Middle East Wing / Division

  June 1943 to 1 July 1944

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Cairo Payne Field, Egypt

FORMER NAME: Africa-Middle East Wing (split)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Middle East Division

Air Transport Command's Middle East Wing resulted from a split of the Africa-Middle East Wing in June 1943. It was responsible for moving aircraft, personnel and cargo from Cairo to destinations in the Middle East. It operated the following routes:

• Northbound: Cairo to Adana, Turket via Lydda, British Palestine and Beirut, Lebanon;
• Eastbound, linking with the India-China Wing: Cairo to Karachi, Sindh, India via RAF Habbaniya, Iraq;
• Northeastbound: Cairo to Tehran, Iran for onward shipment of lend-lease aircraft to the USSR via Baku.

On 1 July 1944, along with all other ATC wings, the Middle East Wing was upgraded to Middle East Division.

Left: route map of the Middle East Wing, ca 1943.

1944