Medical Units

"The RAF Medical Services grew out of the Army Medical Department and were set up on the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. A RAF Nursing Service was established in June 1918. It was reorganised as Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) under a Matron-in-Chief in June 1923. A RAF Dental Branch was established in July 1930."*

This was formed on 1 July 1943 under the control of NAAF at Carthage, moving to Torre del Greco (Italy) in December 1943 and disbanded on 31 March 1946.

This was formed in September 1943 under the control of NAAF at Maison Carree (Algiers) to at least Jan 1945 and disbanded in August 1946.

This was formed on in November 1943 under the control of Levant at Triopli, probably moving to Fayid in 1946 and was redesignated RAF Hospital Fayid on 1 August 1949.

This was formed from the RAF Hospital Benghazi on in November 1943 under the control of MACAF at Benghazi, moving to Tripoli by January 1944, then to Tel Litwinsky by April 1944 until at least January 1945 and disbanded in 1946.

This was formed from the RAF Hospital Egypt in December 1943 under the control of AHQ Egypt at Abbassia and disbanded in February 1947.

This was formed in December 1943 under the control of AHQ Iraq & Persia at Habbaniya in Jan 1944 and was redesignated RAF Hospital Habbaniya on 1 January 1946.

This was formed from the RAF Hospital (Aden) in November 1943 under the control of Aden Command at Steamer Point and was redesignated RAF Hospital Steamer Point in about 1948.

This was formed in February 1944 under the control of No 85 Group at Ashton Down until July 1944, moving to Bayeux (France) August, then to Brussels (Belgium)in September and to Rinteln (Germany) in August 1945 . The 'Field' title was dropped in April 1944 and it was redesignated RAF Hospital BAFO in August 1949.

This was formed from No 54 MFH in September 1945 at Celle and disbanded in December 1947.

This was formed from No 55 MFH in September 1945 at Gutersloh and disbanded in May 1946.

This was formed on 9 October 1928 under the control of Aden Command at Steamer Point and was retitled No 7 RAF Hospital in November 1943.

This was probably formed on 1 April 1928 as a joint Army/RAF hospital Aden Command at Steamer Point and was retitled RAF Hospital, Aden on 9 October 1928.

A temporary hospital at Akrotiri was opened on 9 February 1957 but it was another six years before a permanent proper hospital was built. The decision to build a new hospital was taken in 1961 and an area around Cape Zevgari about three miles from the main camp. It opened to patients in May 1963, with an officially opening by The Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, Air Chief Commandant of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) taking place on 21 November 1963. Its first Commanding Officer was Group Captain G H Dhenin and the first Matron was Wing Officer Kennedy. From 1977 it became a joint RAF/Army hospital and it closed in 2012.

This was formed in October 1918 at Blandford to deal with the overflow of patients resulting from the influenza epidemic and disbanded in early 1919.

This was formed from No 23 Combined Hospital in October 1922 under the control of Iraq Command at Baghdad, moving to Hinaidi in early 1923 and was redesignated RAF British Hospital between March 1925 and March 1926.

This was formed on 1 July 1958 at Bahrein and was redesignated RAF Hospital Muharraq in January 1964.

This was formed on in 1923 under the control of Iraq Command at Basrah and closed in March 1928 but reopened briefly in the 1930s to help with a cholera epidemic.

This was formed in March 1943 at Benghazi and was redesignated No 4 RAF General Hospital in November 1943.

This was formed by redesignating the Baghdad Combined Hospital between March 1925 and March 1926 under the control of Iraq Command at Hinaidi and was redesignated RAF General Hospital between March 1926 - September 1928.

This was formed in March 1946 at Iwakuni, Japan and disbanded on 19 March 1948. It was opened again, during the Korean War, from October 1951 to March 1955.

This was formed in August 1949 under the control of BAFO at BOAR Rinteln and closed in 1996.

This was formed between July 1942 and January 1943 under the control of AHQ West Africa probably at Cape Coast, Ghana and disbanded on an unknown date.

This was formed on 1 April 1918 at Holly Hill, Hampstead, moving to Finchley in May 1919 and was redesignated RAF Officers' Hospital on moving to Uxbridge in June 1925.

This was formed on 1 August 1947 under the control of ACFE at Changi and disbanded on 17 August 1971.

This was formed in September 1942 under the control of No 28 Group at Church Village and disbanded 31 May 1946.

This was formed between January-July 1941 from the Station Hospital under the control of No 20 Group at Cosford and disbanded in 1977.

From its inception the RAF ran a number of hospitals to deal with its personnel and one of these was at RAF Cranwell. It opened in April 1918 from the RNAS Station Hospital and operated until June 1940 when it was reduced to the status of a large Station sick-quarters, with the staff and bulk of the medical equipment being transferred to the RAF Hospital, Rauceby.

This was formed on 9 February 1957 as a temporary hospital at Akrotiri. In 1961 it was decided to build a new permanent hospital, which opened in May 1963 and was renamed The Princess Mary's RAF Hospital.

This was formed on in March 1942 under the control of AHQ Egypt in Cairo, with beds for 300 aircrew (150 officers and 150 NCOs), moving to Abbassia in January 1943 and was redesignated No 5 RAF Hospital on in December 1943.

This was formed on 1 August 1940 under the control of No 24 Group at Ely as an annexe to the RAF Hospital, Littleport but on 5 August, this was reversed with Ely becoming the principle hospital and Littleport the annexe. It was transferred to No 27 Group between 1 -10 July 1941 and was renamed the Princess of Wales Hospital in 1987, disbanding in 1992 being taken over by the NHS.

This was formed on 1 August 1949 from No 3 RAF Hospital at Fayid and disbanded in 1956.

This was formed on 18 August 1941 under the control of No 24 Group at Evesham and disbanded in March 1946.

This was formed from No 6 RAF Hospital on 1 January 1946 under the control of AHQ Levant at Habbaniya and disbanded in 1956.

This was formed from No 53 MFH in September 1945 at Hamburg and disbanded in September 1946.

This was formed between March 1926 and September 1928 by redesignating the RAF British Hospital under the control of Iraq Command at Hinaidi. Moving to Dhibban in December 1937, which was renamed Habbaniya in May 1938, it was redesignated No 6 RAF Hospital in December 1943.

These were formed in January 1919 at Halton and was redesignated RAF Hospital, Halton between July 1920 and July 1921.

This was formed on between July 1920 and July 1921 under the control of RAF Halton at Halton being redesignated Princess Mary's RAF Hospital on 31 October 1927.

Work on a new permanent hospital at Halton in 1924 and was opened on 31 October 1927 by Princess Mary after who it was named, finally disbanding in 1995.

An opened date has not been found but on 14 May 1940 its administration was transferred from No 24 Group, Training Command to No 43 Group, Maintenance Command.

This was formed from No 80 MFH in January 1946 at Kowloon and disbanded in 1995.

This was formed in October 1922 under the control of Iraq Command at Baghdad, later moving to Hinaidi and disbanded in 1926.

This had been the first static hospital set up in North Africa when it was set up at Carthage following the invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch. Following the invasion of Italy in September 1943 it moved across the Mediterranean in December 1943 and took over a convalescent home in Torro del Greco near Naples remaining there for the rest of the war.

This was formed to look after the Aden Protectorate Levies in 1958 under the control of at Khormaksar and disbanded in 1967.

This was formed on 1 December 1945 under the control of AHQ Levant at Habbaniya and disbanded on 31 October 1947.

This was formed on 1 September 1939 at the Transport and General Workers Union Convalescent Home in Littleport under the control of No 24 Group. The RAF Hospital, Ely was originally opened as an annexe to Littleport but on 5 August, this was reversed with Ely becoming the principle hospital and Littleport the annexe.

This was formed in September 1942 under the control of No 28 Group at Lochnaw and disbanded in October 1945.

This opened as station hospital in June 1940 became an RAF Hospital between June 1943 and January 1944 under the control of No 24 Group at Kirkham and disbanded in July 1948.

This was formed on 1 July 1942 under the control of No 28 Group at Lochnaw and disbanded on 31 October 1945.

This was formed from No 65 MFH in November 1945 at Mingaladon and disbanded in 1946.

This was formed by redesignating the RAF Hospital Bahrein in January 1964 at Muharraq, Bahrein and disbanded in December 1971.

This was formed in September 1939 at the Rockside Physiotherapy Establishment, Matlock under the control of No 24 Group and disbanded in April 1945.

The hospital at Nocton Hall had originally been used from mid 1940 to take serious non-mobile patients from the Cranwell Hospital, but was closed down on 1 July 1940 when the RAF Hospital Rauceby opened.

This was formed in June 1947 at Nocton Hall, near Lincoln and disbanded on 31 March 1983.

This was formed in January 1943 at Northallerton, North Yorkshire and disbanded in November 1947.

This was formed on in January 1943 under the control of No 28 Group at Blackpool and disbanded on in October 1945.

This was formed from the RAF Central Hospital, Finchley in June 1925 under the control of Inland Area at Uxbridge being transferred to No 21 Group on 12 April 1926 and was redesignated WAAF Hospital on 1 March 1940.

This was formed in April 1919 at 22 Fitzjohn's Avenue, London and disbanded on an unknown date but probably before April 1920.

This was formed as a joint RAF/Army hospital in December 1918 at Old Sarum and disbanded in early 1920.

This was formed in 1924 under the control of Palestine Command at Sarafand and was redesignated RAF General Hospital Palestine and Trans-Jordan on 1 January 1936.

This was formed on 1 January 1936 under the control of Palestine Command at Sarafand and was transferred to War Office control on 1 February 1940 as No 12 General Hospital (Army).

Originally opened in 1897 as Kesteven County Asylum, it was renamed Kesteven Mental hospital in 1924 and Rauceby Mental Hospital in 1933. By June 1940 the EMS Hospital at Rauceby had been used to house a number of serious non-mobile patients from Cranwell Hospital. The main hospital was taken over by the RAF on 1 July 1940 as No 4 RAF Hospital Rauceby and placed in No 20 Group. It specialised in crash and burns victims and on 1 July 1941 was transferred to No 27 Group, eventually closing as a RAF hospital in 1947. It remained a civilian hospital until 1997 and was developed for housing in 2004.

This was formed from No 1 Mobile Field Hospital in December 1953 under the control of 2nd TAF at Rostrup and disbanded about April 1958.

RAF St Athan opened in February 1939 as No 4 School of Technical Training and No 19 Maintenance Unit but in July 1940 a major RAF General Hospital for the South Wales area was also established here, consisting of a maze of wooden huts, which formed the various wards and theatres, sited immediately to the east of the station. The hospital continued in use after the war, finally closing in December 1961.

This was formed from No 7 RAF Hospital? about 1948 at Steamer Point, Aden and disbanded in 1967.

This was formed in January 1946 under the control of ACSEA at Singapore and was renamed RAF Hospital Changi on 1 August 1947.

This was formed in September 1945 under the control of No 83 Group at Celle and disbanded in May 1946.

This was formed on 1 September 1943 at Tripoli and was redesignated No 3 RAF Hospital in November 1943.

This was formed in January 1919 at 37 Bryanston Square, London and disbanded in November 1919.

This was formed in January 1919 at 82 Easton Square and disbanded in January 1920.

This was formed from the WAAF Hospital on 3 November 1941 at Uxbridge and disbanded on in 1972.

This was formed to deal with the expected casualties during the (1st) Gulf War in December 1990 at Muharraq, Bahrein and disbanded on in March 1991.

This was formed from the RAF Hospital (Officers) on 1 March 1940 under the control of No 24 Group at Uxbridge. On 1 July 1941 it was amalgamated with Station Sick Quarters, Uxbridge and was renamed RAF Station Hospital, Uxbridge.

This was formed on 1 July 1941 by amalgamating the WAAF Hospital at Uxbridge with Station Sick Quarters, Uxbridge.

Work on this hospital was begun in January 1953 and was completed on 31 May. It was officially opened on 16 November 1953, as the Royal Air Force Hospital Wegberg by Lady Foster, the wife of the Commander-in-Chief 2nd Tactical Air Force. In 1958 It became the sole RAF Hospital in Germany when RAF Hospital Rostrup was handed over to the Germans. The School or Nursing at the hospital closed in 1984 having provided training, to many Enrolled and Registered nurses as well as Student Nurses from UK Service Hospitals (Ely, Halton and Wroughton), who undertook detachments for training in Obstetrics. In October 1990, it provided personnel for detachment to the Gulf region following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the final one returning in April 1991. It finally closed on 16 November 1993.

This was formed in November 1919 at 53 Hollycroft Avenue, London and disbanded in January 1920.

This was formed in November 1919 at 13 Parsifal Road, London and disbanded in January 1920.

This was formed in November 1919 at 24 Chesterfield Gardens, London and disbanded in January 1920.

Work on this hospital commenced in June 1939, opening as The RAF General Hospital on 16 July1941 under the command of Gp Capt. E C Foreman and was placed in No 24 Group. Wroughton’s busiest period was following the landings in Normandy in June 1944, with the first casualties arrived on 13 June. Aircraft landed at RAF Lyneham with the casualties being ferried to Wroughton by a fleet of ambulances to Wroughton. The next 6-months saw 4,811 casualties pass through the hospital. It continued as a General for military patients, but from 1958 began taking NHS patients from the Swindon area as well. It was retitled Princess Alexandra’s RAF Hospital on 4 October 1967, following a visit by her on 4 July 1967. The hospital closed on 31 March and the site now called Alexandra Park, containing a housing development and a Conference Centre.

This was formed in August 1939 under the control of AASF at Halton, moving to Prosnes (France) in September, then to La Motte Tilly in May 1940, On returning from France it moved to Halton, where it disbanded on 24 June 1940.

This was formed in September 1939 under the control of AASF at Halton, moving to Mareuil-sur-Ay (France) in November, then to Villemoiron in May 1940. On returning from France it moved to Halton, where it disbanded on 24 June 1940.

This was formed in March 1940 at Halton for service with 'X' Force in Norway, but remained at Halton and later moved to Henlow to await deployment, until 28 February 1941 when it was redesignated No 21 MRS.

This was formed on 8 April 1940 under the control of RAF Middle East at Helwan, moving to Benghazi between July 1942 and January 1943 and was redesignated No 21 MFH in May 1943.

This was formed in May 1940 under the control of RAF Middle East at Halton, moving to Egypt September 1940, including Helwan, Fuka, Gordon's Tree, Gambut (Libya); and was redesignated No 22 MFH in May 1943.

This was formed between July and December 1941 under the control of Middle East Command at an unknown location and disbanded between December 1941 and June 1942.

This was formed in November 1941 under the control of Middle East Command at Harrogate, moving to Egypt in January 1942, including Helwan and Burgh-el-Arab, then to Gambut and Tripoli (Libya) and was redesignated No 24 MFH in May 1943.

This was formed in August 1942 under the control of AHQ Egypt at Wilmslow, moving to No 23 PTC, Helwan in November 1942 and was redesignated No 25 MFH in May 1943.

This was formed in February 1943? under the control of No 24 Group at RAF Wroughton, possibly moving to Tenterden and Fontwell and was redesignated No 50 MFH in May 1943?.

This was formed on 1 April 1952 under the control of 2nd TAF at Rostrup and was redesignated RAF Hospital Rostrup in December 1953.

This was formed from No 21 MRS in May 1943 under the control of MAAF at Benghazi, moving to Sicily July 1943 then to Italy by November and was at Foggia by Jan 1944, Serra Capriolo in February 1944, Florence in January 1945 and finally to Klagenfurt (Austria) in May, where it disbanded in June 1945.

This was formed in May 1943 under the control of MAAF at Gambut, Helwan in Jan 1944, Aleppo in Feb 1944, Helwan in May 1944, Foggia in Jun 1944, Florence in Jan 1945 and moved to Aleppo (Syria), then moved to Italy in May 1944, Mondolfo in January 1945 and disbanded in November 1945.

This was formed in May 1943 under the control of AHQ Levant at Tripoli in Jan 1944, with a detachment at Catania, moving to Tel Litwinsky in February 1944, then to Aleppo in May 1944, then Ceylon in August 1944 and disbanded in November 1945.

This was formed in May 1943 under the control of NATAF at Helwan, moving to Sicily August 1943, to Italy in November and was at Naples in January 1944, with a detachment at Catania, moving to Corsica April, Cassamozza in June, then to France in August and Italy in October. One source shows it as being at Kankesanturai in ACSEA by December 1944 and it disbanded in June 1945.

This was formed in March 1943 under the control of NASAF at Bari, moving to Foggia by February 1944, then Termoli by January 1945 and disbanded on 31 July 1945.

This was formed on 1 March 1943 under the control of NASAF at Tunis, moving to Carthage in September, then to Italy by June 1944, later moving into Yugoslavia under Balkan Air Force and disbanded on 31 May 1945.

This was formed in May 1943 under the control of No 83 Group at either Wroughton, Tenterden or Fontwell, moving to France in June 1944, to Eindhoven in September, then to Celle (Germany) in April 1945. By September it was at Schleswig, where it became 50 RAF Hospital Schleswig in September 1945.

This was formed before 1944 under the control of No 83 Group at an unknown location, later moving to France and probably disbanded on in 1945.

This was formed in September 1943 under the control of No 84 Group at Sawbridgeworth, moving to France in August, then to Belgium in September and to Germany in May 1945 disbanded September 1946 and became 53 RAF Hospital Hamburg in September 1945.

This was formed in September 1943 under the control of No 84 Group at Sawbridgeworth, moving to France in August 1944, to Belgium in September, to the Netherlands in March 1945, then to Celle (Germany) in April 1945 and was redesignated No 54 RAF Hospital in September 1945.

This was formed in January 1944 at Fontwell, moving to France in August, then to Belgium in September and the Netherlands in April 1945. It moved to Gutersloh (Germany) in September 1945, where it was redesignated No 55 RAF Hospital.

This was formed in July 1944 at Pershore, later moving to Down Ampney, then to Digri (India) in November. In March 1946 it moved to Iwakuni, Japan, where it was redesignated British Commonwealth Air Hospital in March 1946.

This was formed on 1 February 1944 under the control of No 221 Group at Imphal and disbanded on 30 June 1945.

This was formed in July 1943 under the control of No 224 Group at Chittagong in Jan 1944 and disbanded in July 1945.

This was formed on 1 January 1943 under the control of No 224 Group at Ramu. By February 1944 it was at Chittagong, Cox's Bazaar by April, Shillong by October 1944, arriving at Comilla on 1 Novewmber. It was at Palel by December and disbanded on 30 June 1945.

This had been formed by January 1944 under the control of No 221 Group at Badapur, moving to Kailakandi by February, Kalaura by April, then to Kumbhirgram by December and disbanded on 31 October 1950.

This was formed by May 1945 at Cawnpore and was redesignated No 12 MFH later in 1945.

This was formed in October 1944 at West Kirby in October 1944, moving to Calcutta in December 1944 and to Mingaladon in May 1945 and became RAF Hospital Mingaladon in November 1945.

This had been formed by May 1945 at an unknown location and disbanded sometime after October 1945.

This was formed in May 1945 at Hednesford, moving to Kowloon, Hong Kong in September 1945 and became RAF Hospital Hong Kong in January 1946.

This was formed in September 1945 at West Kirby, moving to Singapore in October 1945 where it was redesignated RAF Hospital Singapore in January 1946.

This was formed in 1942 under the control of AHQ India at Delhi in Jan 1944 and probably disbanded on in 1947.

This was formed before January 1944 under the control of HQ 2nd TAF at an unknown location being transferred to No 85 Group on formation and probably disbanded on in 1945.

This was formed on before January 1944 under the control of HQ 2nd TAF at an unknown location being transferred to No 85 Group on formation and probably disbanded on in 1945.

This was formed between June 1944 and January 1945 under the control of No 85 Group at an unknown location and probably disbanded in 1945.

This was formed in May/Jun 1944 under the control of No 85 Group at an unknown location and probably disbanded in 1945.

This was formed between June 1944 and January 1945 under the control of No 85 Group at an unknown location and probably disbanded in 1945.

This was formed around June 1944 and initially was probably attached to No 150 Wing but on 11 August was transferred to No 141 Wing at Deanland ALG and probably disbanded in 1945.

This was formed between June 1944 and January 1945 under the control of No 85 Group at an unknown location and probably disbanded in 1945.