Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

RAF Commands formed between 1920 - 1935

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RAF Halton

Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire; Halton Camp, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire

Formed 1 Jan 1920 to control all units based at Halton. Reduced to Group status in Training Command, 1 Jul 1936. AOC was also Commandant, No 1 School of Technical Training (Apprentices).

Air Officers Commanding: -

8 Dec 1919         A/Cdre-AVM F R Scarlett

28 Feb 1924       A/Cdre-AVM C L Lambe

1 Apr 1928         A/Cdre I M Bonham-Carter

1 Oct 1931         A/Cdre-AVM N D K MacEwen

27 Dec 1934       A/Cdre J T Babington

Hillingdon House, Uxbridge, Middlesex; Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex (from 1 Jun 1926)

Formed 1 Apr 1920 by amalgamating Southern and Northern Areas. Renamed Training Command, 1 May 1936

Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief: -

1 Apr 1920         AVM J M Salmond

26 Apr 1922       AVM J F A Higgins

13 Mar 1924      A/Cdre-AVM Sir Tom Webb-Bowen

1 Nov 1926        AVM C A H Longcroft

1 Nov 1929        AVM A E Borton

1 Feb 1933         AVM A M Longmore

 1 Oct 1934        A/Cdre H le M Brock (Temporary)

8 Jan 1935          AVM C S Burnett

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

Baldonnell, Clondalkin, County Dublin; Island Bridge Barracks, Dublin. (from May 1922); Templepatrick, County Antrim. (from Sep 1922); Aldergrove. (from Oct 1922)

Formed by raising No 11 (Irish) Wing to Command status 17 Feb 1922. Disbanded, Feb 1923

Officers Commanding: -

17 Feb 1922         Gp Capt I M Bonham Carter

 1 Jun 1922           Wg Cdr A V Bettington

11 Oct 1922         Sqn Ldr J T Whittaker

Air Ministry, London; Hillingdon House, Uxbridge, Middlesex. (from 1 Jun 1926)

Formed 1 Jan 1925 to control all home based bomber and fighter squadrons. (s) dropped 1 Jun 1926. Renamed Bomber Command, 14 Jul 1936.

Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief: -

1 Jan 1925          AVM Sir John Salmond

26 May 1928      AVM F R Scarlett (Temporary)

1 Jan 1929          AM Sir Edward Ellington

5 Sep 1931         AM Sir Geoffrey Salmond

17 Jan 1933        AM Sir Robert Brooke-Popham

1 Aug 1935         AM Sir John Steel

Formed 1 May 1924. Renamed HQ Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force, 14 May 1925.

145 Sloane Street, Sloan Square, London SW1

Formed 14 May 1925 by renaming HQ Superintendent RAF Reserve to control the newly created Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Forces Squadrons. Reduced to group status as Air Defence Group, 18 Jul 1927

Air Officers Commanding: -

14 May 1925         A/Cdre C L N Newall

1 Dec 1925            A/Cdre J G Hearson

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

Fighting Area

This was formed at Kenley on 20 May 1926 from No 6 Group group within Inland Area but was transferred to ADGB on 1 Jun 1926 and moved to Hillingdon House, Uxbridge, Middlesex on 7 July. It was raised to Command status in 1932. On 1 May 1936 it was renamed No 11 (Fighter) Group.

Air Officers Commanding: -

20 May 1926         AVM H R M Brooke-Popham

 1 Nov 1928          A/Cdre C R Samson (Temporary)

1 Jan 1929             AVM F R Scarlett

12 Oct 1929          A/Cdre J D Boyle (Temporary)

28 Dec 1929          AVM H C T Dowding

1 Sep 1930            A/Cdre J D Boyle (Temporary)

 1 Apr 1931            AVM F V Holt (killed in a flying accident, 24 Apr 1931)

4 May 1931           AVM F W Bowhill

xx xxx 1931           A/Cdre J E A Baldwin (Temporary)

2 Jan 1934             AVM P B Joubert de la Ferte

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

Formed on 12 April 1926 at RAF Andover as a group within Inland Area, it was transferred to ADGB on 1 June 1926 and was raised to Command status, xx xxx 1932. It was disbanded by being split into Western and Central Areas on 1 Oct 1933.

Air Officers Commanding: -

12 Apr 1926         AVM J M Steel

6 Feb 1931           AVM C L N Newall

26 Sep 1931         AVM Sir Tom Webb-Bowen

26 Sep 1933         A/Cdre P H L Playfair

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

This was formed on 1 October 1933 at Andover when Wessex Bombing Area was split in two but it retained control of all units until 16 November 1933, when HQ Central Area moved to RAF Abingdon. It was disbanded by being renamed No 3 (Bomber) Group on 1 May 1936.

Air Officers Commanding: -

 1 Oct 1933         A/Cdre-AVM P H L Playfair

This was formed on 1 October 1933 at Andover when Wessex Bombing Area was split in two but control of its units was retained by HQ Western Area until 16 November 1933, when HQ Central Area moved to RAF Abingdon. It was disbanded by being renamed No 1 (Bomber) Group on 1 May 1936.

Air Officers Commanding: -

1 Oct 1933           AVM R P Mills

19 Mar 1934        A/Cdre H R Nicholl

24 Oct 1935         A/Cdre O T Boyd

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

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