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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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To view further details of each main Command development click on the Command title on the right of the timeline
For a summary click here
| January 1939 | Vickers Wellington and North American Harvard enter service | |
| February 1939 | ||
| May 1939 | 20 - Last Empire Air Day.
Lockheed Hudson entered service |
|
| June 1939 | WAAF formed | |
| August 1939 | 21 - Russo-German Pact announced.
24 - Mobilisation notices sent out to AuxAF and RAFVR. |
|
| September 1939 | 1 - Germany invades Poland. 1- RAFVR and
AuxAF mobilised. 2 - Advanced Air Striking Force and Air Component of BEF move to France. 3 - UK declares war on Germany, 3/4 - First RAF Raid over Germany, 4 - First RAF losses, five Wellingtons of No 9 Sqn on a raid against shipping in the Elbe Estuary, 6 - 'Battle of Barking Creek'. |
|
| October 1939 | Operational trials of VHF radio begun.
Bristol Beaufort entered service. |
|
| November 1939 | Nos 602 and 603 Sqns shoot down first German aircraft over the UK | |
| December 1939 | 17 - Ottawa agreement signed bringing into
existence the Empire Air Training Scheme,
18 - 12 Wellingtons shot down during a daylight attack on Wilhelmshaven resulting in the adoption of night raids. Boulton Paul Defiant and Saro Lerwick entered service. |
|
| January 1940 | IFF and VHF radio introduced. PDU formed
at Heston.
31 - ASV radar fitted to a few Coastal Command aircraft |
|
| March 1940 | 19/20 - Bomber Command's first raid on a German land target - the island of Sylt. | |
| April 1940 | 14 - British forces land in Norway.
22 - RAF units arrive in Norway. 29 - EATS training began in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. |
|
| May 1940 | 10 - Germany invades Holland, Belgium and
France.
12 - RAF's first VC of WW2 won by Fg Off Garland and Sgt Gray. 17 - Ministry of Aircraft Production formed. 26 - Dunkirk evacuation ordered to begin (Operation Dynamo). 27 - Training Command split into Flying Training Command and Technical Training Command. 27 - Reserve Command absorbed into FTC. |
|
| June 1940 | 4 - Completion of the evacuation of the BEF.
5 - First German attacks on targets in South-East Britain. 10 - Italy declares war on Britain. 10 - RAF carries out first attacks against Italian forces in Lybia. 11 - Bomber Command conducted its first raid on targets in Italy. 22 - Parachute Training School formed at Ringway |
|
| July 1940 | 10 - Battle of Britain starts.
14 - G/C Thorold arrives at Takoradi in West Africa to establish an aircraft ferrying service to Egypt. Westland Whirlwind entered service. 22 - First enemy aircraft shot down by an AI equipped fighter (Blenheim). |
|
| August 1940 | 24/25 - First bombs fall on central London.
25/26 - Bomber Command conducts first raid on Berlin. Short Stirling entered service |
|
| September 1940 | 19 - First 'Eagle' Squadron (No 71) formed from
American volunteers.
Bristol Beaufighters equipped with AI radar entered service. |
|
| October 1940 | Battle of Britain ends, but the night 'Blitz'
begins.
7 - No 80 Wing formed. 25 - ACM Portal assumes post of CAS. 28 - Italy invades Greece, RAF units dispatched to assist. Martin Maryland entered service. |
|
| November 1940 | 13/14 - First attack made on an enemy radar
installation by homing on the signals from the station.
Avro Manchester and Handley Page Halifax entered service. |
|
| December 1940 | 1 - Army Co-operation Command formed.
20 - First 'Rhubarb' carried out by Spitfires of No 66 Sqn. |
|
| January 1941 | 10 - First 'Circus' operation carried out by Fighter and Bomber Commands. | |
| February 1941 | 5 - Air Training Corps formed from Air Defence
Cadet Corps.
11 - First raid conducted by Stirlings of No 7 Sqn. Douglas Boston/Havoc entered service |
|
| April 1941 | 1 - Bomber Command dropped first 4,000ib bomb
during a raid on Enden24 - Last RAF fighters left Greece.
6 - Fg Off Campbell awarded VC for attack on Gneisenau in Brest harbour 15 Coastal Command placed under operational control of the Admiralty 30 - Iraqi troops move against RAF Habbaniya. Consolidated Catalina entered service. |
|
| May 1941 | Evacuation of Greece completed. 20 - Germans invade Crete. 31 - Battle of Habbaniya ends. Observer Corps became Royal Observer Corps. Boeing Fortress entered service. |
|
| June 1941 | 8 - Allied forces invade Syria.
22 - Free French take control of Syria. 22 - Germany attacks USSR (Operation Barbarossa). Consolidated Liberator entered service. |
|
| July 1941 | 4 - Wg Cdr H I Edwards awarded the VC for a
daylight attack on Bremen Ferry Command formed |
|
| August 1941 | 11/12 - 'GEE' used by Bomber Command for the
first time 27 - Hudson of No 269 Sqn, 'captured' a German U-boat Curtiss Tomahawk and De Havilland Mosquito entered service |
|
| September 1941 | 1 - No 151 Wing arrived in Russia Hawker Typhoon entered service |
|
| October 1941 | 9 - Western Desert Air Force formed.
22 - AHQ West Africa formed. |
|
| November 1941 | 29 - A Whitley of No 502 Sqn sunk U-206, Coastal Command's first successful sinking. | |
| December 1941 | 7/8 - Singapore and Pearl Harbour attacked by Japanese. USA enters the war on Allied side. Avro Lancaster entered service |
|
| January 1942 | Japan invades Java and Burma.
Martin Baltimore entered service. |
|
| February 1942 | 1 - RAF Regiment formed. 11/12 - Operation 'Fuller', the failed attempt to prevent German battleships escaping to Germany through the English Channel. 15 - Japan captures Singapore. 22 - AM Sir Arthur Harris appointed AOC-in-C, Bomber Command |
|
| March 1942 | 8 - Japanese forces enter Rangoon 13/14 - First major raid lead by aircraft equipped with GEE against Cologne. |
|
| April 1942 | 10/11 - Bomber Command dropped the fist 8,000ib
bomb during a raid on Essen. Navigator and Air Bomber categories introduced. North American Mustang entered service. |
|
| May 1942 | 30/31 - First 'Thousand Bomber' Raid against
Cologne. Plt Off L Manser awarded the VC during this raid. |
|
| June 1942 | 1/2 - Second 'Thousand Bomber' Raid against
Essen. 25/26 - Third 'Thousand Bomber' Raid against Bremen. Douglas Dakota entered service |
|
| July 1942 | 6 - First U-boat 'kill' at night using the Leigh
Light. Martin Marauder entered service |
|
| August 1942 | 15 - Pathfinder Force
formed.
18/19 - First raid lead by the Pathfinder Force. 19 - Operation 'Jubilee', the amphibious raid against the port of Dieppe. Vultee Vengence entered service |
|
| September 1942 | North American Mitchell entered service. | |
| October 1942 | 23 - Air operations in support of the upcoming
Battle of Alamein begin. 25 - No 6 (RCAF) Group formed in Bomber Command Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Lockheed Ventura entered service. |
|
| November 1942 | 2 - Eastern Air Command formed.
4 - Second Battle of Alamein begins 8 - Allies invade North Africa (Operation Torch) |
|
| December 1942 | 20/21 - First use of the OBOE blind bombing device. | |
| January 1943 | 8 - Pathfinder Force became No 8 Group. 30 - H2S bombing radar id used for the first time in a raid on Hamburg. |
|
| February 1943 | 2 - Mediterranean Air Command formed. | |
| March 1943 | 5/6 - Beginning of the Battle of the Rhur. 25 - Transport Command formed from Ferry Command. |
|
| April 1943 | King George VI announces he is to award Standards to Squadrons with 25 years service after the war. | |
| May 1943 | 7 - Axis forces in North Africa surrender.
16/17 - No 617 Squadron breach Ruhr dams (Operation Chastise) |
|
| June 1943 | 1 - 2nd Tactical Air Force formed.
20/21 - First 'shuttle' raid by Bomber Command 30 - First use of 'Serrate' radar homing equipment in night fighters Allies invade Pantellaria (Operation Corkscrew) |
|
| July 1943 | 10 - Allies invade Sicily (Operation Husky) 24/25 - First use of 'Window' in the first raid on Hamburg as part of Operation 'Gomorrah' |
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| August 1943 | 17/18 - Bomber Command attacks the research establishment at Peenemunde. | |
| September 1943 | 9 - Allies invade Italy.
15/16 - 617 Sqn used 12,000ib bombs for the first time against the Dortmund-Ems Canal Italy surrenders. |
|
| October 1943 | 10 - No 38 Group formed.
23 - Mediterranean Allied strategic Air Force formed. Vickers Warwick entered service. |
|
| November 1943 | 15 - Allies Expeditionary Air Force
formed.
16 - Air Command South-East Asia formed. 18/19 - Bomber Command begin the Battle of Berlin 23 - No 100 Group formed. |
|
| December 1943 | Mediterranean Allied Air Forces formed. | |
| January 1944 | 21 - 'Little Blitz' begins against Britain Hawker Tempest entered service |
|
| February 1944 | 18 - Mosquitoes attack Amiens Goal in Operation 'Jericho' | |
| March 1944 | 6/7 - Bomber ends the Battle of Berlin and
begins attacks in support of the forthcoming Operation 'Overlord' 16 - Siege of Imphal begins. 30/31 - Bomber Command suffers its worse losses of the war, 95 out of 795 in a raid against Nuremberg. |
|
| May 1944 | Republic Thunderbolt entered service | |
| June 1944 | 1 -
Balkan Air Force formed.
6 - Allies land in Normandy (Operation Overlord). 13 - Germany begins attacks on the UK using the V-1 flying bomb. |
|
| July 1944 | 1 - RAF reaches its peak strength of 1,185,833
personnel 12 - Gloster Meteor enters service (RAF's first jet fighter) 25 - A RAF Mosquito is attacked by a Me 262 jet fighter. |
|
| August 1944 | 4 - First victories against V-1 flying bombs by
Meteor jets fighters of No 616 Sqn. 15 - Allies invade Southern France (Operation Dragoon) |
|
| September 1944 | 17-25 - Airborne assault on Arnhem (Operation
Market Garden) 19 - Flt Lt D Lord awarded Transport Command's only VC |
|
| October 1944 | 14/15 - Bomber Command carries out the most
sorties in its history on a single day, 1,576. 31 - Mosquitoes carry out a low level attack on the Gestapo HQ in Aarhus in Denmark. |
|
| November 1944 | 4-5 - Lancasters of Bomber Command breach the
Dortmund-Ems Canal. 12 - 9 and 617 Sqn use 12,000lb 'Tallboys' to capsize the battleship, 'Tirpitz' in Tromso Fjord. |
|
| January 1945 | 1 - Luftwaffe launched a surprise attack on
Allied airfields on the continent (Operation 'Bodenplatte') RAF Helicopter Training School formed. |
|
| February 1945 | 1 - Allied forces cross the Irrawaddy and
capture Meiktila airfield in Burma 13/14 - Bomber Command and USAAF carry out a heavy raid on Dresden resulting in a bigger firestorm than Hamburg in 1943. 22 - Operation 'Clarion' intended to wipe out German surface transport in 24 hours. |
|
| March 1945 | 14 - 617 Sqn drops first 22,000lb 'Grand Slam'
on the Bielefeld viaduct. 24 - Rhine crossing (Operation Varsity) |
|
| April 1945 | 10 - Last record operation over the UK by a
Luftwaffe aircraft (Ar 234) 26 - Bomber Command begin repatriating British POWs back to the UK 29 - Bomber Command begin air dropping of food to Dutch civilians (Operation Manna) |
|
| May 1945 | 2/3 - Bomber Command carries out its last
operation, a Mosquito attack on airfields around Kiel. 3 - Rangoon falls to Allied forces 4 -2nd TAF carried out the last air operations in North-West Europe. 8 - Germany surrenders unconditionally. |
|
| July 1945 | 15 - British Air Forces of Occupation formed. | |
| August 1945 | 6 - First Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 9 - Second Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. 14/15 - Japan surrenders. 26 - RAF begin air dropping medical supplies to Allied POWs Avro Lincoln entered service. |
|
| September 1945 | 15 - First 'Battle of Britain' flypast | |
| November 1945 | 7 - World Air Speed set at 606.25 mph by Gp Capt H J Wilson in a Meteor F4 | |
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