Western Area

It was formed on 1 October 1933 by splitting Wessex Bombing Area in two and assumed control of the following units: -

Location	Command
RAF Andover	Air Defence of Great Britain	No 502 (Ulster) (Bomber) Squadron - Aldergrove SHQ Andover No 12 (Bomber) Squadron No 101 (Bomber) Squadron Station Flight Air Pilotage School Staff College - Andover SHQ Boscombe Down No 9 (Bomber) Squadron No 10 (Bomber) Squadron No 500 (County of Kent) (Bomber) Squadron - Manston No 503 (County of Lincoln) (Bomber) Squadron - Waddington SHQ Worthy Down No 7 (Bomber) Squadron No 58 (Bomber) Squadron

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
AVM	Patrick H L Playfair	18 Sep 1933	Air Officer Commanding, CB, MC; later AM
Air Staff
Gp Capt	John C Quinnell	1 Nov 1933	Senior Air Staff Officer, DFC; later A/Cdre
Gp Capt	John S T Bradley	8 Nov 1931	OBE; later AM
Wg Cdr	John J Breen	2 Jan 1932	later AM
Sqn Ldr	Edward A Beaulah	23 Apr 1931
Sqn Ldr	Eric B C Betts	8 Aug 1932	DSC, DFC; later AVM
Personnel Staff
Sqn Ldr	Alban S Ellerton	5 Aug 1930	Senior Personnel Staff Officer, OBE; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	John A Gray	17 Dec 1932	DFC; later AVM
Equipment Staff
Wg Cdr	Frederick W Stent	1 Nov 1932	Senior Equipment Staff Officer, MC
Engineer Section
Flt Lt	William G Campbell	12 Mar 1933
Stores Section
Sqn Ldr	Walter Thorne	25 May 1927	later AVM
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Wg Cdr	Patrick Huskinson	1 Apr 1933	MC; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	John L Wingate	9 Jan 1933	later A/Cdre
Navigation
Flt Lt	Cecil B Riddle	16 Dec 1932
Services
Signals
Flt Lt	Harold F G Southey	7 Aug 1933	later A/Cdre
Accountant
Sqn Ldr	Warneford G W Prall	2 Nov 1933	later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr	Arthur S Glynn	13 Jan 1933	Principal Medical Officer, MB, ChB
Educational
Major	Benson Steel	1 Sep 1932	Grade II, MC, BA
Works
Mr	J W Binge		Principal Works and Buildings Officer, MC, ARIBA
Warrant Officer
WO	Richard K Nicholas	24 Oct 1933
WO II	Alexander Callander	30 May 1932

Location	Command
RAF Andover	Air Defence of Great Britain	No 502 (Ulster) (Bomber) Squadron - Aldergrove SHQ Andover No 12 (Bomber) Squadron No 101 (Bomber) Squadron Station Flight Air Pilotage School Staff College - Andover SHQ Boscombe Down No 9 (Bomber) Squadron No 10 (Bomber) Squadron No 500 (County of Kent) (Bomber) Squadron - Manston No 503 (County of Lincoln) (Bomber) Squadron - Waddington SHQ Worthy Down No 7 (Bomber) Squadron No 58 (Bomber) Squadron

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
AVM	Patrick H L Playfair	18 Sep 1933	Air Officer Commanding, CB, MC; later AM
Personal Appointment
Fg Off	Donald McD Fenton	1 Dec 1933
Air Staff
Gp Capt	John C Quinnell	1 Nov 1933	Senior Air Staff Officer, DFC; later A/Cdre
Wg Cdr	John J Breen	2 Jan 1932	later AM
Sqn Ldr	Edward A Beaulah	23 Apr 1931
Capt	William Porter	23 Apr 1934	Royal Engineers
Personnel Staff
Sqn Ldr	George B Dacre	18 Dec 1933	Senior Personnel Staff Officer, DSO; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	John A Gray	17 Dec 1932	DFC; later AVM
Equipment Staff
Wg Cdr	Frederick W Stent	1 Nov 1932	Senior Equipment Staff Officer, MC
Engineer Section
Flt Lt	William G Campbell	12 Mar 1933
Stores Section
Wg Cdr	Henry L Crichton	14 Feb 1934	MBE; later A/Cdre
Sqn Ldr	Wilfred A Glasper	19 Dec 1933
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Wg Cdr	Patrick Huskinson	1 Apr 1933	MC; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	John L Wingate	9 Jan 1933	later A/Cdre
Navigation
Flt Lt	Cecil B Riddle	16 Dec 1932
Photography
Flt Lt	Stanley J Smetham	11 Jan 1934
Services
Signals
Flt Lt	Harold F G Southey	7 Aug 1933	later A/Cdre
Accountant
Sqn Ldr	Warneford G W Prall	2 Nov 1933	later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr	Arthur J Brown	23 Dec 1933	Principal Medical Officer, DSO, MRCS, LRCP
Educational
Major	Benson Steel	1 Sep 1932	Grade II, MC, BA
Works
Mr	E Wakford		Principal Works and Buildings Officer
Warrant Officer
WO	Richard K Nicholas	24 Oct 1933	Signals

Unit	Date	Notes
RAF Mildenhall	16 Oct 1934	Opened under the command of Wg Cdr F J Linnell
No 99 Sqn	14 Nov 1934	Began moving from RAF Upper Heyford to RAF Mildenhall
No 99 Sqn	27 Nov 1934	Completed the move from RAF Upper Heyford to RAF Mildenhall
No 101 Sqn	1 Dec 1934	Moved from RAF Andover to RAF Bicester
No 142 Sqn	17 Jan 1935	Moved from RAF Netheravon to RAF Andover
Air Pilotage School	24 Jan 1935	Renamed Air Navigation School
No 7 Sqn	29 Apr 1935	Began re-equipment with Handley Page Heyfords
No 7 Sqn	14 Jun 1935	Completed re-equipment with Handley Page Heyfords
Air Navigation School	2 Jul 1935	Began re-equipment with Avro Prefects

Location	Command
RAF Andover	Air Defence of Great Britain	No 502 (Ulster) (Bomber) Squadron - Aldergrove SHQ Andover No 12 (Bomber) Squadron No 142 (Bomber) Squadron Station Flight Air Navigation School Staff College - Andover SHQ Boscombe Down No 9 (Bomber) Squadron No 10 (Bomber) Squadron No 500 (County of Kent) (Bomber) Squadron - Manston No 99 (Bomber) Squadron - Mildenhall No 503 (County of Lincoln) (Bomber) Squadron - Waddington SHQ Worthy Down No 7 (Bomber) Squadron No 58 (Bomber) Squadron

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
AVM	Patrick H L Playfair	18 Sep 1933	Air Officer Commanding, CB, MC; later AM
Personal Appointment
Fg Off	Donald McD Fenton	1 Dec 1933
Air Staff
Gp Capt	John C Quinnell	1 Nov 1933	Senior Air Staff Officer, DFC; later A/Cdre
Sqn Ldr	Robert V Goddard	1 Jan 1935	later AVM
Sqn Ldr	Cecil A Stevens	21 Dec 1934	MC; later AVM
Flt Lt	Edward F Haylock	15 Apr 1935
Personnel Staff
Sqn Ldr	George B Dacre	18 Dec 1933	Senior Personnel Staff Officer, DSO; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	John A Gray	17 Dec 1932	DFC; later AVM
Equipment Staff
Wg Cdr	Henry L Crichton	14 Feb 1934	Senior Equipment Staff Officer, MBE; later A/Cdre
Engineer Section
Sqn Ldr	Ernest J D Townesend	27 Apr 1935	later A/Cdre
Flt Lt	William G H Ewing		later A/Cdre
Stores Section
Sqn Ldr	Wilfred A Glasper	19 Dec 1933
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Wg Cdr	Robert L Stevenson	1 May 1935	MBE
Flt Lt	John L Wingate	9 Jan 1933	later A/Cdre
Navigation
Flt Lt	Cecil B Riddle	16 Dec 1932
Photography
Flt Lt	Stanley J Smetham	11 Jan 1934
Services
Signals
Flt Lt	Harold F G Southey	7 Aug 1933	later A/Cdre
Accountant
Sqn Ldr	Warneford G W Prall	2 Nov 1933	later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr	Thomas Montgomery	13 May 1935	Principal Medical Officer, MD, BCh, DPH
Educational
Capt	Fritz L D Davies	3 Sep 1934	Grade II, BA, BSc
Works
Mr	J R Harland		Principal Works and Buildings Officer
Supernumerary
Wg Cdr	Percy E Maitland	17 Mar 1935	For Special Duty, AFC; later AVM
Flt Lt	Ord D Allerton	5 Mar 1935	later A/Cdre

Unit	Date	Notes
Air Navigation School	25 Sep 1935	Completed re-equipment with Avro Prefects
No 12 Sqn	3 Oct 1935	Struck of strength of Western Area on moving to Middle East
No 142 Sqn	3 Oct 1935	Struck of strength of Western Area on moving to Middle East
No 214 Sqn	16 Sep 1935	Formed at RAF Boscombe Down with Vickers Virginias from 'B' Flt, No 9 Sqn
No 97 Sqn	16 Sep 1935	Formed at RAF Boscombe Down with Handley Page Heyfords from 'B' Flt, No 10 Sqn
No 38 Sqn	16 Sep 1935	Formed at RAF Mildenhall with Handley Page Heyfords from 'B' Flt, No 99 Sqn
No 102 Sqn	1 Oct 1935	Formed at RAF Worthy Down with Handley Page Heyfords from 'B' Flt, No 7 Sqn
No 215 Sqn	7 Oct 1935	Formed at RAF Worthy Down with Vickers Virginias from 'B' Flt, No 58 Sqn
SHQ RAF Mildenhall	31 Dec 1935	Formed
No 58 Sqn	13 Jan 1936	Moved from RAF Worthy Down to RAF Upper Heyford ('Lodger unit' on Central Area station)
No 215 Sqn	13 Jan 1936	Moved from RAF Worthy Down to RAF Upper Heyford ('Lodger unit' on Central Area station)
SHQ RAF Aldergrove	15 Jan 1935	Formed
No 9 Sqn	20 Jan 1936	Move from RAF Andover to RAF Aldergrove completed
No 500 (County of Kent) Sqn	16 Mar 1936	Became an Auxiliary Air Force squadron and transferred to No 1 Air Defence Group
No 503 (County of Lincoln) Sqn	16 Mar 1936	Became an Auxiliary Air Force squadron and transferred to No 1 Air Defence Group
RAF Bicester	1 Apr 1936	Transferred from Central Area to Western Area control
No 101 Sqn	1 Apr 1936	Transferred from Central Area to Western Area control

Western Area
Station	Unit
RAF Abingdon	No 40 Sqn Station Flt
RAF Bicester	No 33 Sqn
RAF Bircham Newton	No 35 Sqn No 207 Sqn
RAF Upper Heyford	No 18 Sqn No 57 Sqn No 99 Sqn

Unit	Date	Notes
No 500 (County of Kent) Sqn	23 Jan 1934	Control taken over from No 1 Air Defence Group at RAF Manston
RAF Aldergrove: - No 502 (Ulster) Sqn	23 Jan 1934	Control taken over from No 1 Air Defence Group
RAF Waddington: - No 503 (County of Lincoln) Sqn	23 Jan 1934	Control taken over from No 1 Air Defence Group
No 10 Sqn	xx Jul 1934	Began re-equipment with Handley Page Heyfords