far removed from the other 2 services as possible.

Note: suggestions are more then welcome.
 
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officer insignias

For the officers insignias, I thought that the system should be simple enough but without using stripes or a succession of items. The end result is to use an heraldic estoile (a star) in increasing number and the level (junior, senior & flag officers) is indicated by the type of metal combination used.

The insignia is a patch worn on the right side of the jacket about the pocket. The ones shown here are those worn of the duty dress, the ceremonial ones having metalic crowns (with red bonnets) and stars.

In the rare cases where there is a need for a subdued patch, silver is replaced by a dark colour and gold by a lighter one.

officer-rank-table.jpg
 
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Enlisted Insignias

For the enlisted men, I used as a basis the rank badges that did not look like naval or army ones and expended from there. This mean that while the lower ones were used for mechanics in OTL, *there* they were more generalised.

The insignias are worn on the upper sleeves.

enlisted-rank-table.jpg
 
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I'm loving this idea (if/when I ever do a modern-day ATL, my version of the USAF will also follow a tradition like this ;))!

As an aside, are the bottom five enlisted ranks NCOs, or no? Also, as a suggestion I'd put another Airman rank below Leading Airman....we can't all attend and graduate Basic as a leader already, after all :p
 

Krall

Banned
I love the look of the insignia, and the name of the Royal Flying Host! I do have two questions, though:

1. Will you make any more rank insignia or other symbols for the Royal Flying Host?

2. Does this fit into a timeline at all, or is it just a general idea of "What would Britain's air force ranks and insignia be like if they were developed independently of the other service branches?"?
 
As an aside, are the bottom five enlisted ranks NCOs, or no? Also, as a suggestion I'd put another Airman rank below Leading Airman....we can't all attend and graduate Basic as a leader already, after all :p

I haven't included it it but the rank of "Airman" exist but simply doesn't have an insignia, I'll add a note to that effect.
 
I love the look of the insignia, and the name of the Royal Flying Host! I do have two questions, though:

1. Will you make any more rank insignia or other symbols for the Royal Flying Host?

I'll soon post the brevets, badges, uniforms and flags.

2. Does this fit into a timeline at all, or is it just a general idea of "What would Britain's air force ranks and insignia be like if they were developed independently of the other service branches?"?

the second though if someone wants to adopt it, they should feel free.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
The problem I can see with your ranks is that they don't necessarily reflect the positions and roles of personnel in the RAF in 1917?

But its a great idea, and Ardian is a cool word!

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
The problem I can see with your ranks is that they don't necessarily reflect the positions and roles of personnel in the RAF in 1917?

But its a great idea, and Ardian is a cool word!

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

Maybe I should have made it clearer but they are meant to represent the curent ones. That being said, which ones did you object to (I'm not the biggest expert on air force organisation) ?
 

Thande

Donor
I've always found those alternate rank names they came up with (like Ardian) interesting, and I like how you've come up with insignia for them.
 
Another question WRT the ranks, why are the sub-NCO members called "airmen", vice that of OTL's RAF rank of "aircraftsman"? Is it just a stylistic choice, or a reflection of different expectations of duty/role?
 

Thande

Donor
Another question WRT the ranks, why are the sub-NCO members called "airmen", vice that of OTL's RAF rank of "aircraftsman"? Is it just a stylistic choice, or a reflection of different expectations of duty/role?
I assume it's just meant to based on an analogue of "seaman" in the RN.
 
What does Lyftward mean or were did the word come from ?

I wanted a term to replace marshal. Looking around, I found the anglo-saxon name Hereward which mean something along the line of "army guard" (guard in the sense of person in charge). I replaced "here" with "lyft" (air, sky).
 

Anderman

Donor
I wanted a term to replace marshal. Looking around, I found the anglo-saxon name Hereward which mean something along the line of "army guard" (guard in the sense of person in charge). I replaced "here" with "lyft" (air, sky).

Thanks! Nice creation i like it a lot. :)
 
I also noticed how you didn't default to "sergeant" for the NCO ranks, which is probably my favorite change out of all of them (using that title over and over gets boring, in addition to IMHO it not being appropriate outside of an army-style force structure).
 
I like this quite a bit. Beyond just rank names, would there be other differences in traditions between the RFH and the rest of the British military?
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A thought on further differentiating the Royal Flying Host from the other branches - perhaps it might have (or might have had) no unified training, but rather each Command (perhaps with a different name - a Host, with the organization becoming the Royal Flying Hosts?) would train its own recruits directly?
 

Thande

Donor
I wanted a term to replace marshal. Looking around, I found the anglo-saxon name Hereward which mean something along the line of "army guard" (guard in the sense of person in charge). I replaced "here" with "lyft" (air, sky).

Logical though they might have wanted to avoid overly Germanic names due to the circumstances of the time, hence I think why they went for the Celtic "Ardian". Another Celtic name instead might be better...
 
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