Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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St Andre-aux-bois; Cologne. (from 7 May 1919); Rear HQ - Wimereux (from 7 Jul 1919)
Formed 1 Apr 1918 from HQ RFC. Renamed RAF Rhine xx xxx 1918?
General Officer Commanding: -
1 Apr 1918 Maj-Gen Sir John Salmond
Formed 6 Jun 1918 by renaming 41st Wing. Renamed Inter-Allied Independent Force, 26 Oct 1918. Disbanded, xx xxx 1918?.
General Officers Commanding: -
6 Jun 1918 Maj-Gen Sir Hugh Trenchard
20 Nov 1918? Brig-Gen C L Courtney
HQ RAF in France and Flanders
Wimereux, France
Formed xx xxx 1919 by renaming Rear HQ RAF. Disbanded xx May 1920
Officer Commanding: -
xx xxx 1919 Lt Col/Wg Cdr G B Hynes
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas
RAF Rhine
Bickendorf, Germany
Formed xx xxx 1918 by renaming HQ Royal Air Force. Disbanded 2 Oct 1919. Continued to be listed in AFL until at least Jul 1922.
General Officers Commanding: -
4 Jan 1919 Maj-Gen Sir John Higgins
7 May 1919 Maj-Gen Sir John Salmond
19 Aug 1919
xx xxx xxxx OC, No 12 Sqn?
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas
Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force
Formed xx Aug 1939 from a nucleus of No 22
(Army Co-operation) Group. By 10 May 1940 it had been divided into two HQs
- RAF Component HQ (Administration) was based at Maroeuil, whilst RAF Component
HQ (Operational) was based at Arras.
Following the German breakout from the Ardennes on 13 May, they had reached
Abbeville on 19/20th, trapping the BEF, including the two RAF HQs, in a
constantly shrinking pocket, thereby forcing the HQs to remain on the move, as
follows: -
RAF Component HQ (Administration)
18 May - Boulogne
20 May - Wimereux
21 May - Dunkirk (en route to UK)
23 May - Uxbridge/Hawkinge
27 May - Hendon
20 June - Disbanded
RAF Component HQ (Operational)
19 May - Hazebrouk
23 May - Premesques
26 May - Disbanded
While this sector was in retreat a new unit RAF Component HQ (South), was forming close to Rouen Boos
20 May - Rouen Boos (it changed location almost daily, but always close to Rouen)
8 Jun - Dreux
12 Jun - Laigne
15 Jun - Vitre
16 Jun - Redon
16/17 Jun - Dinard
17 Jun - Jersey
19 Jun - UK
Following its formal disbandment on 26 May 1940 a nucleus remained in being for closing down purposes, which disbanded on 24 July 1940.
Air Officer Commanding: -
xx Aug 1939 AVM C H B Blount
This was formed on 24 August 1939 from No 1 (Bomber) Group for service on the Continent, it returned to the UK following the fall of France and was located at Bridgnorth, where it disbanded on 24 June 1940.
Air Officer Commanding: -
24 Aug 1939 AVM P H L Playfair
This was formed on 15 January 1940 to control both the AASF and the Air Component, absorbing the existing No 1 and 2 Air Missions. It was composed of four separate parts: -
HQ BAFF
Northern Detachment
Eastern Detachment
Maintenance Control
All RAF units in the Base Area ceased to be administered by HQ AASF and were transferred to the control of HQ No 2 Base Area, these being: -
No 21 Aircraft Depot
All Port Detachments
Any other units that were located in the base area from time to time.
On its return from France the AOC-in-C and his staff settled at Andover whilst the remainder of the HQ went to Bridgnorth, where it disbanded on 24 June 1940, followed by the closing down party disbanding on 8 July 1940.
Air Officer Commanding- in-Chief: -
15 Jan 1940 AM Sir Arthur Barratt
'South Violet Force'
This was formed on 25 May 1940 under te control of HQ, BAFF with te same status as HQ AASF. It was composed of the following units: -
HQ, South Component
No 15 Servicing Flight
No 66 Wing Servicing Unit (formerly 'Z' Servicing Unit)
Nos 1, 2, 3 & 4 Servicing Sections
No 6 Air Stores Park
No 64 Hurricane Equipment Section
No 73 Repair & Salvage Section
'D' Repair & Salvage Unit
No 924 Squadron (Administration only, operationally controlled by HQ BAFF)
Mobile Meteorological Unit
No 65 Wing Servicing Unit (formerly 'M' Servicing Unit)
No 57 Blenheim/Lysander Equipment Section (being formed)
Nos 53 & 54 Hurricane Equipment Sections (en-route from UK)
It fate is unknown, but probably disbanded following the fall of France.
RAF Iceland
Formed 2 Jul 1941 by raising No 30 Wing to Command status within Coastal Command. Disbanded xx Jul 1945.
Air Officers Commanding: -
xx xxx xxxx: A/Cdre W H Primrose
20 Sep 1943: A/Cdre C G Wigglesworth
4 Jan 1945: A/Cdre G H Boyce
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas
RAF Element, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF)
This was formed on 1 February 1944 and was temporarily located in Room 129, Norfolk House, St James's Square, London, SW1. It was administered by No 240 MU at Chessington. By March it had moved to its new location at No 1 APDC, London, W1 and disbanded on 1 August 1945.
Allied Expeditionary Air Force
Formed 15 Nov 1943 to control all Allied air operations in connection with Operation 'Overlord'. Disbanded 15 Oct 1944.
Air Officer Commanding: -
15 Nov 1943 ACM Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas
This was formed on 1 June 1943 as HQ Tactical Air Force from Army Co-operation Command to control all tactical air assets in connection with Operation 'Overlord'. It was subordinated to HQ AEAF on 15 November 1943 and from 1 February 1944 had its Main HQ (operational matters) at RAF Uxbridge and its Rear HQ (administrative matters) at RAF Bracknell. It was renamed British Air Forces of Occupation on 15 July 1945.
It reformed on 1 September 1951 by redesignating British Forces of Occupation and was renamed RAF Germany on 1 January 1959.
Air Officers Commanding: -
1 Jun 1943 AM Sir John D'Albiac
21 Jan 1944 AM Sir Arthur Coningham
15 Jul 1945 Renamed BAFO
1 Sep 1951 AM Sir Thomas Williams
1 Oct 1951 ACM Sir Robert Foster
3 Dec 1953 AM Sir Harry Broadhurst
22 Jan 1956 AM The Earl of Bandon
1 Jun 1957 AM Sir John Edwardes-Jones
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas
AHQ British Air Forces of Occupation
This was formed on 15 July 1945 by renaming 2nd Tactical Air Force. On 1 December 1946 AHQ (Ops) BAFO and AHQ (Disarm) BAFO were disbanded being replaced by a single AHQ BAFO. At the same time AHQ (Disarm) Unit, BAFO was also disbanded and AHQ (Ops) Unit, BAFO was redesignated AHQ BAFO Unit.
It reverted to its original title of 2nd Tactical Air Force on 1 September 1951.
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief: -
15 Jul 1945 ACM Sir Sholto Douglas
1 Feb 1946 AM Sir Philip Wigglesworth
30 Oct 1948 AM Sir Thomas Williams
Formed 1 Jan 1959 by renaming 2nd Tactical Air Force. The C-in-C also held the NATO post of Commander, 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force. It was redesignated as No 2 Group within Strike Command, 1 Apr 1993.
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief: -
1 Jan 1959 AM Sir John Edwardes-Jones
7 Jan 1961 AM Sir John Grandy
25 Jun 1963 AM Sir Ronald Lees
6 Dec 1965 AM Sir Denis Spotswood
16 Jul 1968 AM Christopher Foxley-Norris
10 Nov 1970 AM Harold Martin
4 Apr 1973 AM Nigel Maynard
19 Jan 1976 AM Sir Michael Beetham
25 Jul 1977 AM Sir John Stacey
30 Apr 1979 AM Sir Peter Terry
2 Feb 1981 AM Sir Jock Kennedy
9 Apr 1983 AM Sir Patrick Hine
1 Jul 1985 AM Sir David Parry-Evans
13 Apr 1987 AM Sir Anthony Skingsley
14 Apr 1989 AM Sir Roger Palin
22 Apr 1991 AM Sir Andrew Wilson
This page was last updated on 01/09/24