In 1917, Britain’s military aviation was divided between the Army’s Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
German bombing raids demonstrated the need for a coordinated organisation capable of defending Britain and conducting air operations independently.
General Jan Smuts presented this report to the War Cabinet on 17 August 1917. It recommended creating a separate air service and a dedicated government ministry to oversee it.
Its recommendations helped lead to the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918—the world’s first independent air force.
