Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

RAF Commands formed between 1918 - 1919

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Training Division

Formed Aug 1917 by raising Training Brigade to Divisional status.  Disbanded and role taken over by Area Commands, 20 May 1918. 

General Officers Commanding: -

xx Aug 1917:            Brig-Gen J M Salmond

xx Aug 1917:            ?

xx Nov 1917:           Maj-Gen C A H Longcroft

 1 Apr 1918:            Brig-Gen E R Ludlow-Hewitt

HQ: - Covent Garden Hotel, London WC2

Formed 1 Apr 1918. Renamed South-Eastern Area, 8 May 1918

General Officers Commanding: -

1 Apr 1918             Maj-Gen F C Heath-Caldwell

HQ: - Chafyn Grove, Salisbury School. Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Formed 1 Apr 1918. Renamed South-Western Area, 8 May 1918

General Officers Commanding: -

1 Apr 1918         Maj-Gen M E F Kerr

HQ: - Birmingham.

Formed 29 Apr 1918. Renamed Midland Area, 8 May 1918

General Officers Commanding: -

29 Apr 1918         Maj-Gen J F A Higgins

HQ: - Racecourse Buildings, York.

Formed 1 Apr 1918. Renamed North-Eastern Area, 8 May 1918

General Officers Commanding: -

1 Apr 1918         Maj-Gen Hon Sir F Gordon

HQ: - Adelphi Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow.

Formed 1 Apr 1918. Renamed North-Western Area, 8 May 1918

General Officers Commanding: -

1 Apr 1918         Maj-Gen G C Cayley

Covent Garden Hotel, London WC2; 4 Thurloe Place, Kensington, London SW7 (from 14 Apr 1919); Hillingdon, House, Uxbridge (from 13 Sep 1919)

Formed 8 May 1918 by renaming No 1 Area. Renamed Southern Area, 20 Sep 1919.

General/Air Officers Commanding: -

8 May 1918     Maj-Gen F C Heath-Caldwell

1 Feb 1919      Maj-Gen - A/Cdre T I Webb-Bowen

19 Aug 1919    AVM Sir John Salmond

Chafyn Grove, Salisbury School. Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Formed 8 May 1918 by renaming No 2 Area. Reduced to No 7 Group, Southern Area, 20 Sep 1919

General/Air Officers Commanding: -

8 May 1918     Maj-Gen M E F Kerr

14 Oct 1918     Maj-Gen P W Game

1 Apr 1919?     Maj-Gen - A/Cdre C A H Longcroft

Birmingham; Somerset House, Clarondon Place, Leamington Spa (from 20 May 1918)

Formed 8 May 1918 by renaming No 3 Area. Absorbed into Northern Area, 18 Oct 1919

8 May 1918     Maj-Gen J F A Higgins

4 Jan 1919       Maj-Gen C L Lambe

xx Apr 1919     Brig-Gen B H H Cooke

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

.

It was formed on 8 May 1918 by renaming No 4 Area with its HQ at Racecourse Buildings, York. Controlling Nos 16-19 Groups, it was absorbed into North Western Area on 1 January 1919 with its HQ becoming a Branch HQ for North-Western Area.

8 May 1918     Maj-Gen The Hon Sir F Gordon

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

This was formed at the Adelphi Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow on 8 May 1918 by renaming No 5 Area to control Nos 20-23 Groups with No 25 Group forming on 12 August. On 1 January 1919 it absorbed North-Eastern Area, taking over Nos 16 and 18 Groups with its York HQ being retained as a Branch HQ.  The Glasgow HQ was closed on 23 May 1919 with York becoming the new HQ but at the same time it moved from the Racecourse to Acomb Hall, York.  The Command was renamed Northern Area on 12 Jun 1919.

8 May 1918     Maj-Gen G C Cayley

26 Apr 1919     Brig-Gen A V Vyvyan

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

This was formed on 20 September 1919 by renaming South Eastern Area and was absorbed into Inland Area on 1 April 1920.

Air Officers Commanding: -

19 Aug 1919     AVM Sir John Salmond

This was formed on 12 Jun 1919 by renaming North Western Area and was absorbed into Inland Area on 1 April 1920.

Air Officers Commanding: -

12 Jun 1919     A/Cdre A V Vyvyan

1 Sep 1919     Gp Capt H C T Dowding (Acting)

6 Oct 1919     AVM J F A Higgins

18 Marine Parade, Dover.  Advanced HQ - Spycker Camp (3 Jun 1918 - 4 Nov 1918)

Formed 1 Apr 1918 in VII Brigade from Dover-Dunkirk Group RNAS. Transferred to South-Eastern Area, 8 May 1918. (Operations) added 8 Aug 1918. Raised to Command status, 15 Aug 1918. Reduced to Group status in South-Eastern Area, 25 Feb 1919. Disbanded, 15 May 1919.

 General Officers Commanding: -

1 Apr 1918          Lt Col F C Halahan

xx May 1918         Brig-Gen C L Lambe

This was formed 12 Great Stuart Street, Princes Street, Edinburgh; North Queensferry on 27 Nov 1918 as (Operations) with Command status to control units operating with the Grand Fleet.  It was reduced to Group status and absorbed into Northern Area in June 1919 and its title was changed to (Fleet) in August.  On 15 September it was transferred to Coastal Area and disbanded on 31 March 1922.

27 Nov 1918          Brig-Gen J M Steel

16 Jul 1919             Gp Capt R H Clark-Hall

21 Oct 1921:           Gp Capt C S Burnett

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

4 Thurloe Place, Kensington, London SW7; 33-34 Tavistock Place, London WC1. (from 21 Jun 1920); Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire. (from 18 Jan 1931)

Formed 15 Sep 1919. Renamed Coastal Command, 1 May 1936

Air Officers Commanding: -

15 Sep 1919        A/Cdre A V Vyvyan

1 Sep 1924          AVM F R Scarlett

14 May 1928       AVM C L Lambe

1 Oct 1931          AVM R H Clark-Hall

18 Aug 1934        A/Cdre N J Gill (Temporary)

1 Oct 1934          AVM A M Longmore

RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire

It was formed on 1 November 1919 as RAF (Cadet) College, Cranwell to control all units based at Cranwell. Renamed RAF HQ Cranwell on 5 February 1920 and then Royal Air Force Cranwell, between July 1920-July 1921, it was reduced to Group status in Training Command on 9 Jul 1936.  The AOC was also Commandant, RAF (Cadet) College.

Air Officers Commanding: -

1 Nov 1919         A/Cdre C A H Longcroft

15 Aug 1923        A/Cdre A E Borton

1 Nov 1926         AVM F C Halahan

16 Dec 1929        AVM A M Longmore

30 Jan 1933         AVM W G S Mitchell

3 Dec 1934          AVM H M Cave-Browne-Cave

Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Command available in the Member Areas

This page was last updated on 17/03/25^©

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