, ▁it ▁was ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁R AF ▁might ▁use ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ' s ▁officer ▁ranks , ▁with ▁the ▁word ▁" air " ▁inserted ▁before ▁the ▁naval ▁rank ▁title . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁rank ▁that ▁later ▁became ▁group ▁captain ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁" air ▁captain ". ▁Although ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁object ed ▁to ▁this ▁simple ▁modification ▁of ▁their ▁rank ▁titles , ▁it ▁was ▁agreed ▁that ▁the ▁R AF ▁might ▁base ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁officer ▁rank ▁titles ▁on ▁naval ▁officer ▁ranks ▁with ▁differ ing ▁pre - mod ifying ▁terms . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁suggested ▁that ▁R AF ▁colon els ▁might ▁be ▁entitled ▁" b anner ets " ▁or ▁" le aders ". ▁However , ▁the ▁rank ▁title ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Navy ▁rank ▁was ▁preferred ▁and ▁as ▁R AF ▁colon els ▁typically ▁commanded ▁groups ▁the ▁rank ▁title ▁group ▁captain ▁was ▁chosen . ▁The ▁rank ▁of ▁group ▁captain ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁continu ously ▁since ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁Although ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁R AF ▁groups ▁were ▁normally ▁commanded ▁by ▁group ▁capt ains , ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 2 0 s ▁they ▁were ▁usually ▁commanded ▁by ▁an ▁air ▁officer . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁post - World ▁War ▁II ▁period ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁an ▁R AF ▁flying ▁station ▁or ▁a ▁major ▁ground ▁training ▁station ▁has ▁typically ▁been ▁a ▁group ▁captain . ▁More ▁recently , ▁expedition ary ▁air ▁wings ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁commanded ▁by ▁group ▁capt ains . ▁ ▁In sign ia ▁and ▁command ▁p enn