Teeny Weeny Airways

Jackspeak - A guide to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Slanguage.

Teeny Weeny Airways - 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron. (Now 847 Naval Air Sqn)


Former and serving Royal Marines recently celebrated 100 years of Royal Marine aviation, our first pilot being Lt Eugene Gerrad who received his wings on 2nd May 1911, just over 7 years before the formation of the RAF. We are somewhat proud of our history and much amusement has ensued about Bootnecks being there first.

The Sqn has always been affectionately known as Teeny Weeny Airways by the Royal Navy pilots with whom we worked closely. One of our roles was to lead 'Eagle Flights' a concentration of usually 6 or 8 Wessex or Seakings full of troops into an attack. Huge fun, so there is also mutual respect. Naval pilots flying Royal Marines into combat are known as Junglies, as they tend to go a bit 'native' being so closely associated to the lads, and their initial tasks were in the jungles of Borneo.

RM Sergeant pilots were trained by the Army Air Corps, as were most RM officer pilots. Some RM officers went to the Fleet Air Arm to become junglies.

If you want a giggle here's a link to my CV on Flying Marines.