Airway to the East, 1918–1920

The origins of what became officially known as No 1 Aerial Route lay in the newly formed Royal Air Forces desire to move several squadrons of the then recently designed first heavy bomber to enter service the Handley Page O/400, to the war in the Middle-East. The aircraft had served on the Western Front with some success, although not in the long-range capacity. During the spring of 1918, the Wing Commander of No 5 Wing, Billy Borton, requested that one of the HP O/400 aircraft be flown to Egypt