Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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Department of the Chief of the Air Staff

[CAS | DCAS | VCAS | ACAS (General) | ACAS (Policy) | ACAS (Ops) | ACAS | ACAS (Intelligence) | ACAS (Training) | ACAS (OR) | ACAS (Signals)]

Details of the duties and responsibilities of the holders of these appointments and those of the subordinate Directorates, etc can be found in the Members' Area under 'AM Distribution of Duties'

Chief of the Air Staff
3 Jan 1918   Post established on Air Council
3 Jan 1918   Maj-Gen Sir Hugh Trenchard
13 Apr 1918   Maj-Gen Sir Frederick Sykes
22 Jan 1919   AM-MRAF Sir Hugh Trenchard
1 Jan 1930   ACM-MRAF Sir John Salmond
1 Apr 1933   ACM Sir Geoffrey Salmond
28 Apr 1933   MRAF Sir John Salmond (acting)
22 May 1933   ACM-MRAF Sir Edward Ellington
1 Sep 1937   ACM-MRAF Sir Cyril Newall
25 Oct 1940   ACM-MRAF Sir Charles Portal

1 Jan 1946  

MRAF Sir Arthur Tedder

 1 Jan 1950  

ACM Sir John Slessor

 1 Jan 1953  

ACM Sir William Dickson

 1 Jan 1956  

ACM Sir Dermot Boyle

 1 Jan 1960  

ACM Sir Thomas Pike

 1 Sep 1963  

ACM Sir Charles Elworthy

 1 Apr 1967  

ACM Sir John Grandy

 1 Apr 1971  

ACM Sir Denis Spotswood

 1 Apr 1974  

ACM Sir Andrew Humphrey

 7 Aug 1976   

ACM Sir Neil Cameron

10 Aug 1977   

ACM Sir Michael Beetham

15 Oct 1982  

ACM Sir Keith Williamson

15 Oct 1985    

ACM Sir David Craig

14 Nov 1988        

ACM Sir Peter Harding  

 6 Nov 1992       

ACM Sir Michael Graydon

10 Apr 1997

ACM Sir Richard Johns

21 Apr 2000  ACM Sir Peter Squire
 1 Aug 2003 ACM Sir Jock Stirrup
13 Apr 2006 ACM Sir Glenn Torpy
31 Jul 2009 ACM Sir Stephen Dalton
xx Jul 2013 ACM Sir Andrew Pulford
xx Jul 2016 ACM Sir Stephen Hillier
25 Jul 2019 ACM Sir Michael Wigston
 2 Jun 2023 ACM Sir Rich Knighton
29 Aug 2025 ACM Sir Harvey Smyth

CAS controlled the following Directorates -

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Director of Operations and Intelligence)

DCAS controlled the following Directorates -

*These began being shown separately from April 1938

Vice Chief of the Air Staff:

22 Apr 1940   Post established on Air Council
22 Apr 1940   AM Sir Richard Peirse
4 Oct 1940 - 1942   ACM Sir Wilfred Freeman

21 Mar 1943  

AM Sir Douglas Evill

xx xxx 1946  

AM Sir William Dickson

xx xxx 1947  

AM Sir James Robb

 1 Nov 1948  

AM Sir Arthur Sanders

 1 Mar 1950  

ACM The Hon Sir Ralph Cochrane

 1 Mar 1952  

AM Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman

 1 Nov 1952  

AM Sir John  Baker

16 Sep 1957  

AM Sir Edmund Hudleston

xx xxx 1959   Post abolished
 1 Mar 1961   Post re-established

 2 Mar 1962  

AM Sir Wallace Kyle

 9 Nov 1964  

AM Sir Brian Burnett

 6 Nov 1967  

AM Sir Peter Fletcher

 1 Aug 1970  

AM Sir Denis Smallwood

 1 Nov 1973  

AM Sir Ruthven Wade

14 Feb 1976  

AM Sir David Evans

25 Mar 1977  

AM Sir Peter Terry

30 Jan 1979  

AM Sir John Nicholls

 3 May 1980  

AM Sir David Craig

28 Aug 1982  

AM Sir Peter Harding

xx xxx 1984/85  Post abolished

VCAS was not directly responsible for the control of any Directorates

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff

17 Feb 1938 Post established as ACAS
17 Feb 1938 AVM W S Douglas
 1 Mar 1939 AVM R H Peck
xx Jan 1940 Post split into ACAS (OR & T) & ACAS (Ops and Int)

ACAS (General) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Planning)

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy)

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy & Planning)

 6 Apr 1942 Established as ACAS (Planning)
 5 May 1942 AVM J C Slessor
 5 May 1942 Renamed ACAS (Policy)
 5 May 1942 AVM J C Slessor
xx Feb 1943 AVM C E H Medhurst
xx Aug 1943 AVM Douglas Colyer
21 Dec 1944 AVM Sir William Dickson
xx Jun 1946 AVM Sir William Elliott
24 Feb 1947 AVM R M Foster
 1 Aug 1949 AVM Douglas Macfadyen
 9 Jan 1952 AVM W L Dawson
12 June 1953 AVM Thomas G. Pike
22 Sep 1953 AVM C E Chilton
 1 Mar 1955 AVM A Earle
 1 May 1957 AVM J N T Stephenson
xx xxx 1959 Directorates transferred to ACAS (Operations)
 4 Feb 1963 Post re-established as ACAS (Policy and Planning)
 4 Feb 1963 AVM T O Prickett
 1 Apr 1964 Post reverted ACAS (Policy)
 1 Apr 1964 AVM P C Fletcher
11 Oct 1965 AVM F D S Scott-Malden
 1 Mar 1966 AVM L D Mavor
15 Feb 1969 AVM A McK S Steedman
 1 May 1971 AVM P de L Le Cheminant
14 Sep 1972 AVM A C Davies
27 Jul 1974 AVM W J Stacey
 8 Nov 1975 AVM J A Gilbert
13 Aug 1977 AVM J M D Sutton
15 Dec 1979 AVM P B Hine
15 Mar 1983 AVM F G D Clark
17 Aug 1984 AVM A G Skingsley
 2 Jan 1985 Duties assumed by ACAS

ACAS (Policy) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations and Intelligence)

xx Jan 1940 Post established as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff  (Operations and Intelligence)
xx Jan 1940 AVM R H Peck
xx May 1940 Post renamed ACAS  (General)

ACAS (Operations and Intelligence) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (General)

xx May 1940 AVM-AM R H Peck
xx Jul 1940 Subordinate Directorate transferred to ACAS (Radio)
xx Sep 1940 Resumed control of a Subordinate Directorate

ACAS (General) was not directly responsible for the control of any Directorates
xx Feb 1942 Subordinate Directorate transferred to DCAS

ACAS (General) was not directly responsible for the control of any Directorates
xx May 1942 Resumed control of a Subordinate Directorate
xx xxx 1946 Post abolished

ACAS (General) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations)

 3 May 1942 Post established by renaming DCAS
 3 May 1942 AVM N H Bottomley
xx Aug 1943 AVM W A Coryton
 1 Aug 1944 AVM T M Williams
xx xxx 1947 AVM J D I Hardman
 6 Dec 1948 AVM C E N Guest
19 Apr 1952 AVM Sir Harry Broadhurst
 4 Nov 1953 AVM L F Sinclair
24 Aug 1955 AVM R B Lees
17 Oct 1958 AVM John Grandy
 7 Dec 1960 AVM T O Prickett
 4 Feb 1963 AVM D G Smallwood
22 Nov 1965 AVM L M Hodges
 1 May 1968 AVM B P T Horsley
 2 Dec 1970 AVM D G Evans
13 Jan 1973 AVM R L Wade
 1 Nov 1973 AVM W E Colahan
22 Mar 1975 AVM D B Craig
 6 May 1978 AVM D C A Lloyd
20 Dec 1980 AVM K W Hayr
10 Jul 1982 AVM J W Price
 1 Jun 1984 AVM L A Jones
 2 Jan 1985 Duties assumed by ACAS

ACAS (Operations) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements & Tactics)

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Technical)

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Technical Requirements)

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements)

17 Feb 1938 Post established as ACAS (Operational Requirements and Tactics)
17 Feb 1938 AVM W S Douglas
22 Apr 1940 AVM R H M S Saundby
18 Nov 1940 AVM J O Andrews
 4 Feb 1941 AVM F J Linnell
 5 Jun 1941 AVM R S Sorley
xx Sep 1942 Renamed ACAS (Technical Requirements)
xx Jun 1942 Post retitled ACAS (Technical)
xx Apr 1943 AVM J D Breakey
 2 Jul 1945 AVM J N Boothman
17 Aug 1948 AVM C B R Pelly
17 Sep 1951 Post retitled from ACAS (Technical Requirements)
17 Sep 1951 AVM G W Tuttle
 6 Aug 1954 AVM H V Satterly
 1 Feb 1957 AVM H J Kirkpatrick
24 Jul 1957 Vacant
 1 Sept 1957 AVM W H Kyle
21 Sept 1959 AVM R N Bateson
 1 Jan 1961 AVM C H Hartley
xx Apr 1963 AVM R H E Emson
 1 Apr 1966 AVM W D Hodgkinson
29 Jul 1968 AVM K C M Giddings
15 May 1971 AVM D C Lowe
23 Jan 1973 AVM D Bower
 7 Dec 1974 AVM G C Cairns
20 Mar 1976 AVM J M Nicholls
17 Sep 1977 AVM D P Hall
26 Jan 1980 AVM D Harcourt-Smith
21 Jan 1984 AVM M K Adams
 2 Jan 1985 Duties transferred to ACDS (Air Systems)

This post under its various titles controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Radio)

xx Jul 1940 Established from Director-General of Signals
xx Jul 1940 AM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferte
xx Jun 1941 Post renamed Director-General of Signals

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Signals)

 
30 May 1950 Established from Director-General of Signals
30 May 1950 AVM E B Addison
 1 Mar 1952 AVM L Dalton-Morris
xx xxx 1956 AVM J G W Weston
 1 Feb 1959 AVM G C Eveleigh
xx xxx 1961 Reverted to Director-General of Signals

ACAS (Policy) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Training)

  1 Jan 1947 Post established
  1 Jan 1947 AVM B E Embry
19 Oct 1948 AVM S D Macdonald
 7 Nov 1950 AVM T N McEvoy
 1 Oct 1953 AVM the Earl of Bandon
 4 Jan 1956 AVM Sir George Harvey
 1 Oct 1958 AVM John Worrall
13 Jul 1960 AVM P D Holder

ACAS (Training) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence)
 

 1 Mar 1941 Post established from Directorate of Intelligence
 1 Mar 1941 AVM C E H Medhurst
19 Oct 1942 AVM F F Inglis
xx Aug 1945 AVM Sir Thomas Elmhirst
 6 Jan 1947 AVM L F Pendred
18 Jan 1950 AVM N C Ogilvie-Forbes
10 May 1952 AVM F J Fressages
 8 Sep 1954 AVM W M L MacDonald
 1 Aug 1958 AVM S O Bufton
14 Sep 1961 AVM A Foord-Kelcey
 7 Dec 1964 AVM H J Maguire
xx xxx 1965 Post abolished

ACAS (Intelligence) controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff

17 Feb 1938 Post established
17 Feb 1938 AVM R P Willock
 1 Mar 1939 AVM R H Peck
 xx Jan 1940 Post replaced by ACAS (Ops  & Int) and ACAS (OR & Tactics)
 2 Jan 1985 Post re-established
 2 Jan 1985 AVM A G Skingsley
13 Feb 1986 AVM L A Jones
 2 Mar 1987 AVM M G Simmons
xx Mar 1989 AVM C J Thomson
15 Mar 1991 AVM T Garden
14 Aug 1992 AVM A J C Bagnall
 1 Sep 1994 AVM P T Squire
30 Sep 1996 AVM T I Jenner
 3 Aug 1998 AVM G E Stirrup
 1 Sep 2000 AVM P O Sturley
 6 Oct 2003 AVM D Walker
22 Apr 2005 AVM C H Moran
15 Mar 2007 AVM T M Anderson
 1 Mar 2010 AVM B M North
 5 Apr 2013 AVM E J Stringer
23 Jan 2015 AVM R J Knighton
13 Mar 2017 AVM M Wigston
xx Aug 2018 AVM G M D Mayhew
17 Apr 2019 AVM I D Gale
17 May 2021 AVM S S Edwards
17 May 2021 AVM S S Edwards
xx Jun 2024 AVM S A Marshall
xx Nov 2025 AVM I J Townsend

ACAS controlled the following Directorates -

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Air Defence)

 2 Jan 1956

 Post established

 2 Sep 1957

 AVM D G Morris CB, CBE, DSO, DFC
xx xxx 1960 Post abolished

ACAS controlled the following Directorates -

Commandant General of the RAF Regiment and Inspector of Ground Combat Training

Director-General of Security (RAF) and Commandant General of the RAF Regiment

Director-General of Regiment and Security (RAF)

Commandant General of the RAF Regiment and Director-General of Regiment and Security (RAF)

xx Jan 1942

 Post established

xx Jan 1942

 Maj-Gen Sir Claude Liardet

xx xxx 1945

 Maj-Gen A E Robinson

30 Jun 1948

Commandant-General also became Inspector of Ground Combat Training

30 Jun 1948

AVM H T Lydford

26 Oct 1950

AVM S C Strafford

 1 Oct 1952

AVM Sir Francis Mellersh

23 Sep 1954

AVM B C Yarde

12 Feb 1957

AVM J L F Fuller-Good

 1 Mar 1959

 AVM J H Harris
5 Aug 1961 AVM E M F Grundy
xx Jun 1962 AVM K W Godfrey
 7 Jan 1963 AVM Sir Bernard Chacksfield

xx xxx 1964

Inspector of Ground Combat Training Defence renamed Inspector of Ground Defence (RAF)

 3 May 1968

AVM B P Young

 6 Jan 1973

AVM D A Pocock

 3 May 1975

AVM A Griffiths

xx xxx 1976

Inspector of Ground Defence renamed Director-General of Security (RAF)

28 May 1977

AVM B G Lock

28 Apr 1979

AVM H Reed-Purvis

 4 Aug 1983

AVM J F G Howe

 2 Jan 1985

Transferred to AMSO

ACAS controlled the following Directorates -

[CAS | DCAS | ACAS (General) | ACAS (Policy) | ACAS (Ops) | ACAS | ACAS (Intelligence) | ACAS (Training) | ACAS (OR) | ACAS (Signals)]

This entry was last updated on 20/08/26

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