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.

Commands

Command Formation Disbandment Controlled Became
Air CommandApril 2007presentn/a[2]
Air Support CommandAugust 1967September 1972No. 46 Group[3]
Army Cooperation CommandDecember 1940May 1943No. 70 & 71 Groups[4]
Balloon CommandNovember 1938June 1945Balloon Wing[5]
Bomber CommandJuly 1936April 1968All UK based Bomber groupsNo. 1 (Bomber) Group[6]
Coastal CommandMay 1936November 1969All UK based Coastal groupsNo. 18 (Maritime) Group[7]
Ferry CommandJuly 1941March 1943No. 45 Group[8]
Fighter CommandJuly 1936
October 1944		November 1943
April 1968		All UK based Fighter groupsAir Defence of Great Britain
No. 11 Group[9]
Flying Training CommandMay 1940June 1968All UK based training groups
No. 21, 23, 25, 50, 51, 54 Groups RAF		[10]
Home CommandAugust 1950March 1959[11]
Joint Helicopter CommandOctober 1999presentn/a[12]
Logistics CommandApril 1994April 2000All Maintenance units[13]
Maintenance CommandApril 1938August 1973All UK based Maintenance groups[14]
RAF Northern IrelandAugust 1940March 1950All RAF units in Northern Ireland
No. 15 & 82 Groups RAF		[15]
Personnel and Training CommandApril 1994April 2007[16]
Reserve CommandFebruary 1939
January 1946		May 1940
August 1950		No. 50, 51 & 54 Groups
Unknown		Disbanded
Home Command[17]
Signals CommandNovember 1958January 1969RAF Tangmere & RAF WattonNo. 90 (Signals) Group[18]
Strike CommandApril 1968April 2007No. 1, 2, 11, 18, 11/18 & 38 GroupsAir Command[19]
Support CommandSeptember 1973April 1994Personnel & Training Command
Logistics Command[20]
Technical Training CommandMay 1940June 1968No. 20, 22, 24, 26 & 72 Groups[21]
Training CommandMay 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 CommandMarch 1943August 1967No. 44, 45 & 216 GroupsAir Support Command[23]
Air Defence of Great BritainJanuary 1925
November 1943		July 1936
October 1944		Wessex Bombing Area & Fighting Area
Unknown		Disbanded
Fighter Command[24]
No. 1 AreaApril 1918May 1918No.1 - 5 Groups, No. 6 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 27, 49 and 50 WingsSouth-Eastern Area[25]
No. 2 AreaApril 1918May 1918No. 7 - 10 Groups, No. 11 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units at GosportSouth-Western Area[25]
No. 3 AreaApril 1918May 1918No. 12 - 14 Groups, No. 15 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 48 WingMidland Area[25]
No. 4 AreaApril 1918May 1918No. 16 - 18 Groups, No. 19 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 46 WingNorth-Eastern Area[25]
No. 5 AreaApril 1918May 1918No. 20 - 22 Groups, No. 23 (Equipment) Group and units in IrelandNorth-Western Area[25]
Training Division RFC19171918Northern, Southern and Eastern Training Brigades
Coastal Area19191936No. 10, 29 Groups and RAF FelixstoweCoastal Command
Central Area19331936Bomber stations in Central England
Inland Area19201936No. 1, 3, 7, 21, 22 & 23 Groups and No. 7 & 8 WingsTraining Command
North Eastern Area19181919No. 16 - 19 GroupsNorth-Western Area
North Western Area19181919No. 20 - 23 GroupsNorthern Area
Northern Area1919
1919		1919
1920		No. 16, 17, 18 & 20 Groups
No. 3, 12 & 16 Groups		Disbanded
Inland Area
South Eastern Area19181919No. 1, 2, 4 & 10 GroupsSouthern Area
South Western Area19181919No. 7, 8, 9 & 10 GroupsNo. 7 Group
Southern Area19191920No. 1, 2 & 7 GroupsInland Area
Western Area19331936No. 3 (Bomber) Group
Allied Expeditionary Air Force194319442nd TAF, ADGB, No. 38 & 82 Groups & USAAF 9th Air ForceRAF Element, Forward Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Air Forces

Overseas Commands

Command Formation Disbandment Controlled Became
British Forces AdenApril 1942October 1959British Forces Arabian Peninsula[26]
British Forces Arabian PeninsulaOctober 1959March 1961Middle East Command[26]
Air Command Far EastNovember 1946June 1949Far East Air Force[2]
Air Command South East AsiaJanuary 1944November 1946Air Command Far East[2]
Advanced Air Striking ForceAugust 1939June 1940Disbanded[27]
British Air Forces in FranceJanuary 1940August 1940All RAF units in FranceDisbanded[28]
Eastern Air CommandSeptember 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 ForceJune 1949November 1971AHQ Hong Kong & No. 224 Group RAFDisbanded[8]
Iraq CommandOctober 19221938All RAF units in IraqDisbanded[12]
Mediterranean Air CommandFebruary 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[30]
Middle East CommandDecember 1941August 1945No. 201 and 205 Groups RAFRAF Mediterranean and Middle East[31]
RAF Bengal and BurmaDecember 1944February 1945AHQ Bengal, No. 221 and No. 224 Groups RAFDisbanded[32]
RAF BurmaFebruary 1945September 1945No. 221, 222, 229, 231 and 232 Groups RAFAHQ Burma[26]
RAF GermanyJanuary 1959April 1993All RAF units in GermanyNo. 2 Group RAF[33]
RAF Hong KongSeptember 1945May 1946AHQ Hong Kong[11]
RAF IcelandJuly 1941July 1945All RAF units in IcelandDisbanded[11]
RAF IndiaMay 1919
April 1922
November 1922		January 1921
August 1922
December 1938		All RAF units in India[34]Indian Group
Disbanded
HQ Air Forces in India
RAF IraqApril 1922October 1922All RAF units in IraqIraq Command[12]
RAF IrelandFebruary 1922February 1923All RAF units In IrelandDisbanded[12]
RAF MediterraneanApril 1922December 1941All RAF units in the Mediterranean areaDisbanded into AHQ Malta[30]
RAF Mediterranean and Middle EastFebruary 1944
July 1945		March 1944
June 1949		All RAF units in the Mediterranean area[30]
Middle East Air ForceJune 1949March 1961All RAF units in the Middle EastNear East Air Force[35]
RAF RhineOctober 1919June 1920No. 12 Squadron RAF & 'Q' Unit RAFDisbanded[36]
Balkan Air ForceJune 1944July 1945All RAF units in the BalkansDisbanded[37]
Mediterranean Allied Air ForcesDecember 1943February 1944All RAF units in the MediterraneanDisbanded[30]
Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air ForceJanuary 1944August 1945All RAF Coastal units in the Mediterranean[30]
Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air ForceJanuary 1944August 1945All RAF Strategic units in the Mediterranean[30]
Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air ForceJanuary 1944July 1945All RAF Tactical units in the Mediterranean[30]
Mediterranean Coastal Air ForceJanuary 1944
August 1945		February 1944
October 1945		All RAF Coastal units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force
AHQ RAF Italy[30]
Near East Air ForceMarch 1961March 1976All RAF units in the Eastern MediterraneanDisbanded[38]
Northwest African Coastal Air ForceFebruary 1943January 1944All RAF Coastal units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Coastal Air Force[15]
Northwest African Tactical Air ForceFebruary 1943January 1944All RAF Tactical units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force
Northwest African Strategic Air ForceFebruary 1943January 1944All RAF Strategic units in the MediterraneanMediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force
First Tactical Air ForceJuly 1943June 1946(Desert Air Force)Advanced AHQ Italy[39]
Second Tactical Air ForceNovember 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 ForceDecember 1943December 1944No. 221 & 224 Groups RAF & Troop Carrier CommandDisbanded[40]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation
  2. 1 2 3 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 39.
  3. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 59.
  4. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 67.
  5. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 71.
  6. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 79.
  7. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 92.
  8. 1 2 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 109.
  9. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 112.
  10. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 134.
  11. 1 2 3 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 165.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 169.
  13. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 173.
  14. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 175.
  15. 1 2 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 194.
  16. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 210.
  17. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 233.
  18. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 253.
  19. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 267.
  20. 1 2 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 268.
  21. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 270.
  22. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 274.
  23. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 281.
  24. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 44.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 64.
  26. 1 2 3 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 82.
  27. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 32.
  28. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 81.
  29. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 101.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 188.
  31. ↑ "Commands - Med/Mid East_P". www.rafweb.org. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  32. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 78.
  33. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 142.
  34. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 167.
  35. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 190.
  36. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 224.
  37. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 70.
  38. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 193.
  39. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 100.
  40. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007, p. 269.

Bibliography

  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain Historians. ISBN 9780851303659.
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