| Balloon Command | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 November 1938–February 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Vi Et Ictu (Latin: By Force and Impact). [1] |
| Engagements | World War II |
Balloon Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling all the United Kingdom-based barrage balloon units during the Second World War.
Prior to the establishment of Balloon Command, a balloon group was brought into being in 1937. This smaller formation was known as No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group and was commanded by Air Commodore John Hearson. [2] Balloon Command was formed on 1 November 1938 at RAF Stanmore Park in Middlesex. [3] It consisted of a headquarters and several groups. Balloon Command was disbanded on 5th February 1945. [3]
The following officers were in command: [3]
Before the second world war the command had one group - No. 30 (Balloon) Group at four stations:
Important: All Balloon Squadrons numbered 901 to 947 were formed within the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939, thereafter, the remainder numbered 948 to 999 were RAF Squadrons.
During World War II, the command had the following organization:
The command consisted of five groups [4] which were in turn subdivided into balloon centres (equivalent to wings of heavier-than-air aircraft). The organization was as follows:
The dates indicated give the periods for which each group existed as part of Balloon Command. No. 30 and 31 groups also existed in World War I as part of different formations.
The balloon centres in turn consisted of balloon squadrons which were numbered from 900 to 994.
Chessington is an area in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London, which was historically part of Surrey. At the 2011 census it had a population of 18,973. The Bonesgate Stream, a tributary of the Hogsmill River, runs through it. The popular theme park resort Chessington World of Adventures, which incorporates Chessington Zoo, is located in the south-west of the area.
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs, was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 181,000 at its peak strength in 1943, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.
No. 2 Group is a group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Command.
No. 3 Group RAF of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again between 1923 and 1926, then as part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and recently part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.
Royal Air Force Hornchurch, or more simply RAF Hornchurch, is a former Royal Air Force sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex, located to the southeast of Romford. The airfield was known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, when it occupied 90 acres (360,000 m2) of the farm of the same name. It was used for the protection of London, being 14 miles (22.5 km) east north-east of Charing Cross.
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of His Majesty's Reserve Air Forces. It provides a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service, and consists of paid volunteers who give up some of their weekends, evenings and holidays to train at one of a number of squadrons around the United Kingdom. Its current mission is to provide trained personnel in support of the regular RAF.
No. 504 Squadron was one of the Special Reserve Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force, and today is a reserve force of the RAF Regiment. It was integrated into the AAF proper in 1936. Based at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, 504 Squadron used a variety of light bombers before being re-tasked to fighters with the Hawker Hurricane in 1939. It subsequently became a Fighter Squadron. Currently No. 504 Squadron no longer has a flying role, but as part of No 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing of the RAF A4 Force.
Royal Air Force Filton or more simply RAF Filton is a former Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Air Force (RAF) station located 5 miles (8 km) north of the city centre of Bristol, England.
Royal Air Force Stanmore Park or more simply RAF Stanmore Park is a former Royal Air Force station in Stanmore, Middlesex.
Flying Training Command was an organization of the Royal Air Force; it controlled flight training units. The command's headquarters were at RAF Shinfield Park, Reading in Berkshire.
Cardington Airfield, previously RAF Cardington, is a former Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, with a long and varied history, particularly in relation to airships and balloons. The station was formerly part of the civil parish of Eastcotts, before it was abolished on 1st April 2019.
602 Squadron is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Originally formed in 1925 as a light bomber squadron, its role changed in 1938 to army co-operation and in 1939 to that of a fighter squadron.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis Joseph Fogarty, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War and also in the post-war years. During the First World War he served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. He was transferred to the RAF on its creation in 1918 and remained in the service during the inter-war years.
Air Vice-Marshal William Charles Coleman Gell, was an officer of the British Army and then of the Royal Air Force. He served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Balloon Command from 1944 to 1945.
RAF Home Command was the Royal Air Force command that was responsible for the maintenance and training of reserve organisations from formation on 1 February 1939 as RAF Reserve Command with interruptions until it ceased to exist on 1 April 1959.
The Battle of Britain Bunker is an underground operations room at RAF Uxbridge, formerly used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during the Second World War. Fighter aircraft operations were controlled from there throughout the War but most notably during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day. Today it is run by Hillingdon Council as a heritage attraction with attached museum. The museum was opened in 1985, with an above ground visitor centre opened in March 2018.
Group Captain Leslie Bonnet was an RAF officer, short-story writer and duck-breeder, creating the Welsh Harlequin Duck, the only true Welsh duck breed.
Royal Air Force Sutton on Hull or more simply RAF Sutton on Hull is a former Royal Air Force station situated in the suburb of Sutton-on-Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire that operated from 1938 to 1961. During the Second World War, its primary role was to operate as No. 17 Balloon Centre of 33 Group which was headquartered in Sheffield. The balloons deployed from here were used as part of the defensive tactics against Luftwaffe bombing raids on Hull, Hull Docks, Grimsby and the wider Humber area.
Royal Air Force Kidbrooke or more simply RAF Kidbrooke is a former Royal Air Force station, situated in Kidbrooke in south-east London, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The site was operational from 1917 to 1965 and was mainly used as a stores, maintenance and training facility.
At the end of the Cold War in 1989, the Royal Air Force (RAF) structure was as follows:
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