List of Royal Air Force commands

Last updated

This is a list of Royal Air Force commands, both past and present. [1] Although the concept of a command dates back to the foundation of the Royal Air Force, the term command (as the name of a formation) was first used in purely RAF-context in 1936 when Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Coastal Command and Training Command were formed. Since that time the RAF has made considerable use of the term. Until early 2007, the RAF had two commands, Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command, which were co-located at RAF High Wycombe. On 1 April 2007, the two were merged to form Air Command.

Contents

Commands

CommandFormationDisbandmentControlledBecame
Air Command April 2007presentn/a [2]
Air Support Command August 1967September 1972No. 46 Group [3]
Army Cooperation Command December 1940May 1943No. 70 & 71 Groups [4]
Balloon Command November 1938June 1945Balloon Wing [5]
Bomber Command July 1936April 1968All UK based Bomber groupsNo. 1 (Bomber) Group [6]
Coastal Command May 1936November 1969All UK based Coastal groupsNo. 18 (Maritime) Group [7]
Ferry Command July 1941March 1943No. 45 Group [8]
Fighter Command July 1936
October 1944		November 1943
April 1968		All UK based Fighter groupsAir Defence of Great Britain
No. 11 Group [9]
Flying Training Command May 1940June 1968All UK based training groups
No. 21, 23, 25, 50, 51, 54 Groups RAF		 [10]
Home Command August 1950March 1959 [11]
Joint Helicopter Command October 19992024Most of the British Armed Forces helicopter assetsJoint Aviation Command
Joint Aviation Command 2024Most of the British Armed Forces helicopter assets and the British Army's unmanned aerial systems [12]
Logistics Command April 1994April 2000All Maintenance units [13]
Maintenance Command April 1938August 1973All UK based Maintenance groups [14]
RAF Northern Ireland August 1940March 1950All RAF units in Northern Ireland
No. 15 & 82 Groups RAF		 [15]
Personnel and Training Command April 1994April 2007 [16]
Reserve Command February 1939
January 1946		May 1940
August 1950		No. 50, 51 & 54 Groups
Unknown		Disbanded
Home Command [17]
Signals Command November 1958January 1969RAF Tangmere & RAF WattonNo. 90 (Signals) Group [18]
Strike Command April 1968April 2007No. 1, 2, 11, 18, 11/18 & 38 GroupsAir Command [19]
Support Command September 1973April 1994Personnel & Training Command
Logistics Command [20]
Technical Training Command May 1940June 1968No. 20, 22, 24, 26 & 72 Groups [21]
Training Command May 1936
June 1968		May 1940
July 1977		No. 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 Groups
No. 22, 23 & 24 Groups		Split into Technical Training Command & Flying Training Command
Support Command [22]
Transport Command March 1943August 1967No. 44, 45 & 216 GroupsAir Support Command [23]
Air Defence of Great Britain January 1925
November 1943		July 1936
October 1944		Wessex Bombing Area & Fighting Area
Unknown		Disbanded
Fighter Command [24]
No. 1 Area April 1918May 1918No.1 - 5 Groups, No. 6 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 27, 49 and 50 WingsSouth-Eastern Area [25]
No. 2 Area April 1918May 1918No. 7 - 10 Groups, No. 11 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units at GosportSouth-Western Area [25]
No. 3 Area April 1918May 1918No. 12 - 14 Groups, No. 15 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 48 WingMidland Area [25]
No. 4 Area April 1918May 1918No. 16 - 18 Groups, No. 19 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 46 WingNorth-Eastern Area [25]
No. 5 Area April 1918May 1918No. 20 - 22 Groups, No. 23 (Equipment) Group and units in IrelandNorth-Western Area [25]
Training Division RFC 19171918Northern, Southern and Eastern Training Brigades
Coastal Area 19191936No. 10, 29 Groups and RAF FelixstoweCoastal Command
Central Area 19331936Bomber stations in Central England
Inland Area 19201936No. 1, 3, 7, 21, 22 & 23 Groups and No. 7 & 8 WingsTraining Command
North Eastern Area 19181919No. 16 - 19 GroupsNorth-Western Area
North Western Area 19181919No. 20 - 23 GroupsNorthern Area
Northern Area 1919
1919		1919
1920		No. 16, 17, 18 & 20 Groups
No. 3, 12 & 16 Groups		Disbanded
Inland Area
South Eastern Area 19181919No. 1, 2, 4 & 10 GroupsSouthern Area
South Western Area 19181919No. 7, 8, 9 & 10 GroupsNo. 7 Group
Southern Area 19191920No. 1, 2 & 7 GroupsInland Area
Western Area 19331936No. 3 (Bomber) Group
Allied Expeditionary Air Force 194319442nd TAF, ADGB, No. 38 & 82 Groups & USAAF 9th Air ForceRAF Element, Forward Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Air Forces

Overseas commands

CommandFormationDisbandmentControlledBecame
British Forces Aden April 1942October 1959British Forces Arabian Peninsula [26]
British Forces Arabian Peninsula October 1959March 1961Middle East Command [26]
Air Command Far East November 1946June 1949Far East Air Force [2]
Air Command South East Asia January 1944November 1946Air Command Far East [2]
Advanced Air Striking Force August 1939June 1940Disbanded [27]
British Air Forces in France January 1940August 1940All RAF units in FranceDisbanded [28]
Eastern Air Command September 1942
December 1943		March 1943
June 1945		Formed on the basis of No. 333 (Special Operations) Group, November 1942
3rd TAF and Strategical Air Force		 [29] Absorbed by Northwest African Air Forces
Disbanded
Far East Air Force June 1949November 1971AHQ Hong Kong & No. 224 Group RAFDisbanded [8]
Iraq Command October 19221938All RAF units in IraqDisbanded [30]
Mediterranean Air Command February 1943December 1943Northwest African Air Forces, Northwest African Tactical Air Force,
Northwest African Strategical Air Force, Northwest African Coastal Air Force,
Northwest African Training Command, Northwest African Air Service Command,
Northwest African Photo Reconnaissance Wing, Malta Air Command & Middle East Air Command		Rear HQ Mediterranean Allied Air Forces [31]
Middle East Command December 1941August 1945No. 201 and 205 Groups RAFRAF Mediterranean and Middle East [32]
RAF Bengal and Burma December 1944February 1945AHQ Bengal, No. 221 and No. 224 Groups RAFDisbanded [33]
RAF Burma February 1945September 1945No. 221, 222, 229, 231 and 232 Groups RAFAHQ Burma [26]
RAF Germany January 1959April 1993All RAF units in GermanyNo. 2 Group RAF [34]
RAF Hong Kong September 1945May 1946AHQ Hong Kong [11]
RAF Iceland July 1941July 1945All RAF units in IcelandDisbanded [11]
RAF India May 1919
April 1922
November 1922		January 1921
August 1922
December 1938		All RAF units in India [35] Indian Group
Disbanded
HQ Air Forces in India
RAF Iraq April 1922October 1922All RAF units in IraqIraq Command [30]
RAF Ireland February 1922February 1923All RAF units In IrelandDisbanded [30]
RAF Mediterranean April 1922December 1941All RAF units in the Mediterranean areaDisbanded into AHQ Malta [31]
RAF Mediterranean and Middle East February 1944
July 1945		March 1944
June 1949		All RAF units in the Mediterranean area [31]
Middle East Air Force June 1949March 1961All RAF units in the Middle EastNear East Air Force [36]
RAF Rhine October 1919June 1920No. 12 Squadron RAF & 'Q' Unit RAFDisbanded [37]
Balkan Air Force June 1944July 1945All RAF units in the BalkansDisbanded [38]
Mediterranean Allied Air Forces December 1943February 1944All RAF units in the MediterraneanDisbanded [31]
Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force January 1944August 1945All RAF Coastal units in the Mediterranean [31]
Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force January 1944August 1945All RAF Strategic units in the Mediterranean [31]
Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force January 1944July 1945All RAF Tactical units in the Mediterranean [31]
Mediterranean Coastal Air Force January 1944
August 1945		February 1944
October 1945		All RAF Coastal units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force
AHQ RAF Italy [31]
Near East Air Force March 1961March 1976All RAF units in the Eastern MediterraneanDisbanded [39]
Northwest African Coastal Air Force February 1943January 1944All RAF Coastal units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Coastal Air Force [15]
Northwest African Tactical Air Force February 1943January 1944All RAF Tactical units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force
Northwest African Strategic Air Force February 1943January 1944All RAF Strategic units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force
First Tactical Air Force July 1943June 1946(Desert Air Force)Advanced AHQ Italy [40]
Second Tactical Air Force November 1943
September 1951		July 1945
November 1959		No. 2, 83, 84 Groups RAF and No. 34R & 85 Wings RAF
All RAF units in Germany		Merged
RAF Germany [20]
Third Tactical Air Force December 1943December 1944No. 221 & 224 Groups RAF & Troop Carrier CommandDisbanded [41]

Air Headquarters

CommandFormationDisbandmentControlledBecame
AHQ Aden 14 October 193721 April 1942 H.Q. British Forces, Aden [27]
AHQ Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean 4 March 19431 February 1944Disbanded into AHQ Eastern Mediterranean [24]
AHQ Austria 28 February 1946
28 February 1947		15 August 1946
1 November 1947		 RAF Austria Commission
Disbanded [4]
AHQ Bengal 20 April 1942
1 August 1944		24 March 1943
4 December 1944		Bengal Command
Disbanded into HQ RAF Bengal/Burma [33]
AHQ Burma 20 September 194515 December 1947Disbanded [26]
AHQ Ceylon 16 October 19451 November 1957Disbanded [42]
AHQ Cyprus 9 January 1954
1 April 1976		15 December 1956
present		Disbanded into AHQ Levant [40]
Extant as of 2007
AHQ Dee Force 1 October 19421 May 1943Disbanded [40]
AHQ East Africa 25 July 1940
16 November 1942		15 December 1941
15 September 1951		Became No. 207 Group RAF
Disbanded [29]
AHQ Eastern Mediterranean 1 February 194428 February 1946Disbanded into No. 219 Group RAF [29]
AHQ Egypt 1 December 1941
31 August 1944		4 March 1943
28 February 1946		Became AHQ Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean
Disbanded into No. 219 Group RAF [43]
AHQ Far East 10 January 194115 February 1942Disbanded [8]
AHQ Gibraltar 21 December 194130 November 1966Disbanded [34]
AHQ Greece 1 September 194411 January 1947Disbanded [44]
AHQ Hong Kong 15 May 194624 March 1967Disbanded into British Force Hong Kong [11]
AHQ India 16 August 1939
8 March 1944		8 March 1944
15 August 1947		Disbanded [45]
AHQ Iraq January 1938
1 March 1946		1 January 1943
1 May 1955		Became AHQ Iraq and Persia
Became AHQ Levant [30]
AHQ Iraq and Persia 1 January 19431 March 1946Became AHQ Iraq [30]
AHQ Italy 1 October 19456 October 1947Disbanded [30]
AHQ Levant 1 December 1941
1 May 1955		26 July 1948
1 April 1958		Disbanded [13]
AHQ Libya 20 January 19423 February 1942Became AHQ Western Desert [13]
AHQ Malaya 1 October 194531 August 1957Became No. 224 Group RAF [46]
AHQ Malta December 193930 June 1968Disbanded [46]
AHQ Netherlands East Indies 1 October 194530 November 1946Disbanded [39]
AHQ Siam 1 October 1945April 1946Disbanded [18]
AHQ Singapore 16 February 19531 January 1958Disbanded [18]
AHQ Supreme Commanders Headquarters 15 August 19471 December 1947Disbanded [35] [20]
AHQ West Africa 23 September 19411 August 1946Became No. 500 Wing RAF [47]
AHQ Western Desert 21 October 1941
21 February 1943		3 February 1942
10 July 1943		Became AHQ Libya
Became the Desert Air Force [48]
AHQ 'X' 1 September 194415 October 1944Became AHQ Greece [49]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation
  2. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 39.
  3. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 59.
  4. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 67.
  5. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 71.
  6. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 79.
  7. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 92.
  8. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 109.
  9. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 112.
  10. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 134.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 165.
  12. ↑ Adams, Harry (15 May 2024). "New Joint Aviation Command brings helicopters and drone systems under one roof". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 173.
  14. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 175.
  15. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 194.
  16. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 210.
  17. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 233.
  18. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 253.
  19. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 267.
  20. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 268.
  21. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 270.
  22. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 274.
  23. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 281.
  24. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 44.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 64.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 82.
  27. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 32.
  28. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 81.
  29. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 101.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 169.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 188.
  32. ↑ "Commands - Med/Mid East_P". www.rafweb.org. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  33. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 78.
  34. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 142.
  35. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 167.
  36. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 190.
  37. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 224.
  38. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 70.
  39. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 193.
  40. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 100.
  41. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 297.
  42. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 86.
  43. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 102.
  44. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 148.
  45. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 166.
  46. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 186.
  47. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 285.
  48. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 286.
  49. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 307.

Bibliography

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