Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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Central Area Personnel, units and locations

[Jan 1934 | Jul 1934 | Jul 1935 | Jul 1936]

It was formed at RAF Andover on 1 October 1933 by splitting Wessex Bombing Area in two and allocated the following units: -

Central Area
Station Unit
RAF Andover No 12 Sqn

No 101 Sqn

Air Pilotage School

Station Flight

Staff College
RAF Boscombe Down No 9 Sqn

No 10 Sqn

Special Duty Flt
RAF Worthy Down No 7 Sqn

No 58 Sqn

However, these units continued to be controlled by HQ Western Area until HQ Central area was established at RAF Abingdon on 16 November 1933.

Source - No 3 Group ORB

January 1934

Location Command  
RAF Abingdon Air Defence of Great Britain

  • SHQ Abingdon

    • No 40 (Bomber) Squadron

    • Station Flight

  • No 33 (Bomber) Squadron  - Bicester

  • SHQ Bircham Newton

    • No 35 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 207 (Bomber) Squadron

  • No 501 (City of Bristol) (Bomber) Squadron - Filton

  • No 504 (County of Nottingham) (Bomber) Squadron - Hucknall

  • SHQ Upper Heyford

    • No 18 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 57 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 99 (Bomber) Squadron

  • Oxford University Air Squadron - Abingdon

 

Rank Name Date Notes
AVM Reginald P Mills  1 Oct 1933 Air Officer Commanding, MC, AFC; later AVM
Air Staff
Gp Capt

William J M Guilfoyle

  1 Oct 1933 Senior Air Staff Officer, OBE, MC; later A/Cdre
Sqn Ldr Stafford B Harris  1 Oct 1933  
Personnel Staff
Sqn Ldr Albert Durston  1 Oct 1933 Senior Personnel Staff Officer, AFC; later AM
Flt Lt Francis H D Henwood  5 Oct 1933  
Equipment Staff
Sqn Ldr Francis P Adams 10 Oct 1933 Senior Equipment Staff Officer
Engineer Section
Flt Lt Charles F C Coaker 27 Oct 1933  
Stores Section
Sqn Ldr

Thomas E Drowley

13 Nov 1933 OBE; later AVM
Flt Lt Alexander H Allan  1 Oct 1933  
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Flt Lt Wilfred Wynter-Morgan 31 Oct 1933 MC; later A/Cdre
Navigation
Sqn Ldr George H Harrison 23 Oct 1933  
Photography
Flt Lt James B Barrett 26 Jan 1933  
Services
Signals
Sqn Ldr William E G Mann  1 Nov 1933 Chief Signals Officer (Temporary), DFC; later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr Richard J Aherne  3 Oct 1933 Principal Medical Officer, LRCP & S
Educational
Maj Henry R Wight  1 Jan 1934 Grade II, MC, MSc, AFRAeS
Works
Mr S Dexter   Superintending Engineer
Warrant Officer
WO Frederick A Coombs 31 Oct 1933  

Source - January 1934 Air Force List

July 1934

Location Command  
RAF Abingdon Air Defence of Great Britain

  • SHQ Abingdon

    • No 15 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 40 (Bomber) Squadron

    • Station Flight

  • No 33 (Bomber) Squadron  - Bicester

  • SHQ Bircham Newton

    • No 35 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 207 (Bomber) Squadron

  • No 501 (City of Bristol) (Bomber) Squadron - Filton

  • No 504 (County of Nottingham) (Bomber) Squadron - Hucknall

  • No 142 (Bomber) Squadron - Netheravon

  • SHQ Upper Heyford

    • No 18 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 57 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 99 (Bomber) Squadron

  • Oxford University Air Squadron - Abingdon

 

Rank Name Date Notes
A/Cdre Hazelton R Nicholl 10 Mar 193 4 Air Officer Commanding, CBE; later AVM
Personal Appointment
Fg Off Richard G Shaw 15 Jan 1934 Personal Assistant to AOC
Air Staff
Gp Capt

William J M Guilfoyle

  1 Oct 1933 Senior Air Staff Officer, OBE, MC; later A/Cdre
Wg Cdr Roger H G Neville 14 Dec 1933  
Sqn Ldr Stafford B Harris  1 Oct 1933  
Flt Lt

Barnabas H C Russell

22 Dec 1933 later A/Cdre
Personnel Staff
Wg Cdr

Eric D Johnson

 13 Jan 1934 Senior Personnel Staff Officer, AFC; later A/Cdre
Flt Lt Francis H D Henwood  5 Oct 1933  
Equipment Staff
Sqn Ldr Francis P Adams 10 Oct 1933 Senior Equipment Staff Officer
Engineer Section
Flt Lt Charles F C Coaker 27 Oct 1933  
Stores Section
Sqn Ldr

Thomas E Drowley

13 Nov 1933 OBE; later AVM
Sqn Ldr Henry E T Crocker 27 Feb 1934  
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Sqn Ldr Hugh M K Brown 28 Feb 1934  
Flt Lt Wilfred Wynter-Morgan 31 Oct 1933 MC; later A/Cdre
Navigation
Sqn Ldr George H Harrison 23 Oct 1933  
Photography
Flt Lt James B Barrett 26 Jan 1933  
Services
Signals
Sqn Ldr William W Hart 22 Feb 1934 Chief Signals Officer
Accountant
Sqn Ldr

Percy J Farmer

  3 Jan 1934 Area Accountant; later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr Richard J Aherne  3 Oct 1933 Principal Medical Officer, LRCP & S
Educational
Maj Henry R Wight  1 Jan 1934 Grade II, MC, MSc, AFRAeS
Works
Mr S Dexter   Superintending Engineer
Warrant Officer
WO Frederick A Coombs 31 Oct 1933 Signals
WO Thomas C Wharfe 14 Dec 1933 Administrative

Source - July 1934 Air Force List

July 1935

Location Command  
RAF Abingdon Air Defence of Great Britain

  • SHQ Abingdon

    • No 15 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 40 (Bomber) Squadron

    • Station Flight

  • No 101 (Bomber) Squadron  - Bicester

  • SHQ Bircham Newton

    • No 35 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 207 (Bomber) Squadron

  • No 501 (City of Bristol) (Bomber) Squadron - Filton

  • No 504 (County of Nottingham) (Bomber) Squadron - Hucknall

  • SHQ Upper Heyford

    • No 18 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 33 (Bomber) Squadron

    • No 57 (Bomber) Squadron

  • Oxford University Air Squadron - Abingdon

 

Rank Name Date Notes
A/Cdre Hazelton R Nicholl 10 Mar 1934 Air Officer Commanding, CBE; later AVM
Personal Appointment
Fg Off Richard G Shaw 15 Jan 1934 Personal Assistant to AOC
Air Staff
Gp Capt

William J M Guilfoyle

  1 Oct 1933 Senior Air Staff Officer, OBE, MC; later A/Cdre
Wg Cdr Roger H G Neville 14 Dec 1933  
Sqn Ldr Stafford B Harris  1 Oct 1933  
Capt William A Allison 15 Feb 1935 Royal Artilliery
Personnel Staff
Wg Cdr Justin H Herring  1 Nov 1934 Senior Personnel Staff Officer
Flt Lt Francis H D Henwood  5 Oct 1933  
Equipment Staff
Wg Cdr Philip H Cummings 11 Sep 1934 Senior Equipment Staff Officer, DFC
Engineer Section
Flt Lt Charles F C Coaker 27 Oct 1933  
Stores Section
Sqn Ldr

Thomas E Drowley

13 Nov 1933 OBE; later AVM
Sqn Ldr Henry E T Crocker 27 Feb 1934  
Attached to the Staff
Armament
Sqn Ldr Hugh M K Brown 28 Feb 1934  
Flt Lt Wilfred Wynter-Morgan 31 Oct 1933 MC; later A/Cdre
Navigation
Sqn Ldr George H Harrison 23 Oct 1933  
Photography
Flt Lt James B Barrett 26 Jan 1933  
Services
Signals
Sqn Ldr William W Hart 22 Feb 1934 Chief Signals Officer
Accountant
Sqn Ldr

Percy J Farmer

  3 Jan 1934 Area Accountant; later A/Cdre
Medical
Wg Cdr Richard J Aherne  3 Oct 1933 Principal Medical Officer, LRCP & S
Educational
Maj Henry R Wight  1 Jan 1934 Grade II, MC, MSc, AFRAeS
Works
Mr S Dexter   Superintending Engineer
Warrant Officer
WO Frederick A Coombs 31 Oct 1933 Signals
WO Thomas C Wharfe 14 Dec 1933 Administrative

Source - July 1935 Air Force List

Redesignated No 1 (Bomber) Group on 1 May 1936.

[Jul 1934 | Jul 1935]

This page was last updated on 18/03/25©

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