Personnel numbers in the Royal Air Force

Last updated

Officers of No 1 Squadron, RAF with SE5a biplanes at Clairmarais aerodrome, near Ypres, July 1918 Officers of No 1 Squadron, RAF with SE5a biplanes at Clairmarais aerodrome, near Ypres, July 1918.jpg
Officers of No 1 Squadron, RAF with SE5a biplanes at Clairmarais aerodrome, near Ypres, July 1918

This is a list of personnel numbers in the Royal Air Force, from its inception in 1918, up until the modern day. Royal Air Force staffing numbers have fluctuated with periodic demand, however, since the end of the Second World War, numbers have decreased steadily and the RAF itself has shrunk in terms of operating bases. Several schemes have been implemented during times of excess staffing to reduce numbers.

Contents

History

Several programmes were introduced over the life of the Royal Air Force with a view to either reducing, or increasing personnel in line with current threats, or loss of a perceived threat, such as after the First and Second World Wars. Other programmes were developed outside of conflict such as the Options for Change in 1990 (end of the Cold War), [1] and the Defence Costs Study (or Front Line First ) in 1994. [2] Post–First World War saw a huge reduction in staffing and aircraft, though recruitment did continue apace. One notable exception was the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) which was disbanded completely in 1920. [3] At Armistice Day in 1918, the fledgling Royal Air Force consisted of a combined personnel of 291,170, which was expected to be reduced to 60,000 by 1 October 1919. [4] In fact, by October 1919, the numbers had dropped to 58,000, increasing fears within the Royal Air Force that it would cease to be an independent air force, and be subsumed into either the Navy or the Army. [5] In 1925, the government announced plans to temporarily cease the expansion of the RAF, and it dropped in numbers between 1926 and 1927 from 33,500 to 33,009. [6]

In response to German re-armament, particularly that of the Luftwaffe, an expansion of the RAF was announced in May 1935, stating a near trebling of aircraft and staff by the end of the next financial year (31 March 1937), resulting in an additional 22,500 personnel. [7] [8]

A re-assessment of necessary staffing after the end of the Cold War, prompted a Defence review called Options for Change. This scaled the Air Force at 75,000, having previously had a strength up to 1990 of 88,500. However, further cuts were implemented during 1993 which were not part of the original Options paper after natural wastage did not produce enough of a drop in numbers, and with the additional loss of one Tornado squadron in the meantime; estimates were recalculated to 70,000. [9] Large swathes of redundancies were served upon all three strands of the UK military structure in 1995. This saw at least 9,000 redundancies, of which, 7,500 were in the Royal Air Force alone. [10]

Full time personnel were offset in loss of numbers by the uplift of Reserve Personnel as per a government directive to increase the number of reservists. [11] This can be seen by the increase of reservists, of which the percentage of reservists expanded two and half times over between October 2013 and October 2021. [12]

Example personnel numbers

RAF personnel, Calshot, 1936; the RAF had just over 32,000 personnel RAF personnel at Calshot in 1936.jpg
RAF personnel, Calshot, 1936; the RAF had just over 32,000 personnel
No. 640 Sqn at RAF Leconfield, December 1944. At this time, numbers of personnel were over one million 640 Squadron RAF Leconfield Dec 1944.JPG
No. 640 Sqn at RAF Leconfield, December 1944. At this time, numbers of personnel were over one million
The Vulcan at RAF Waddington, 1982. Post the Falklands Conflict, the RAF had just over 89,000 people in service. The Vulcan at RAF Waddington, 1982.jpeg
The Vulcan at RAF Waddington, 1982. Post the Falklands Conflict, the RAF had just over 89,000 people in service.
RAF 7 Force Protection Wing delivers training to support mass school testing in 2021. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, personnel numbered around 33,000 Royal Air Force, 7 Force Protection Wing delivers training to support mass school testing. MOD 45167739.jpg
RAF 7 Force Protection Wing delivers training to support mass school testing in 2021. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, personnel numbered around 33,000
DateNumbersNotesRef
November 1918291,170To reduce to around 60,000 by late 1919 [13] [4]
April 1919149,19617,267 officers, 108,753 other ranks, the remainder were WRAF [14]
October 191958,000 [5]
January 192026,682After the demobilisation, the strength of the RAF was one tenth of what it was at the Armistice [15]
192733,009 [note 1] Down from 35,300 in 1926 [6]
192928,6383,338 officers, 25,300 other ranks [16]
January 193430,3813,334 officers, 25,170 other ranks, 1,877 apprentices and cadets [17]
May 193632,456Increase during the expansion period [18]
September 1939175,392Around 118,000 estimated to be in all areas of operation apart from India [19] [20]
April 19441,185,91388,615 officers, 922,892 other ranks, 174,406 WRAF [14]
May 19451,079,835 [21]
1952270,000 [22]
April 1958210,000A cut of 20,000 personnel from April 1957. [23]
1960163,80073,000 civilians [24]
1962148,000 [22]
1970108,80015,400 civilians [24]
197696,300 [25]
September 197884,792 [26]
September 197987,392 [26]
198191,965 [27]
September 198289,254 [28]
April 198993,10014,400 officers, 72,500 other ranks, 6,200 WRAF [note 2] [14]
July 199089,000 [1]
199370,000 [9]
April 199757,000Planned reduction to 56,000 by 1999 [30]
200052,000 [31]
December 200448,900Defence cuts estimated that a reduction of almost 8,000 to 41,000 by 2008 [32]
January 201836,960 [33]
January 202132,920 [33]
April 202233,320The numbers do not consist of reservist personnel. The Defence in a Competitive Age paper from the UK Government expects the RAF to number 31,750. [34] [35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Not including those who were serving in India. [6]
  2. ↑ In 1994, the WRAF was disbanded again, with most serving personnel moved into the RAF. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Regiment</span> Force security element of Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force Regiment is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries out basic security tasks relating to the [protection of] delivery of air power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Dishforth</span> Former Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Dishforth or more simply RAF Dishforth is a former Royal Air Force station near Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1936, the base was used as a bomber airfield during the Second World War with both British and Canadian squadrons flying missions from the airfield. After the war, the base was used by various squadrons and training units before being disposed of in 1992 and handed over to the Army Air Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Colour Squadron</span> Regiment squadron of the Royal Air Force

The King's Colour Squadron, formerly the Queen's Colour Squadron, is the unit of the Royal Air Force charged with the safe-keeping of the King's Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. Since its formation, it has been formed exclusively by Officers and Gunners of No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RRH Staxton Wold</span> Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire, England

RemoteRadarHeadStaxton Wold or RRH Staxton Wold is an air defence radar station operated by the Royal Air Force, located near Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. As it has been a radar site continuously since 1939, it has a claim to be the oldest working radar station in the world. the base has undergone many upgrades of different radar systems and sits on the top of Staxton Wold at a height of 590 feet (180 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Finningley</span> Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Finningley or more simply RAF Finningley is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The station straddled the historic county boundaries of both Nottinghamshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Walmsley</span> English fiction writer (1892–1966)

Leo Walmsley was an English writer. Walmsley was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yorkshire, but brought up in Robin Hood's Bay in the North Riding. Noted for his fictional Bramblewick series, based on Robin Hood's Bay, he fought in the Royal Flying Corps, later the Royal Air Force, in the First World War, being awarded the Military Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giggleswick School</span> Public school in North Yorkshire, England

Giggleswick School is a public school in Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service</span> Military unit

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Ronald Andrew Fellowes Wilson,, often known as Sir Andrew Wilson and sometimes known informally as Sir Sandy Wilson, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Royal Air Force</span> Military unit

The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force. It existed in two separate incarnations: the Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920 and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Habbaniya</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Iraq (1936–1959)

Royal Air Force Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya, , was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about 55 miles (89 km) west of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah. It was developed from 1934, and was operational from October 1936 until 31 May 1959 when the RAF finally withdrew after the July 1958 Revolution made the British military presence no longer welcome. It was the scene of fierce fighting in May 1941 when it was besieged by the Iraqi Military following the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Detling</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Kent, England

Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated 600 feet (180 m) above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 4 miles (6.4 km) miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Falcons</span> Parachute display team of the Royal Air Force

The RAF Falcons are a British military parachute display team. They perform their colourful aerial display at venues nationwide and are renowned for their 11-person non-contact canopy stack display routine, which reaches speeds of up to 120 miles per hour (190 km/h).

Air Chief Marshal Sir David George Parry-Evans, was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Royal Air Force (World War I)</span>

The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force, existing from 1 April 1918 until 1 April 1920, when it was disbanded. Its original intent was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men for front line service in World War I. However, the organisation saw high enrolment, with women also serving in a number of other non-combatant roles, including drivers, caterers, clerks and tailors, as well as filling other wartime needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bramham Moor Aerodrome</span> Former military airfield in West Yorkshire, England

Bramham Moor Aerodrome,, was a First World War era military airfield near to the village of Bramham, West Yorkshire, England. Initially a Royal Flying Corps site, on the formation of the RAF, its name was officially changed to RAF Tadcaster, however, the unit was still referred to as Bramham, or Bramham Moor, even in official documents. The base was used between March 1916 and December 1919 by active aircraft squadrons, but was not closed down until April 1920. Bramham was originally used as a Home Defence station, due to the threat of Zeppelin attacks, but later, it was used primarily for preparing aircrew for front line operations. It did not see re-use as an airfield during the Second World War, however, vehicles were parked on the grassed runway areas to deter glider landings during the threat of invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Highbrow</span> United Kingdom 2006 military led evacuee operation

Operation Highbrow was a British Ministry of Defence (MoD) operation to evacuate civilians from Beirut as a result of the escalating 2006 Lebanon War. Initially, helicopters started ferrying the most vulnerable to Cyprus with several Royal Navy ships later transporting evacuees across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus. The operation involved Royal Navy surface ships and helicopters, with Royal Air Force helicopters also providing support and transit. The operation was described as being the largest evacuation that Britain was involved in since Dunkirk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Hospital Ely</span> Former Royal Air Force hospital in Cambridgeshire, England

RAF Hospital Ely, was a Royal Air Force staffed military hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The hospital opened in 1940, and was one of a handful of Second World War era RAF hospitals that were kept open post Second World War, remaining a military asset until 1992, although it also treated non-service patients, usually those who lived locally. On closure, the hospital became a civilian hospital under the NHS. Although not located on an established RAF Base, RAFH Ely was located within 50 miles (80 km) of forty RAF bases in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 2 School of Technical Training RAF</span> Ground-based training school of the Royal Air Force

No. 2 School of Technical Training RAF is a current training unit within the Royal Air Force. The school formed at Cranwell in 1920, and was later disbanded before being reformed at a new base, RAF Cosford, in 1938. It was closed in 1994, but in July 2023, it was reactivated and has become part of the training environment at RAF Cosford.

References

  1. 1 2 Armitage 1998, p. 269.
  2. ↑ Armitage 1998, p. 275.
  3. ↑ Philpott 2006, p. 267.
  4. 1 2 Philpott 2006, p. 269.
  5. 1 2 Sweetman, John (July 1984). "Crucial Months for Survival: The Royal Air Force, 1918-19". Journal of Contemporary History. 19 (3). London: Sage Publications: 533. ISSN   0022-0094.
  6. 1 2 3 Dawson, Geoffrey, ed. (7 March 1927). "Air Estimates". The Times. No. 44523. p. 9. ISSN   0140-0460.
  7. ↑ Dawson, Geoffrey, ed. (23 May 1935). "No Risks with Security; RAF to be nearly trebled". The Times. No. 47071. Column D. p. 8. ISSN   0140-0460.
  8. ↑ Holman, Brett (April 2011). "The Air Panic of 1935: British Press Opinion between Disarmament and Rearmament". Journal of Contemporary History. 46 (2): 296. doi:10.1177/0022009410392407. S2CID   143844858.
  9. 1 2 Evans, Michael (22 October 1993). "RAF men face sack in morning's post". The Times. No. 64781. p. 1. ISSN   0140-0460.
  10. ↑ Leathley, Arthur (17 December 1994). "9,000 face redundancy to meet defence cuts". The Times. No. 65140. p. 2. ISSN   0140-0460.
  11. ↑ "Armed forces plans criticised as reservist recruitment stalls". BBC News. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Harding, Megan (11 January 2022). "UK defence personnel statistics". House of Commons Research Briefings (7930). London: House of Commons: 19. OCLC   1029845664.
  13. ↑ Fowler et al. 1994, p. 7.
  14. 1 2 3 Armitage 1998, p. 277.
  15. ↑ Air Ministry - Pamphlet 152 - Twenty Five Years Of The RAF. London: Air Ministry. 1943. p. 6. OCLC   1043091902.
  16. ↑ Philpott 2006, p. 270.
  17. ↑ Sprigg, T Stanhope (1935). The Royal Air Force ; its organization, duties and prospects as a profession or a trade. Bath: Isaac Pitman & Sons. p. 3. OCLC   980692677.
  18. ↑ Dawson, Geoffrey, ed. (21 August 1936). "Expansion of the RAF". The Times. No. 47459. p. 10. ISSN   0140-0460.
  19. ↑ Wynn, Humphrey (September 1976). "The Royal Air Force: Its Origin and History, 1918-1970". Aerospace Historian. 23 (3). Air Force Historical Foundation: 162. ISSN   0001-9364.
  20. ↑ Dawson, Geoffrey, ed. (3 March 1939). "Air Estimates". The Times. No. 48244. p. 9. ISSN   0140-0460.
  21. ↑ Bowyer, Chaz (1984). Royal Air Force handbook, 1939-1945. London: I. Allan. p. 123. ISBN   0711013187.
  22. 1 2 Fowler et al. 1994, p. 100.
  23. ↑ Haley, William, ed. (26 April 1957). "R.A.F. To Be Cut 20,000 In Year". The Times. No. 53825. p. 6. ISSN   0140-0460.
  24. 1 2 Miller, T (January 1973). "Military Airfields and Rural Planning". Town Planning Review. 44 (1). Liverpool: University Press: 38. doi:10.3828/tpr.44.1.t302106j77w02883. ISSN   0041-0020. OCLC   664563272.
  25. ↑ Wynn, Humphrey (September 1976). "The Royal Air Force: Its Origin and History, 1918-1970". Aerospace Historian. 23 (3). Air Force Historical Foundation: 166. ISSN   0001-9364.
  26. 1 2 Stanhope, Henry (16 November 1979). "Forces' pay rises boost recruitment". The Times. No. 60476. p. 4. ISSN   0140-0460.
  27. ↑ Horseman, Martin, ed. (March 1982). "UK regular forces at five-year peak of personnel strength". Armed Forces. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 46. ISSN   0142-4696.
  28. ↑ Horseman, Martin, ed. (March 1983). "UK Services' personnel numbers decline". Armed Forces. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 89. ISSN   0142-4696.
  29. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (25 February 1994). "WRAF will fly into the past". The Times. No. 64888. p. 9. ISSN   0140-0460.
  30. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (3 March 1997). "The Facts". The Times. No. 65827. p. 6. ISSN   0140-0460.
  31. ↑ Evans, Michael (16 July 1998). "RAF seeks rising stars to join the ranks". The Times. No. 66255. p. 9. ISSN   0140-0460.
  32. ↑ Evans, Michael (10 December 2004). "Top brass among the first to go in £250m cull of RAF". The Times. No. 68255. p. 26. ISSN   0140-0460.
  33. 1 2 "Quarterly service personnel statistics 1 January 2021". GOV.UK. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  34. ↑ Harding, Megan. "UK defence personnel statistics" (PDF). researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk. p. 6. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  35. ↑ "Quarterly service personnel statistics 1 April 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 July 2022.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.