To view further details of each main Command development click on the Command
title on the right of the timeline
| January 1939 |
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Vickers Wellington and North American Harvard enter service |
| February
1939 |
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| May 1939 |
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20 - Last Empire Air Day. Lockheed Hudson
entered service |
| June 1939 |
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WAAF formed |
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| August
1939 |
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21 - Russo-German Pact announced. 24 -
Mobilisation notices sent out to AuxAF and RAFVR. |
| September 1939 |
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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. |
| October
1939 |
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Operational trials of VHF radio begun.
Bristol Beaufort entered service |
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| December
1939 |
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17 - Ottawa agreement signed bringing into
existence the Empire Air Training Scheme. Boulton Paul Defiant and
Saro Lerwick entered service. |
| January
1940 |
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IFF and VHF radio introduced. PDU formed
at Heston. 31 - ASV radar fitted to a few Coastal Command
aircraft |
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| April 1940 |
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14 - British forces land in Norway. 22
- RAF units arrive in Norway. 29 - EATS training began in Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. |
| May 1940 |
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10 - Germany invades Holland, Belgium and
France. 17 - Ministry of Aircraft Production formed. 26 - Dunkirk evacuation ordered to begin (Operation
Dynamo). 27 - Training Command split into FTC and TTC |
| June 1940 |
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4 - Completion of the evacuation of the BEF.
10 - Italy declares war on Britain. 10 - RAF carries out first
attacks against Italian forces in Lybia. 22 - Parachute Training
School formed at Ringway |
| July
1940 |
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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 |
| August
1940 |
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Short Stirling entered service |
| September
1940 |
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Bristol Beaufighters equipped with AI radar
entered service. |
| October
1940 |
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Battle of Britain ends, but the night 'Blitz'
begins. 28th - Italy invades
Greece, RAF units dispatched to assist. Martin Maryland entered
service. |
| November
1940 |
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Avro Manchester and Handley Page Halifax entered
service. |
| December
1940 |
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1 - Army Co-operation Command formed. |
| January 1941 |
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| February
1941 |
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5 - Air Training Corps formed from Air Defence
Cadet Corps. Douglas Boston/Havoc entered service |
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| April 1941 |
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24 - Last RAF fighters left Greece. 30
- Iraqi troops move against RAF Habbaniya. Consolidated Catalina
entered service. |
| May 1941 |
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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 |
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8 - Allied forces invade Syria. 22
- Free French take control of Syria. 22 - Germany attacks USSR (Operation Barbarossa).
Consolidated Liberator entered service. |
| July 1941 |
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Ferry Command formed |
| August
1941 |
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Curtiss Tomahawk and De Havilland Mosquito
entered service |
| September
1941 |
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Hawker Typhoon entered service |
| October
1941 |
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9 - WDAF formed. 22 - AHQ West Africa
formed. |
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| December
1941 |
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Singapore and Pearl Harbour attacked by Japanese, USA enters the war on Allied side. Avro
Lancaster entered service |
| January 1942 |
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Japan invades Java and Burma. Martin
Baltimore entered service. |
| February 1942 |
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15 - Japan captures Singapore. RAF
Regiment formed. |
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| April 1942 |
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Navigator and Air Bomber categories introduced.
North American Mustang entered service. |
| May 1942 |
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30/31 - First 'Thousand Bomber' Raid |
| June 1942 |
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Douglas Dakota entered service |
| July 1942 |
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Martin Marauder entered service |
| August 1942 |
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15 - Pathfinder Force formed.
Vultee Vengence entered service |
| September
1942 |
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North American Mitchell entered service. |
| October
1942 |
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Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Lockheed
Ventura entered service. |
| November
1942 |
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2 - Eastern Air Command formed. Allies invade North Africa (Operation Torch) |
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| January 1943 |
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8 - Pathfinder Force became No 8 Group |
| February
1943 |
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2 - Mediterranean Air Command formed. |
| March 1943 |
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Transport Command formed from Ferry Command. |
| April 1943 |
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King George VI announces he is to award
Standards to Squadrons with 25 years service after the war. |
| May 1943 |
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Axis forces in North Africa surrender.
16/17 - No
617 Squadron breach Ruhr dams (Operation Chastise) |
| June 1943 |
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1 - 2nd Tactical Air Force formed. Allies
invade Pantellaria (Operation Corkscrew) |
| July 1943 |
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Allies invade Sicily (Operation Husky) |
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| September
1943 |
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Allies invade Italy. Italy surrenders. |
| October
1943 |
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10 - No 38 Group formed. 23 -
Mediterranean Allied strategic Air Force formed. Vicker Warwick
entered service. |
| November 1943 |
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15 - Allies Expeditionary Air Force formed.
16 - Air Command South-East Asia formed. 23 - No 100 Group formed. |
| December
1943 |
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Mediterranean Allied Air Forces formed. |
| January
1944 |
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Hawker Tempest entered service |
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| March 1944 |
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Siege of Imphal begins. |
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| May 1944 |
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Republic Thunderbolt entered service |
| June
1944 |
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1 -
Balkan Air Force formed. 6 - Allies land in Normandy (Operation Overlord). |
| July 1944 |
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Gloster Meteor enters service (RAF's first jet
fighter) |
| August 1944 |
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Allies invade Southern France (Operation
Dragoon) |
| September
1944 |
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17 - Airborne assault on Arnhem (Operation
Market) |
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| January 1945 |
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RAF Helicopter Training School formed. |
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| March 1945 |
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24 - Rhine crossing (Operation Varsity) |
| April 1945 |
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Air dropping of food to Dutch civilians (Operation
Manna) |
| May
1945 |
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8 - Germany surrenders. Allies forces land
south of Rangoon |
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| July 1945 |
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15 - British Air Forces of Occupation formed. |
| August
1945 |
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6 - First Atomic bomb dropped. 14/15 - Japan surrenders.
Avro Lincoln entered service. |
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| November
1945 |
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World Air Speed set at 606.25 mph by Gp Capt H J
Wilson in a Meteor F4 |
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