|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This section will give brief histories of those ground training units providing initial or advanced training to officers: -
RAF School of Aeronautical Engineering (Officers)
This was formed by September 1938 at Henlow and expanded to form the RAF Technical College on 15 August 1947.
The/No 1 Air Crew Officers School
This was formed on 1 April 1943 under the control of No 54 Group at Sidmouth. It was transferred to No 2 Group on 6 December and from 8 February 1944 to 19 May it operated No 2 Wing at Filey/Hunmanby Moor. On 1 November 1944 it was retitled No 1 Air Crew Officers' School and then on 3 May 1945 it moved to Hereford, where it was redesignated No 1 Officers' School on 1 May 1946.
No 2 Air Crew Officers School
The nucleus of this unit formed on 1 November 1944 at No 22 PTC, Almaza under the control of No 203 Group. It moved to Ramat David shortly afterwards and then to Gaza before the end of November, where it was transferred to AHQ Levant disbanded on 16 February 1946.
No 3 Air Crew Officers School
This was formed on 1 December 1944 at No 56 PTC, Naples, moving to Sulmona in 1945 but its fate is unknown.
Aircrew Officer Training School
This was formed on 1 January 1967 at South Cerney, under the control of No 25 Group. It moved to Church Fenton on 21 January 1968, where it absorbed the Primary Flying Squadron but absorbed into OCTU at Henlow.
No 76 Air School
This was formed in May 1941 at Voortrekkerhoogte but disbanded in July, its role being taken over by the Military College.
Defence Academy of the UK
Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering
Defence Leadership Centre
Home Command Modified Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed from in January 1953 at Hawarden, moving to Booker on 1 June 1956 but its fate is unknown.
Imperial Defence College
Schools of Instruction were retitled
No 1 School of Instruction
This was formed on 20 December 1915 at the Co-operative Wholesale Society Jam Works, Reading, becoming an independent station on 1 July 1916. On 27 October 1916 it was retitled No 1 School of Military Aeronautics and then No 1 School of Aeronautics on 1 April 1918 and disbanded on 24 January 1919.
No 2 School of Instruction
This was formed on 3 April 1916 at Christchurch College, Oxford, becoming an independent station on 1 July 1916. On 27 October 1916 it was retitled No 2 School of Military Aeronautics and then No 2 School of Aeronautics on 1 April 1918 and disbanded on 24 January 1919.
No 3 School of Military Aeronautics
This was formed from the Technical Training Class on 25 November 2016 at Aboukir, moving to Abbassia on 15 February 1917 and then to the Palace Hotel in Heliopolis in October. On 1 April 1918 it was retitled No 3 School of Aeronautics and disbanded on 22 July 1919.
No 4 School of Military Aeronautics
This was formed on 1 July 1917 at Toronto. On 1 April 1918 it was retitled No 4 School of Aeronautics and disbanded on in March 1919.
No 5 School of Military Aeronautics
This was formed out of No 2 SoMA on 1 August 1917 at Christchurch College, Oxford, moving to Denham on 8 September1917. On 1 April 1918 it was retitled No 5 School of Aeronautics and disbanded on 15 February 1919.
No 6 School of Military Aeronautics
This was formed out of No 5 SoMA on 1 November 1917 at Denham, moving to 10 Elmdale Road, Clifton, Bristol on 23 January 1918. On 1 April 1918 it was retitled No 6 School of Aeronautics and disbanded on 24 January 1919.
No 7 (Observers) School of Military Aeronautics
This was formed on 14 January 1918 at 21 Poultney Street, Bath, moving to 19 The Circus, Bath on 18 March 1918. On 1 April 1918 it was retitled No 7 School of Aeronautics and by October was at the Francis Hotel, Bennett Street, Bath. It finally and disbanded on 4 April 1919.
No 8 School of Aeronautics
This was formed on 17 July 1918 at Municipal Buildings, Cheltenham, later moving to Marlborough House, also in Cheltenham. On 14 November 1918 it moved to St Martin's Field Camp at Shorncliffe and disbanded on 24 January 1919.
No 9 (Observers) School of Aeronautics
This was formed from No 7 Observers Cadet Wing on 23 September 1918 at Wantage Hall, Reading, moving to Cheltenham on 26 October 1918 and disbanded on 24 January 1919.
School of Instruction, Hendon
This was formed on by 1916 at Hendon, coming under the control of the Officer Commanding, 18th Wing on 22 September and disbanded on 12 October 1918.
School of Instruction, Southern Training Brigade
This was formed from on in October 1917 at Beaulieu, moving to Old Sarum in early 1918 and then to Andover on 10 June, where it disbanded on 22 June 1918.
Joint
Services Command and Staff College
Joint
Services Defence College
Joint Services Staff College
RAF Wing, Middle East Staff School
RAF Wing, Middle East Staff College
National
Defence College
Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed on 1 May 1946 at Cosford, moving to Spittlegate on 25 February 1948, where it was redesignated No 2 OCTU after 1948.
No 2 Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed from the OCTU after 1948 at Spittlegate (later renamed Spitalgate), being transferred from No 22 Group to No 24 Group on 1 March 1954 and closed on 25 March 1954.
Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed on 7 November 1942 at Amman, to train officers for the RAF Regiment and was redesignated No 3 Officers' and Cadets' Training School on 15 August 1944.
Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed on 1 September 1952 at Millom in No 22 Group, as an addition to the OCTU at Spitalgate and disbanded on 10 September 1953.
RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed on 10 September 1953 at Jurby in No 22 Group, as RAF OCTU (Jurby) but was simply retitled RAF OCTU on 1 April 1954. On 3 January 1962 it absorbed the WRAF OCTU from Hawkinge and moved to Feltwell on 1 September 1963. Its final move was to Henlow on 1 May 1966 where control was transferred to HQ Training Command and disbanded on 24 April 1980 with all officer training moving to Cranwell.
No 1 Officers Advance Training School
This began forming on 14 February 1944 at Cranwell as The Officers Advanced Training School, opening on 1 March it was re-named No 1 OATS on 1 November 1944 Its role was to provide training to officers destined for flight and squadron commander posts. It moved to Digby on 27 August 1945 reverting to its original title on 1 December 1946. Further moves took place to Hornchurch from 25 July 1947 and Bircham Newton on 25 October 1948, where it disbanded in 1962
1 Mar 1944 A/Cdre S H Hardy
23 Jun 1945 A/Cdre T G Pike
xx xxx 1947
A/Cdre A McKee
No 2 Officers Advance Training School
This was formed on 1 November 1944 at Kalafrana, Malta moving to Amman in February 1946 and disbanded on 13 September 1946.
No 3 Officers Advance Training School
This was formed on 13 July 1945 at Poona moving to Barrackpore on 1 October 1945 and disbanded on 1 January 1946.
Officers and Cadets School
This was formed on 13 September 1919 at Manston and was redesignated RAF Station Manston on 1 November 1919.
Officers' and Cadets' Training Centre
This was formed on 16 August 1943 at Poona in No 221 Group and was redesignated No 2 Officers' and Cadets' Training School on 26 January 1944.
No 1 Officers' and Cadets' Training Centre
This was formed on 26 January 1944 at Upper Topa in and disbanded on 1 February 1945.
No 1 Officers' and Cadets' Training Centre
It reformed from No 2 OCTS on 1 February 1945 at Poona and disbanded on 1 January 1946 into SHQ Kandy.
No 2 Officers' and Cadets' Training Centre
This was formed from OCTS on 26 January 1944 at Poona and was redesignated No 1 OCTS on 1 February 1945.
No 3 Officers' and Cadets' Training Centre
This was formed on 15 August 1944 at Amman in and disbanded on 1 March 1946.
The Officers' School
This was formed on 1 June 1940 at Loughborough in No 20 Group, replacing the Officers' Disciplinary Course, which had been running there since 1 March. The course was to be of three weeks duration with an intake of 45 per week up to a maximum of 135. From 22 July 1940 two additional hostels were taken over, permitting the capacity of the school to be raised to 240 officers under instruction. It was transferred to No 24 Group at some point.
It moved to Uxbridge on 11 July 1941, being transferred to No 27 Group, where the courses continued to be of three weeks duration but the intake was raised to 200 per week up to a capacity of 600. It was redesignated No 1 Officers School on 1 February 1942.
No 1 Officers' School
This was formed from The Officers' School on 1 February 1942 at Uxbridge and was amalgamated with No 2 Officers' School on 15 June 1942 into the RAF Officers' School at Cosford.
It reformed from the Aircrew Officers' School on 1 May 1946 at Hereford and disbanded on 15 January 1947.
No 2 Officers' School
This was formed on 1 February 1942 at Cosford in No 20 Group and amalgamated with No 1 Officers' School to form the RAF Officers' School on 15 June 1942.
Officers School of Instruction
This was formed in October 1918 at RN College, Greenwich moving to Halton House, Halton Camp on 6 January 1919 and disbanded on 9 August 1919.
No 1 Officers' Technical Training Wing
This was formed from No 1 OTT Corps on 1 January 1917 at 119 Marina Street, St Leonards on Sea being placed under No 1 Area on 1 April 1918 and on in June 1918.
No 2 Officers' Technical Training Wing
This was formed from No 2 OTT Corps on 1 November 1917 at Hastings being placed under No 1 Area on 1 April 1918 and on in June 1919.
No 3 Officers' Technical Training Wing
This was planned to form on 3 October 1917 at Hastings but formation did not proceed.
Polish Air Force Staff College
This was formed from on 1 March 1943 at Eddleston moving to Weston-super-Mare in April 1944 and disbanded on 30 April 1946.
RAF Chaplains’ School (Church of England)
RAF College
RAF College Air Squadron
This was formed on 1 April 1992 at Cranwell, to provided elementary flying training to officer cadets destined for pilot training, its task being taken over by No 1 EFTS on 11 July 2003.
RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed on 10 September 1953 at Jurby, as the RAF OCTU (Jurby). It was retitled RAF OCTU on 1 April 1954 and absorbed te WRAF OCTU on 3 January 1962. On 1 September 1963 it moved to Feltwell, then to Henlow on 1 May 1956, being transferred from No 22 Group to HQ Training Command on 1 December 1971 its disbanded on 24 April 1980 with all officer training being transferred to the RAF College, Cranwell.
RAF Officers School
This was formed from No 1 Officers' School (Uxbridge) and No 2 Officers' School (Cosford) on 15 June 1942 at Cosford and was redesignated Officer Cadet Training Unit on 1 May 1946.
RAF Staff College
RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park
RAF Staff College, Bracknell
RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College (Overseas)
RAF Technical College
This was formed from the RAF School of Aeronautical Engineering on 15 August 1947 at Henlow. It absorbed into Empire Radio School, Debden on 20 October 1949 and was absorbed into Empire Radio School, Debden on 1 June 1953.
It reformed from Henlow Division, RAF Technical College on 1 June 1953 at Henlow and merged into the RAF College on 1 January 1966.
RAF Technical College (Armament Division)
This was formed on 16 December 1949 at Lindholme and disbanded on 15 November 1950.
RAF Technical College (Debden Division)
This was formed from the Signals Division, RAF Technical College on 24 February 1951 at Debden and disbanded on 8 April 1960.
Royal
College of Defence Studies
South-Eastern Area School of Instruction
This was formed in November 1918 at St Leonards-on-Sea. and disbanded on 21 January 1919.
Technical Officers School of Instruction
This was formed on 1 April 1918 at Henley-on-Thames, moving to Halton on 7 January 1919 and disbanded on 12 April 1919.
18th Wing School of Instruction
This was formed on 22 September 1916 at Hendon and disbanded in September 1918.
WAAF Officers Cadet Training Unit
This was formed from the WAAF Officers' School in July 1944 at Windermere and disbanded in November 1945.
WAAF Disciplinary School
Opened on 11 August at Grove House, Reading under No 26 Group to provide a short one week disciplinary course to WAAF Code and Cypher Officers, with a weekly intake of 40 trainees. The last course in Reading began on 2 November 1940, after which the school moved to Bulstrode Park, Gerrards Cross, which it completed on 20 November 1940 and was transferred to No 24 Group. It was renamed WAAF Officers' School on 17 April 1941.
WAAF Officers School
This was formed from WAAF Disciplinary School on 17 April 1941 at Bulstrode Park, Gerrards Cross. From 1 May 1941 the fortnightly intake was increased from 40 to 80 and it moved to Loughborough on 26 July in No 27 Group. At this point it was running four courses, as follows: -
Initial Course, promoted from the ranks - duration 2 weeks
Initial Course, direct entry - duration 4 weeks
Administrative Course - duration 2 weeks (later extended to 3 weeks)
Staff Course - duration 2 weeks
It moved to Windermere on 26 October 1942, where it was redesignated the WAAF Officers' Cadet Training Unit on in July 1944.
[Photos and Personnel Memoirs]
WAAF Officers School
This was formed from on by July 1945 at Stratford-upon-Avon, moving to Stoke Orchard on 12 November, after which its fate is unknown.
WRAF Depot
This was formed on in July 1947 at Hawkinge and was redesignated WRAF OCTU on 1 June 1960.
WRAF Officer Cadet Training Unit
This was formed from the WRAF Depot on 1 June 1960 at Hawkinge and disbanded on 3 January 1962 on being absorbed into the RAF OCTU, Jurby.
WRAF School of Instruction
This was formed from the WRAF Depot on in September 1919 at Hampstead, London and disbanded on 15 September 1919.
This page was last updated on 02/05/24
