201 Group

This Group was formed as No 201 (General Reconnaissance) Group on 18 September 1939 on board the RAF Depot ship, 'HT Duane' at Alexandria from personnel of No 86 Wing and the Hal Far Detachment. It relocated to Alexandria of 9 October 1939.

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
Gp Capt	G M Bryer	11 Mar 1940	Officer Commanding, OBE, AFC
Air Staff
Wg Cdr	R F Shenton	22 Jun 1940
Flt Lt	C C Thurrell	26 Jun 1940
Flt Lt	P W Dawson	7 Nov 1940
Administrative Staff
Plt Off	S Findlay	28 Aug 1940
Plt Off	A l Baker	29 Dec 1940
Staffs of the Services
Medical
Flt Lt	H C de B Milne	5 Mar 1941	Senior Medical Officer
Marine Craft
Plt Off	J E Storey	11 Jun 1940
Plt Off	R F Freeman	26 Jun 1940
Miscellaneous Appointments
Fg Off	V Packer	27 Jan 1941
Plt Off	D B Campbell	6 Jul 1940
Plt Off	W J W Atty	15 Jul 1940

Location

Command

Controlled

Alexandria

Middle East Command

Squadrons: -

No 39 (Bomber) Squadron
No 46 (Fighter) Squadron
No 203 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron
No 221 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron
No 227 (Coastal Fighter) Squadron
No 230 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron
No 252 (Fighter) Squadron
No 272 (Coastal Fighter) Squadron
No 459 (Fighter) Squadron RAAF

Other Units: -

HQ PAC Section - Aboukir*
No 4 R & R Party - Abu Amud
HQ No 248 Wing - Alexandria
Marine Section - Alexandria
No 54 Repair and Salvage Unit - Amriya
PAC Detachment - Burgh el Arab
SHQ RAF Edcu
No 32 Air Stores Park - Fuka
HQ No 247 Wing - Gianaclis
No 1 Mobile Torpedo Unit - Helwan*
No 2 Mobile Torpedo Unit - Helwan*
Sea Rescue Flight - Mersa Matruh*
Marine Craft and Rescue Section - Port Said
Marine Section - Port Said
HQ No 233 Wing - Sidi Barrani
No 59 Repair and Salvage Unit - Sidi Heneish

*Station under AHQ Egypt

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
Act AVM	Hugh P Lloyd		Air Officer Commanding, CB, CBE, MC, DFC; later ACM
Air Staff
Wg Cdr	James R Scarlett-Streatfield	30 Jun 1941	Senior Air Staff Officer; later AVM
Wg Cdr	R F Shenton	22 Jun 1940
Sqn Ldr	R A Clay	8 Aug 1941
Flt Lt	P W Dawson	7 Nov 1940
Flt Lt	W W Campbell	1 Apr 1941	DFC
Flt Lt	A G F Cunningham	5 Sep 1941
Plt Off	L J A Parish	16 Jun 1941
Administrative Staff
Wg Cdr	Alexander H Montgomery	3 Jan 1942	MBE; later A/Cdre
Fg Off	N C Sampson	1 Aug 1941
Plt Off	S Findlay	28 Aug 1940
Plt Off	R Punyer	26 Apr 1941
Plt Off	F L Bailey	11 Aug 1941
Staffs of the Services
Equipment
Fg Off	H G Everest	1 Aug 1941
Plt Off	A O Babington	30 Aug 1941
Accountant
Flt Lt	C C Mepham	1 Aug 1941
Medical
Sqn Ldr	J S Wilson	28 Jan 1942	Senior Medical Officer, MB, ChB
Fg Off	J N Pattinson	4 Dec 1941	MB, BCh
Miscellaneous Appointments
Fg Off	L Marchan	14 Jun 2941
Fg Off	K M Cripps	16 Jul 1941
Fg Off	G W Hall	27 Aug 1941
Plt Off	D B Campbell	6 Jul 1940
Plt Off	R M Flower-Melling	6 Jul 1941
Plt Off	W J W Atty	15 Jul 1940

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
AVM	Thomas A Langford-Sainsbury	5 Mar 1943	Air Officer Commanding, OBE, DFC, AFC
Air Staff
Gp Capt	C S Riccard	10 May 1943	Senior Air Staff Officer; later AVM
Wg Cdr	John H Chaplin	7 Nov 1942	DSO, DFC; later A/Cdre
Sqn Ldr	J A C Coates	20 Jun 1942	DFC
Sqn Ldr	A W Daly	30 Oct 1941
Sqn Ldr	D H F Horner	7 Jun 1942	DFC
Sqn Ldr	A G F Cunningham	5 Sep 1941
Sqn Ldr	G M I Lewthwaite	4 Mar 1943
Administrative Staff
Wg Cdr	F J Taylor	5 Oct 1941	Senior Officer i/c Administration
Sqn Ldr	C C Thurrell	1 Jan 1943
Sqn Ldr	R I KOwen	2 Dec 1941
Staffs of the Services
Engineer
Wg Cdr	D J Day	26 Sep 1942
Equipment
Sqn Ldr	J Ross	5 Feb 1942
Sqn Ldr	A C Bolton	6 Feb 1943
Signals
Sqn Ldr	R C Lawes	8 Jan 1942
Accountant
Sqn Ldr	I H Borland	1 Feb 1943
Medical
Wg Cdr	J H Williams	21 Jan 1943	Senior Medical Officer, MRCS, LRCP
Meteorological
Flt Lt	G Hastie	1 Jan 1942	Senior Meteorological Officer
Miscellaneous Appointments
Sqn Ldr	R H W Davidson	3 Aug 1942

It was disbanded on 1 February 1944 and amalgamated with HQ Air Defence Eastern Mediterranean as AHQ Eastern Mediterranean.