Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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RAF Home Commands formed between 1936 - 1938

[Balloon | Bomber | Coastal | Fighter |  Maintenance  | Training]

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Training Command

Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex; Buntingsdale Hall, Market Drayton, Shropshire ( from 13 Jul 1936); Shinfield Park, Reading (from 15 Jan 1940)

Formed 1 May 1936 by renaming Inland Area, split into Flying Training and Technical Training Commands, 27 May 1940.  FTC & TTC amalgamated into Training Command, 1 Jun 1968.  Training Command was absorbed into RAF Support Command, 13 Jun 1977.

Motto:    Terra Caeloque Docemus

1 May 1936                 AM Sir Charles Burnett

1 Jul 1939                    ACM Sir Arthur Longmore

1 May 1936                 AM Sir Charles Burnett

 1 Jul 1939                   ACM Sir Arthur Longmore

27 May 1940 - 1 Jun 1968 see FTC & TTC

 1 Jun 1968                  AM Sir John Davis

 1 Apr 1969                 AM Sir Leslie Mavor

21 Dec 1972                AM Sir Neville Stack

31 Jan 1976                 AM Sir Rex Roe

Listings of units controlled by Training Command: -

[January 1939 |

Hillingdon House, Uxbridge, Middlesex; High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. (from 13 Mar 1940)

Formed from the bomber element of ADGB on 14 Jul 1936.  Disbanded 30 Apr 1968 on being absorbed into Strike Command as No 1 (Strike) Group.

Motto:    Strike Hard Strike Sure

Bomber Command losses in WW2

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14 Jul 1936                                             ACM Sir John Steel

12 Sep 1937                                           ACM Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt

3 Apr 1940                                             AM Sir Charles Portal

5 Oct 1940                                             AM Sir Richard Peirse

8Jan 1942                                              AVM J E A Baldwin (Acting AOC in C whilst AOC No 3 Group)

22 Feb 1942                                           ACM Sir Arthur Harris

15 Sep 1945                                           AM Sir Norman Bottomley

16 Jan 1947                                            AM Sir Hugh Saunders

 8 Oct 1947                                            AM Sir Aubrey Ellwood

 2 Feb 1950                                            AM Sir Hugh Lloyd

 9 Apr 1953                                            AM Sir George Mills

22 Jan 1956                                            AM Sir Harry Broadhurst

20 May 1959                                          AM Sir Kenneth Cross

 1 Sep 1963                                            AM Sir John Grandy

19 Feb 1965                                           AM Sir Wallace Kyle

Listings of units controlled by Bomber Command: -

[January 1939 | July1942 | Jun 1944 |

Fighter Command

Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex.

Formed from Fighting Area, ADGB on 14 Jul 1936.  Between 15 Nov 1943 and 15 Oct 1944 it was temporarily renamed Air Defence of Great Britain.  Disbanded 30 Apr 1968 on being absorbed into Strike Command as No 11 (Air Defence) Group.

Motto:    Offence Defence

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14 Jul 1936                       ACM Sir Hugh Dowding

25 Nov 1940                    AM Sir Sholto Douglas

28 Nov 1942                    AM Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory

15 Nov 1943                    AM Sir Roderic Hill

14 May 1945                    AM Sir James Robb

17 Nov 1947                    AM Sir William Elliott

19 Apr 1949                     AM Sir Basil Embry

 7 Apr 1953                      AM Sir Dermot Boyle

 1 Jan 1956                       AM Sir Hubert Patch  

 8 Aug 1956:                     AM Sir Thomas Pike

30 Jul 1959                       AM Sir Hector McGregor

18 May 1962                    AM Sir Douglas Morris

Listings of units controlled by Fighter Command: -

[January 1939 | July1942 | Jun 1944 |

Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire; Eastbury Park, Northwood, Middlesex. (from 8 Aug 1939).

Formed from Coastal Area on 14 Jul 1936.  Disbanded 28 Nov 1969 on being absorbed into Strike Command as No 18 (Maritime) Group.

Motto:    Constant Endeavour

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14 Jul 1936                           AM Sir Arthur Longmore

1 Sep 1936                           AM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferte

18 Aug 1937                         AM Sir Frederick Bowhill

14 Jun 1941                          ACM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferte

5 Feb 1943                           AM Sir John Slessor

20 Jan 1944                          ACM Sir Sholto Douglas

30 Jun 1945                          AM Sir Leonard Slatter

 1 Nov 1948                         AM Sir John Baker

 1 Jan 1950                           AM Sir Charles Steele

 8 Jun 1951                           AM Sir Alick Stevens

15 Nov 1953                        AM Sir John Boothman

 5 Apr 1956                          AM Sir Brian Reynolds

 1 Jun 1959                           AM Sir Edward Chilton

10 Aug 1962                         AM Sir Anthony Selway

22 Jan 1965                          AM Sir Paul Holder

 2 Sep 1968                          AM Sir John Lapsley

Coastal Command and Maritime Air Association

[January 1939 | July1942 | Jun 1944 |

Air Ministry, London; RAF Andover, Hampshire. (from 7 Aug 1938); Amport House, Amport St Mary’s, Andover. (from 15 Sep 1939). 

Formed 1 April 1938 to control UK based maintenance units.  Renamed Support Command 31 Aug 1973.

Motto:    Service

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31 Mar 1938                          AM Sir John Bradley

 5 Oct 1942                            AM Sir Grahame Donald

9 Apr 1947                             AM Sir Cyril Cooke

15 Oct 1949                           AM Sir Thomas Warne-Browne

20 Dec 1952                           AM Sir Leslie Harvey

16 Jan 1956                            AM Sir Richard Jordon

 5 May 1958                           AM Sir Douglas Jackman

 1 Mar 1961                           AM Sir Leslie Dalton-Morris   

 4 Jun 1963                             AM Sir Norman Coslett

 2 Jul 1966                              AM Sir Kenneth Porter

13 Apr 1970                           AM Sir John Rowlands

 2 Jun 1973                             AM Sir Reginald Harland

Listings of units controlled by Maintenance Command: -

[January 1939 | July1942 | Jun 1944 |

Balloon Command

Kelvin House, Cleveland Street, London W1; Manor House, Station Road, Stanmore, Middlesex. (from ?); Old Church Lane, Stanmore. (from 1 Sep 1939?)

Formed 1 Nov 1938 to control all UK based Barrage Balloon units.

Motto:    Vi Et Ictu

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1 Nov 1938                     AVM O T Boyd

1 Dec 1940                     AM Sir Leslie Gossage

1 Feb 1944                      AVM W C C Gell

13 Feb 1945                    A/Cdre P L Lincoln

Listings of units controlled by Balloon Command: -

[January 1939 | July1942 | Jun 1944 |