Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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RAF Home Commands formed between 1939 - 1957

[Army Co-operation | Ferry | Flying Training | Home | RAF in Northern Ireland | Reserve | Technical Training | Transport]

Reserve Command

RAF Hendon, London; Wantage Hall, Reading University, Reading, Berkshire (from 4 Sep 1939). 

Formed 1 Feb 1939. Absorbed into Flying Training Command 27 May 1940.  Reformed 1 May 1946.   Renamed Home Command 1 Aug 1950.  Post WW2 Groups shown under Home Command. 

Motto:    Support 

1 Feb 1939                       AM Sir Christopher Courtney 

28 Aug 1939                     ACM Sir John Steel (retd) 

22 Apr 1940                     AVM W L Welsh   

1 May 1946:                     A/Cdre E D H Davies (Temp) 

20 May 1946                    AM Sir Alan Lees    

1 Oct 1949                      AM Sir Robert Foster

Shinfield Park, Reading, Berkshire

Formed by splitting Training Command 27 May 1940.  Absorbed into Training Command, 1 Jun 1968.

Motto:    Per Laborem ad Summa

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27 May 1940                       AM Sir Lawrence Pattinson

 7 Jul 1941                           AM Sir William Welsh

17 Aug 1942                        AM Sir Philip Babington

 6 Oct 1945                         AM Sir Arthur Coningham

15 Oct 1947                        ACM Sir Ralph Cochrane

 1 Mar 1950                        AM Sir Hugh Walmsley

 1 Aug 1952                        AM Sir Laurence Pendred

20 Dec 1955                       AM Sir Richard Atcherley

 1 Mar 1959                        AM Sir Hugh Constantine

24 Sep 1961                        AM Sir Augustus Walker

26 Jun 1964                         AM Sir Patrick Dunn

 1 Oct 1966                         AM Sir John Davis

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

Wantage Hall, Reading University, Reading, Berkshire.

Formed by splitting Training Command 27 May 1940.  Absorbed into Training Command, 1 Jun 1968.

Motto: Labore Terrestri Caelestis Victoria

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27 May 1940                    AM Sir William Welsh

7 Jul 1941                         AM Sir John Babington

1 Jun 1943                        AM Sir Arthur Barratt

29 Oct 1945                     AM Sir Ralph Sorley

12 Jul 1948                       AM Sir John Jones (later Whitworth Jones)

1 Jul 1952                         AM Sir Victor Groom

15 Sep 1955                     AM Sir George Beamish

10 Jan 1958                      AM Sir Arthur McDonald

29 Sep 1959                     AM Sir Wallace Kyle

12 Feb 1962                     AM Sir Alfred Earle

15 Jan 1964                      AM Sir Donald Evans

18 May 1966                    AM Sir William Coles

Dunlambert Hotel, Fort William Park, Belfast.

Formed 1 Aug 1940 by raising No 61 Group to Command status.  Reduced to Group status administered by Coastal Command, 1 Aug 1945.   

 1 Aug 1940                             A/Cdre/AVM C R Carr

12 Dec 1940                           Gp Capt A H Wann

14 Aug 1941                           AVM G C Pirie

 5 Nov 1941                            AVM P C Maltby

21 Nov 1941                           AVM J B Cole-Hamilton  

15 Oct 1942                            AVM A T Cole RAAF

14 Mar 1943                           AVM D F Stevenson

7 Dec 1943                             A/Cdre W H Primrose

20 Aug 1944                           A/Cdre A R Churchman

Ramslade Flats, Bracknell, Berkshire.

Formed 1 Dec 1940 by raising No 22 (Army Co-Operation) Group to Command status. Disbanded 31 May 1943.

1 Dec 1940                         AM Sir Arthur Barratt

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

Ferry Command

Ferry Command formed 20 Jul 1941 from the Atlantic Ferry Service.   Renamed No 45(Atlantic Ferry) Group, 25 Mar 1943

20 Jul 1941                             ACM Sir Frederick Bowhill

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

Transport Command

Transport Command formed 25 Mar 1943.  Renamed Air Support Command, 1 Aug 1967.  

Motto:    Ferio Ferendo (I strike by carrying)

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25 Mar 1943                           ACM Sir Frederick Bowhill

 15 Feb 1945                          AM Sir Ralph Cochrane

 24 Sep 1947                          AM Sir Brian Baker

31 Mar 1950                           AM Sir Aubrey Ellwood

 1 Jan 1952                             AVM R S Blucke

 3 Jun 1952                             AVM C E N Guest

15 Mar 1954                          AVM G R Beamish

15 Oct 1955                           AM Sir Andrew McKee

16 May 1959                          AM Sir Denis Barnett

30 Apr 1962                           AM Sir Edmund Hudleston

 1 Dec 1963                            AM Sir Kenneth Cross

27 Jan 1967                            AM Sir Thomas Prickett

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

R.A.F. Transport Command Veterans Association

Home Command  

[Army Co-operation | Ferry | Flying Training | Home | RAF in Northern Ireland | Reserve | Technical Training | Transport]

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      1920 - 1936                                                              1958 - Current