Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
RAF Station Commanders - Greater London Area
[Biggin Hill | Bovingdon | Brampton/Wyton/Henlow | Croydon | Hendon | Heston | High Wycombe | Hornchurch | Hunsdon | Kenley | Northolt | North Weald | Northwood | Southend/Rochford | Stanbridge | Stanmore (Park) | Uxbridge | West Drayton | West Malling]
xx Dec 1916 Maj ? Orme (OC, Wireless Testing Park)
xx Aug 1917 Maj H B T Childs (OC, Wireless Testing Park/Wireless Experimental Establishment)
xx Apr 1918 Col L F Blandy (OC, Wireless Experimental Establishment)
xx Dec 1918 Wg Cdr G P Grenfell (OC, Wireless Experimental Establishment)
1 Nov 1922 Sqn Ldr I T Lloyd (OC, No 56 Sqn)
24 Sept 1923 Sqn Ldr Sir Quintin Brand (OC, No 56 Sqn)
11 Aug 1925 Sqn Ldr F J Vincent (OC, No 56 Sqn)
27 Sept 1926 Sqn Ldr C H Elliott-Smith (OC, No 56 Sqn)
The station closed in January 1928 for rebuilding but the AA Co-operation Flight remained.
xx xxx xxxx Sqn Ldr G H Cooke (OC, AA Co-Operation Flt)
23 Oct 1931 Sqn Ldr G O Venn (OC, AA Co-Operation Flt)
1 Oct 1932 Wg Cdr G B Dacre
10 Jan 1933 Wg Cdr/Gp Capt E O Grenfell
22 Jan 1937 Wg Cdr H G W Lock
15 Nov 1938 Wg Cdr R Grice
1 Dec 1940 Gp Capt F O Soden
xx June 1941 Gp Capt P R Barwell
xx Jul 1942 Gp Capt J R Hallings-Pott
xx Jan 1943 Gp Capt A G Malan
xx Nov 1943 Gp Capt H L Maxwell
xx xxx 1944 Wg Cdr S P Richards?
xx Feb 1945 Wg Cdr L Raphael
xx Apr 1945 Gp Capt M W S Robinson
xx Jun 1945 Wg Cdr E D Crundall
xx Oct 1945 Wg Cdr C M H Outram
xx May 1946 Wg Cdr G J Spence
xx Jun 1947 Sqn Ldr G J Gray
xx Dec 1947 Sqn Ldr G D Slee
xx May 1948 Wg Cdr D C Smythe
xx Sep 1950 Wg Cdr A H Donaldson
xx Jan 1952 Wg Cdr W Pitt-Brown
xx Feb 1953 Wg Cdr D G Smallwood
xx Oct 1955 Gp Capt J Barraclough
xx Feb 1957 Wg Cdr P D Thompson
xx Jan 1958 Sqn Ldr R S Salmon
xx Mar 1958 Wg Cdr H W G Andrews
xx Jan 1958 Sqn Ldr R S Salmon
xx Feb 1959 Sqn Ldr E F Lapham
xx May 1959 Gp Capt G P Seymour-Price
xx Jul 1959 Gp Capt G N Amison
xx Feb 1962 Gp Capt R B Morison
xx Apr 1962 Sqn Ldr G N Bray
xx Nov 1962 Wg Cdr R C Everson
xx Nov 1964 Wg Cdr L F Wolsey
xx Oct 1967 Wg Cdr I L McCombe
xx Mar 1970 Wg Cdr P E Prior
xx Jun 1970 Wg Cdr M Scholes
xx Jun 1973 Wg Cdr R Gebbels
xx Feb 1976 Wg Cdr K J O Balsillie
xx Sep 1977 Wg Cdr A L Wright
xx Apr 1979 Wg Cdr J R Myers
xx Jun 1981 Wg Cdr F J Smith
xx Aug 1984 Wg Cdr D C Boak
xx Nov 1986 Wg Cdr C I B Skellern
xx Dec 1988 Wg Cdr A D G Jones
xx Oct 1958 Wg Cdr G H Wherry
21 Aug 1961 Wg Cdr P A C MacDermott
3 Jan 1964 Wg Cdr D B Delany
12 Sep 1966 Wg Cdr V Rees
Amalgamated with Wyton to create RAF Brampton/Wyton in March 1995
xx Mar 1995 Gp Capt J C O Luke
xx Dec 1996 Gp Capt P Lewis
27 Aug 2003 Gp Capt C H Hickman
xx xxx 2004 Gp Capt N Parton?
RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow
Amalgamated with Henlow to form Brampton/Wyton/Henlow
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt N Beet
xx xxx 2007 Gp Capt G Bruce
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt B Walcot (2010)
30 Aug 1939 Flt Lt Cooper (Camp Commandant)
24 Nov 1939 Flt Lt Hawker (Camp Commandant)
1 Dec 1927 Wg Cdr D S K Crosbie*
1 Dec 1928 Sqn Ldr L H Slatter (Temp)
7 Jan 1929 Wg Cdr W J Y Guilfoyle*
1 Mar 1933 Gp Capt R Leckie*
2 Jul 1935 Wg Cdr C C Miles
6 Jun 1937 Wg Cdr E I Bussell
11 Nov 1937 Sqn Ldr H K Goode (Temporary)
22 Nov 1937 Wg Cdr V Buxton
25 Aug 1939 Wg Cdr J Anderson (Temporary)
31 Aug 1939 Gp Capt Ryder Young
10 Oct 1940 Gp Capt F O Soden
11 Nov 1940 Wg Cdr H K Goode (Temporary)
2 Dec 1940 Gp Capt W J Seward
xx xxx xxxx
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt A M Rodgers (1946+)
xx xxx 1950 Gp Capt T J Arbuthnot
xx xxx 1951
xx Aug 1954 Gp Capt W S Reed
xx xx xxxx
1 Oct 1984 Wg Cdr P J Kesseler**
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr W G W Simpson
1 Apr 1987 Station closed
*Superintendent of RAF Reserve
** OC, JSATC
13 Jun 1941 Gp Capt V S Parker* (arrived 23 Jun)
*OC, No 61 OTU
18 Apr 1977 Wg Cdr D Milne
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr/Gp Capt C Smith (2005)
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt J Good (2008)
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt A J Radcliffe
xx Mar 2011 Gp Capt M D Heffron
xx xxx 2013 Gp Capt R F J Clifford
xx Apr 2015 Gp Capt P T G Lester
xx Mar 2017 Gp Capt R A Woods
4 Mar 2019 Gp Capt S Harris
xx Sep 2020 Gp Capt P J Arnold
RAF Hornchurch (RAF Suttons Farm until 1 Jun 1928)
1 Apr 1928 Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr K R Park (OC, No 111 Sqn)
8 Mar 1929 Sqn Ldr F O Soden (OC, No 111 Sqn)
25 Oct 1929 Sqn Ldr L H Slatter (OC, No 111 Sqn)
4 Apr 1930 Wg Cdr E R Manning
22 Jul 1933 Wg Cdr C H Nicholas
4-22 Dec 1935 Sqn Ldr W V Hyde (Temporary)
22 Dec 1935 Wg Cdr A S G Lee
2 Apr 1937 Wg Cdr M B Frew
27 Jul 1938 Wg Cdr C T Walkington
6 Oct 1939 Gp Capt C H Nicholas
21 Dec 1939 Wg Cdr/Gp Capt C A Bouchier
23 Dec 1940 Wg Cdr/Gp Capt H Broadhurst
14 May 1942 Gp Capt C G Lott
5 Jan 1943 Gp Capt A G Adnams
20 Jul 1943 Gp Capt H L Maxwell
28 Oct 1943 Wg Cdr F D S Scott-Malden
6 Feb 1944 Sqn Ldr R Watt-Jones
20 Apr 1944 Sqn Ldr R S Davies
1 Dec 1944 Sqn Ldr R J Clare-Hunt
14 Jul 1946 Wg Cdr G W Day
3 Dec 1946 Wg Cdr S H Page
28 Jul 1947 A/Cdre D Macfadyen
17 Dec 1947 A/Cdre A McKee
12 Oct 1948 Gp Capt F C Sturgis
2 Apr 1951 Gp Capt H L Parker
2 Jul 1951 Gp Capt J N Jefferson
21 Jul 1953 A/Cdre E J Corbally
18 Jan 1954 Wg Cdr A J Hicks
8 Mar 1954 Wg Cdr W G Devas
4 Dec 1954 Wg Cdr C A R Crews
9 May 1955 Wg Cdr A N Jones
30 Oct 1957 Wg Cdr H D U Denison
xx xxx 1940/1 Wg Cdr G D Harvey
21 May 1941 Wg Cdr Peter Townsend
2 Jun 1941 Wg Cdr G D Harvey
2 Aug 1941 Wg Cdr J R A Peel1 Nov 1941 Wg Cdr J S Maclean
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr J Hamblin
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr John Cunningham
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr H M Kerr
xx xxx xxxx Sqn Ldr J G Saunders
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr A L Mortimer
22 Sep 1924 Wg Cdr F K Wise
17 Apr 1925 Sqn Ldr R S Maxwell (OC, No 24 Sqn)
27 Aug 1925 Sqn Ldr W H L O'Neill (OC, No 24 Sqn)
11 Jan 1926 Wg Cdr W L Welsh
21 Sep 1926 Wg Cdr H le M Brock
21 Feb 1928 Wg Cdr R P Willock
22 Jan 1930 Wg Cdr R Graham
22 Sep 1930 Wg Cdr-Gp Capt F L Robinson (Gp Capt from 1 Jul 1931)
27 Jul 1931 Wg Cdr D Stewart
23 Jun 1932 ?
3 Aug 1932 Wg Cdr G B Dacre
30 Sep 1932 - 10 May 1934 Closed for redevelopment
15 May 1934 Wg Cdr G S M Insall
9 Aug 1935 Wg Cdr H W G J Pendrel
1 Dec 1937 ?
6 Dec 1937 Wg Cdr W K Mercer
6 Feb 1939: Wg Cdr/Gp Capt A M Wray
8 Nov 1939 Wg Cdr/Gp Capt M Moore
20 Apr 1940 Wg Cdr T B Prickman
xx xxx 1941 Gp Capt C A Bouchier
xx xxx 1942 Gp Capt F V Beamish (shot down 28 Mar 1942)
xx xxx 1942 Gp Capt R L R Atcherley
xx xxx 1943 Gp Capt T B Prickman
xx Jun 1943 Wg Cdr P G Wykeham
6 Feb 1944 Wg Cdr E P P Gibbs
xx Sep 1944
xx May 1957 Wg Cdr H N Phillips
27 Dec 1961 Gp Capt O Gradon
27 Sep 1927 Wg Cdr A G R Garrod
6 Jan 1928 Wg Cdr W S Douglas
16 Aug 1929 Wg Cdr B E Smythies (died from injuries sustained in a flying accident 17 Jun 1930)
1 Aug 1930 Wg Cdr R G D Small
17 Dec 1932 Wg Cdr R H G Neville
14 Dec 1933 Wg Cdr G B A Baker
13 Dec 1934 Wg Cdr T Q Studd
30 Jun 1937 Sqn Ldr C L Lea-Cox (OC, No 56 Sqn)
6 Aug 1937 Wg Cdr J H Dand
10 Jul 1939 Gp Capt D F Lucking
7 Sep 1939 Gp Capt M B Frew
31 Dec 1939 Wg Cdr H D O'Neill
xx Jun 1940 Wg Cdr-Gp Capt F V Beamish
xx Mar 1941 Gp Capt S F Vincent
2 Feb 1942 Gp Capt T G Pike
5 Aug 1942 Gp Capt D G Morris
xx xx xxxx
xx xxx 1945: Gp Capt R A Barton
8 May 1945 Gp Capt J M Thompson
xx xxx 1951 Gp Capt P G Wykeham
xx xxx 1952 Gp Capt A C Deere
xx xx xxxx
xx xx 1956 Wg Cdr B Sutton
xx xxx xxxx Wg Cdr T F Neil
xx Jan 1959 ?
xx Mar 1915 Major G I Carmichael
xx Aug 1915 Major C F Murphy (OC, No 2 Sqn)
xx Feb 1916 Major C Wigram
xx Jan 1917 Major R Loraine
xx Jul 1917 Colonel H I F Yates
xx Oct 1917 Major H Mc D O'Malley
xx Apr 1923 Sqn Ldr B E Smythies
1 Oct 1923 Sqn Ldr R Collishaw (OC, No 41 Sqn)
10 Jun 1924 SHQ Opened
10 Jun 1924 Sqn Ldr W Murlis-Green (OC, No 41 Sqn)
1 Dec 1924 Wg Cdr G C St P De Dombasle
15 Feb 1927 Wg Cdr E R Manning
6 Jan 1928 Sqn Ldr-Wg Cdr F Sowrey (Also OC, No 41 Sqn until 31 Aug 1928)
18 Jan 1929 Wg Cdr T E B Howe
25 Feb 1929 Sqn Ldr F H Coleman (Temporary)
2 Apr 1929 Sqn Ldr R S Aitken (OC, No 41 Sqn)
22 May 1929 Wg Cdr J Sowrey
23 Mar 1930 Wg Cdr J S T Bradley
12 Jan 1931 Wg Cdr K R Park
9 Aug 1932 ?
1 Oct 1932 Wg Cdr A H Peck
xx Apr 1936 Gp Capt L L MacLean
4 Sep 1936 Gp Capt R M Drummond
20 Nov 1937 Wg Cdr S F Vincent
29 Dec 1937 Gp Capt A H Orlebar
14 Jan 1940 Wg Cdr-Gp Capt S F Vincent
14 Nov - 19 Dec 1940 Wg Cdr G H Vasse
xx Mar 1941 Gp Capt T N McEvoy
xx Dec 1941 Gp Capt J R Hallings-Pott
xx Jul 1942 Gp Capt A G Adnams
3 Oct 1942 Gp Capt M Mümler (Polish)*
xx Jan 1943 Gp Capt M W S Robinson
xx Sep 1943 Gp Capt F E Rosier
xx Mar 1944 Wg Cdr S P Richards
xx May 1944 Gp Capt R J Legg
xx Jun 1945 Gp Capt J R A Ford (until 20 Jul 1946)
xx May 1955 Wg Cdr L Coulson
xx Jun 1956 Gp Capt W G Clouston
xx Dec 1956 Gp Capt R J Clare-Hunt
xx Dec 1958 Gp Capt G P Harger
xx Feb 1962 Gp Capt A A N Nicholson
xx Aug 1963 Gp Capt D L Pitt
xx Jun1966 Gp Capt P G Hill
xx Jan1969 Gp Capt J A Steff-Langston
xx May 1971 Gp Capt S G Nunn
xx May 1977 Gp Capt A C Curry
xx May 1979 Gp Capt J E Bore
xx Jun 1981 Gp Capt R T Dixon
xx Apr 1983 Gp Capt T G R Osborn
xx May 1985 Gp Capt M Barnes
xx Aug 1987 Gp Capt B E Nunn
xx Nov 1989 Gp Capt O G Bunn
xx Nov 1991 Gp Capt M J Gardiner
xx Nov 1993 Gp Capt J R D Morley
xx Dec 1995 Gp Capt P J Hoskins
xx Dec 1997 Gp Capt J J Witts
xx Dec 1999 Gp Capt I Capewell
14 Dec 2001 Gp Capt P Rycroft
15 Dec 2003 Gp Capt S Newton
29 Apr 2005 Gp Capt J D Maas
xx xxx xxxx (2008) Gp Capt G G S Van Den Berg
xx Sep 2009 Gp Capt T A Barrett (killed in a motor accident)
xx May 2011 Gp Capt T J O'Brien
xx May 2013 Gp Capt A D Bacon
xx Aug 2015 Gp Capt D P Manning
28 Jul 2017 Gp Capt M H G Carver
xx Jul 2019: Gp Capt N M Worrall
8 Jul 2021 Gp Capt V C McPhaden
xx Jul 2023 Gp Capt J T W Hough
*During WW2 it seems that two OCs at a time were in place, one Polish and one British.
xx xxx xxxx Capt K N G Shaw RN
xx Apr 2018 Gp Capt J P Sutton
28 Oct 1940 Wg Cdr B E Embry
27 Dec 1940 Wg Cdr J M Thompson
xx xxx 1954 Gp Capt ? Cherrill
xx xxx 1956
18 Jul 1960 Gp Capt H R Crowley
14 Feb 1966 Gp Capt P M S Hedgeland
xx xxx xxxx
5 Oct 1970 Gp Capt G N Rushden
26 Feb 1973 Gp Capt P L T Owen
xx Jan 1975 Gp Capt G I Ferenczy
xx xxx xxxx
8 Sep 1980 Gp Capt B E Lamming
xx xxx xxxx
1 Apr 1987 Wg Cdr W G W Simpson
xx Sep 1988
13 Sep 1939 Gp Capt E A Bald
16 Aug 1941 Gp Capt R F S Morton
10 Mar 1942 Gp Capt E L Gower
22 May 1942 Gp Capt C E Benson
10 May 1943 Gp Capt F V Drake
8 Jul 1944 Gp Capt E J Davis
1 Sep 1944 Gp Capt F V Drake
1 Dec 1944 Wg Cdr R L Richmond
16 Mar 1945 Gp Capt R B Dowling
9 Aug 1945 Vacant
14 Dec 1945 Wg Cdr E Drudge
10 Jan 1947 Sqn Ldr S A Bennett
9 Jan 1948 Sqn Ldr F Barry-Taylor
6 Jan 1948 Wg Cdr J D N Beeston-Sidebottom
20 Aug 1951 Wg Cdr W M Collins
2 Nov 1953 Gp Capt R A C Barclay
1 Sep 1954 Wg Cdr D W Triptree
27 May 1957 Wg Cdr J M Southwell
29 Jun 1959 Wg Cdr A D Forster
5 Feb 1962 Wg Cdr A J Payn
8 Jun 1964 Wg Cdr N A J Mackie
13 Oct 1967 Wg Cdr J Rennie
1 May 1970 Wg Cdr J C Douglas
10 Jan 1973 Wg Cdr R W Mathers
2 Jun 1975 Wg Cdr D H Wood
30 Aug 1977 Wg Cdr J F Jefferies
28 Jan 1979 Wg Cdr P L Quin
14 Dec 1981 Wg Cdr M J Middlemist
10 Sep 1985 Wg Cdr W L McKee
8 Apr 1988 Wg Cdr D M Casey
11 Apr 1990 Wg Cdr S G Appleton
3 Jul 1992 Wg Cdr T P Buckley
13 Feb 1995 Sqn Ldr P C Owen
3 Apr 1995 Wg Cdr J Pearce
1 Apr 1997
1 Apr 1920 Gp Capt J G Hearson*
19 Jul 1920 Wg Cdr P K Wise*
1 Aug 1922 Gp Capt I M Bonham Carter*
17 Oct 1925 Gp Capt I T Courtney*
9 Apr 1929 Gp Capt L W B Lees*
1 Dec 1929 Gp Capt I G V Fowler*
1 Aug 1931 Gp Capt F L Robinson*
10 Nov 1933 Gp Capt A H Jackson*
5 Jul 1937 Gp Capt W D Budgen*
xx xx xxxx
xx Mar 1954 Gp Capt J A H Loudon
xx xx xxxx
25 Nov 1960 Gp Capt R E Baxter
xx xxx 1963 Gp Capt J F Roberts
23 Mar 1964 Gp Capt R Stevenson
24 Oct 1966 Gp Capt E L Frith
xx xxx xxxx
17 Jan 1972 Gp Capt P E Raymond
14 Jan 1974 Gp Capt D F Bates
27 Oct 1975 Gp Capt J M Lewendon
21 Nov 1977 Gp Capt D A Atherton
21 Jan 1979 Gp Capt J Barney
18 Jan 1982 Gp Capt D Goucher
19 Sep 1983 Gp Capt J B Thorne
xx xxx xxxx Sqn Ldr G Rossiter (until 30 Mar 2010)
*Cmdt, RAF Depot
xx Jul 1958 Wg Cdr C F Babbage
20 Nov 1961 Wg Cdr B L Duckenfield
xx xxx xxxx
23 Jan 1968 Wg Cdr G E Morris
22 May 1970 Wg Cdr F C Summer
26 Apr 1974 Gp Capt P G Peacock
25 Jul 1975 Gp Capt J A V Short
6 Feb 1976 Gp Capt W F Page
28 Apr 1978 Gp Capt J Broughton
15 Feb 1980 Gp Capt J D Drysdale
24 Sep 1982 Gp Capt J D Heron
16 Mar 1984 Gp Capt A E Knox
xx xxx xxxx Gp Capt A H Flower
1 Jul 1940 Wg Cdr R W K Stevens
24 Jul 1940 Wg Cdr T B Prickman (also OC, RAF Kenley)
14 Aug 1940 Flt Lt-Sqn Ldr V Mercer-Smith (OC, West Malling Detachment)
14 Mar 1941 Wg Cdr A M Wilkinson
14 Jun 1941 Wg Cdr S C Widdows
25 Jun 1942 Wg Cdr V J Wheeler
30 Dec 1942 Wg Cdr P W Townsend
18 Jun 1943 Wg Cdr T N Hayes
1 Feb 1944 Wg Cdr J A O'Neil
24 Nov 1944 Sqn Ldr G T Block
9 Mar 1945 Sqn Ldr H Baxter
3 Oct 1945 Wg Cdr A Ingle
1 Nov 1946 Wg Cdr M G F Pedley
26 Jan 1948 Wg Cdr D S Wilson-Macdonald
2 Feb 1948 Wg Cdr H S Darley
19 Apr 1948 Gp Capt J Worrall
9 Jul 1949 Gp Capt H N G Ramsbottom Isherwood
12 Jun 1950 Gp Capt H S Darley
18 Jul 1952 Gp Capt E W Whitley
8 Sep 1952 Gp Capt P R Walker
7 Aug 1953 Gp Capt P H Hamley
28 Nov 1955 Gp Capt G V Fryer
1 Nov 1956 Gp Capt E G L Millington
24 Feb 1958 Sqn Ldr J Davis
2 Mar 1959 Wg Cdr F N Brinsden
4 Aug 1959 Gp Capt C Foxley-Norris
1 Jul 1960 Wg Cdr F N Brinsden
xx xxx 1947 Gp Capt W D David
Officers shown in Italics either never reached Air Rank or were not in the General Duties Branch when they did so
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