Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Overseas Commands - Iraq, India and the Far East

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RAF Iraq

Formed 13 Oct 1921, by raising Mesopotamian Group to Command status. Renamed Iraq Command, 1 Oct 1922.

13 Oct 1921             Gp Capt-A/Cdre A E Borton

Formed 1 Oct 1922 when RAF Iraq assumed full responsibilities for all British Forces in Iraq. Renamed British Forces in Iraq, xx xxx 1933/4

2 Jun 1923               AVM J M Salmond

13 Mar 1924           AVM J F A Higgins

3 Nov 1926             AVM E L Ellington

1 Nov 1928             AVM H R M Brooke-Popham

2 Oct 1930              AVM E R Ludlow-Hewitt

?                              A/Cdre C L Courtney (Temporary)

23 Nov 1932           AVM C S Burnett

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

This was formed in 1933-4 by renaming Iraq Command and was renamed AHQ Iraq, 1 November 1941.

23 Nov 1932            AVM C S Burnett

31 Dec 1934             AVM W G S Mitchell

12 Feb 1937             AVM C L Courtney

26 Oct 1939             AVM H G Smart

1 Jun 1941                AVM J H D'Albiac

 19 Feb 1942             AVM H V Champion de Crespigny

23 Jul 1945:                AVM S C Strafford

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

AHQ Iraq

This was formed 1 November 1941 by renaming HQ British Forces in Iraq and was placed under the direct control of HQ, RAF Middle East.  On 20 December 1942 Advanced and Rear HQs were established at Baghdad and Habbaniya respectively.  Advanced HQ was composed of the AOC, AOA and Planning Staff, dealing with operations and organisational policy, whilst the Rear HQ consisted of administrative staffs and services.  It was renamed AHQ Iraq and Persia on 1 January 1943 and was reformed by renaming AHQ Iraq and Persia on 1 March 1946.  It was disbanded by being renamed AHQ Levant, 1 May 1955.

 19 Feb 1942             AVM H V Champion de Crespigny

 1 Jan 1943                Disbanded

 1 Mar 1946               AVM S C Strafford

26 Mar 1947              AVM A Gray

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

AHQ Iraq and Persia

This was formed on 1 January 1943 by renaming AHQ Iraq.  Advanced AHQ, Iraq and Persia was formed at Baghdad on 1 July 1945 but by November 1945 had been redesignated AHQ Detachment, RAF Iraq and Persia.  It was renamed AHQ Iraq on 1 March 1946

 1 Jan 1943               AVM H V Champion de Crespigny

xx xxx 1943:              AVM R P Willock

 3 Dec 1944              AVM R A George

23 Jul 1945               AVM S C Strafford

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

 RAF India

Formed at Simla by May 1919 with group status within Middle East Area, it moved to Delhi on 14 November 1919.  On 15 February 1920 was raised to Command status controlled directly by the Air Ministry, however, on 1 January 1921 it reverted to Group status as Indian Group.

20 Sep 1919             A/Cdre T I Webb-Bowen

It reformed on 1 April 1922 at Ambala by renaming Indian Group, moving to New Delhi in December 1922, although the it relocated every year between March and October to the hill station at Simla.  It disbanded on 27 December 1938 when it was redesignated HQ Air Forces in India.

1 Apr 1922               A/Cdre T I Webb-Bowen

31 Dec 1922            AVM P W Game

5 Nov 1923             AVM E L Ellington

27 Dec 1926            AVM W G H Salmond

6 Feb 1931              AVM/AM Sir John Steel

2 Mar 1935             AM Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt

29 Sep 1937            AM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferte

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

This was formed on 27 December 1938 by renaming RAF India.  It was reduced in status on 16 November 1943 following the formation of South East Asia Air Command as AHQ India.

27 Dec 1938           AM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferte

5 Aug 1940             AM Sir Patrick Playfair

6 Mar 1942             ACM Sir Richard Pierse

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

Formed xx Apr 1927 . OC RAF Units in Hong Kong was also Fleet Aviation Officer to C in C, China.

27 Jan 1927             Gp Capt E D M Robertson

Formed 11 Apr 1927?. OC RAF Units attached to Shanghai Defence Force was also Air Staff Officer to GOC Shanghai.

11 Apr 1927             Wg Cdr A S Barratt

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

Formed 1 Jan 1930. OC, Far East Command was also OC RAF Base Singapore. Renamed RAF Far East 1 Dec 1932?.

1 Jan 1930             Gp Capt H M Cave-Browne-Cave

17 Oct 1930          Gp Capt A H Jackson

7 Oct 1933             Gp Capt - A/Cdre S W Smith

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

Formed 1 Dec 1933 by renaming Far East Command and was renamed AHQ Far East on 9 January 1941.

1 Dec 1933             Gp Capt - A/Cdre S W Smith

9 Oct 1936             AVM A W Tedder

12 Aug 1938           AVM J T Babington

This was formed on 9 January 1941 by renaming RAF Far East. Disbanded 14 Feb 1942.

 9 Jan 1941            AVM J T Babington

6 Mar 1941              AVM C W H Pulford

11 Feb 1942            AVM P C Maltby

American British Dutch Australian Command (ABDA Command)

This was formed on 14 February 1942 as an Allied Command on the disbandment of GHQ Far East, with its HQ in Java. ABDA Air Forces were divided into fIVEGroups: -

• NORGROUP (Rangoon)
• WESGROUP (Singapore)
• CENGROUP (Bandong - Dutch))
• EASGROUP (Darwin - US or Australian)
• RESGROUP (Reconnaissance Group covering the whole ABDA Area) (Batavia - Dutch)

RAF units where mainly located in WESGROUP (ex No 221 Group), and NORGROUP (ex Nos 224 & 225 Groups and all other ex Far East units except Nos 221 and 222 Groups). 

WESGROUP was formally disbanded on 28 March 1942, by which time its HQ had moved to Soekabboond, Java and NORGROUP had been placed under the operational, as well as the administrative, control of AHQ India.

HQ NORGROUP later moved to Akyab, where it closed on 12 March 1942, immediately reopening at HQ No 221 Group at Calcutta, where it remained until being disbanded in April 1942.

Supreme Commander ABDA Area

14 Feb 1942             General Sir Archibald Wavell

Commander, Combined Air Forces, ABDA Area

14 Feb 1942             AM Sir Richard Pierse

This was formed on 20 April 1942 at Government House, Barrackpore to co-ordinate the work of Nos 221 and 224 Groups as well as providing an efficient link between the Governor of Bengal, Eastern Army Commander, Calcutta Corps Commanders, Senior Naval Officer and AHQ India.  It began functioning on 6 May 1942 and was renamed Tactical Air Force (Burma) on 19 December 1943.  It was reformed on 1 August 1944 at Barrackpore, moving to Calcutta on 19 November and was absorbed into HQ RAF Bengal/Burma on 4 December 1944.

20 Apr 1942             Vacant

 5 May 1942             AVM D F Stevenson

 4 Jan 1943                AVM T M Williams

15 Dec 1943             ?

AHQ India

This was formed on 16 November 1943 from HQ Air Forces in India following the formation of South East Asia Air Command, comprising: -

1. All Indian Air Force Units, except those which may be lent by the C-in-C India to the Supreme Allied Commander for operations.
2. Any RAF Units which may be lent by the Supreme Allied Commander to the C-in-C India the for the local defence and internal security of India.

It was re-organised on 8 March 1944 becoming a subordinate formation within ACSEA and disbanded on xx xxx xxxx.  Reformed on 1 April 1946, it took over the role of BAFSEA and disbanded on 15 August 1947.

8 Mar 1944               AVM M Thomas (AOC)

22 Nov 1946             AM Sir Hugh Walmsley (AOC-in-C)

It was formed on 16 November 1943 in New Delhi as South East Asia Air Command to control all Allied air operations in the South East Asia region and comprised: -

1. All RAF Units in India, Burma and Ceylon, including Training, Maintenance and Base Units, with the exception of such units as may be lent by the Supreme Allied Commander to the C-in-C India for the local defence and internal security of India.
2. Any Indian Air Force Units which may be lent by the C-in-C India to the Supreme Allied Commander for operations.

It was renamed Air Command South East Asia on 30 December 1943. On 1 March 1944 an Advanced HQ commenced forming in New Delhi and moved to Kandy in Ceylon, opening on 17 April 1944.  It moved to Singapore before the end of 1945, leaving a detachment at Kandy, which became HQ, ACSEA (Detachment Kandy), but this disbanded on10 December 1945.

It was renamed Air Command Far East on 30 September 1946.

16 Nov 1943            ACM Sir Richard Peirse

27 Nov 1944            AM Sir Guy Garrod (Temporary)

25 May 1945            ACM Sir Keith Park

30 Nov 1945            ACM Sir Keith Park

30 Apr 1946             AM Sir George Pirie

This was formed on 15 December 1943, absorbing AHQ Bengal to control 3rd TAF (Nos 221 and 224 Groups and part of 10th USAAF) and Strategical Air Force (remainder of  10th USAAF and No 231 Group). It was subordinate to HQ ACSEA and from February 1944 (South East Asia) was added to its title.  RAF Units reverted to the control of AHQ Burma on 1 June 1945.

15 Dec 1943             Gen ? Stratmeyer (USAAF)

This formed as Strategical Air Force prior to 16 December 1943, when it came under the control of  Eastern Air Command and in January 1944 was renamed Strategic Air Force, Eastern Air Command and from February 1944 (South East Asia) was added to its title. It disbanded on 1 June 1945.

16 Dec1943             Maj Gen H C Davidson USAAF

20 Jun 1944             A/Cdre F J W Mellersh

Tactical Air Force (Burma) was formed on 19 December 1943, but was renamed  3rd Tactical Air Force on 28 Decembe 1943.  It was subordinate to Eastern Air Command and was absorbed into HQ RAF Bengal/Burma on 4 December 1944.

19 Dec 1943             AM Sir John Baldwin

25 Aug 1944             AM Sir Alec Coryton

Formed1 Oct 1944 . Subordinate to HQ ACSEA. Disbanded by being amalgamated with AHQ India, 1 Apr 1946

6 Nov 1944             AM Sir Leslie Hollinghurst

1945 - 46                AM Sir Roderic Carr

This was formed in Calcutta on 4 December 1944 from AHQ Bengal and HQ, 3rd Tactical Air Force as part of Eastern Air Command.  It was responsible for: -

• functional control of all RAF Administrative Units in Eastern Air Command
• administration, under ACSEA of all RAF units (other than No 229 and No 230 Group units) east of the Brahmaputra River and No 231 Group.
• functional control and administration under BAFSEA of all Air Force Units in the area of Eastern Army Command. i.e. the area bounded by the Brahmaputra River on the east and the boundary of HQ, No 227 Group on the west).

It was renamed HQ RAF Burma on 27 February 1945.

4 Dec 1944             AM Sir Alec Coryton

AHQ RAF Burma/AHQ Burma/HQ RAF Burma

This was formed on 27 February 1945 by renaming HQ RAF Bengal and Burma and was responsible for: -

1. The functional and administrative control of all RAF and IAF Units (other than than units under BAFSEA) in the area of Eastern Army Command.
2. The functional and administrative control and the provision of administrative services to all RAF and IAF Units in Burma.

With the disbandment of Eastern Air Command AHQ RAF Burma assumed, in addition to the above: -

1. Operational control of all RAF Units formerly under the operational control of Eastern Air Command.
2. Operational control of any remaining USAAF Units which may be assigned to it by the USAAF Commanding General.

It was renamed AHQ RAF Burma on 1 Jun 1945 but this was changed to HQ, RAF Burma on 1 August 1945, and disbanded on 31 December 1947.

27 Feb 1945             AM Sir Alec Coryton

This was formed in ACSEA on 8 December 1945 and pending its move to Japan was under the control of HQ BAFSEA. It disbanded on 31 March 1948.

1 Oct 1945             AVM C A Bouchier (appointed prior to formation)

 HQ RAF Ceylon/AHQ Ceylon

This was formed 27 Jun 1941 as HQ RAF Ceylon at Colombo to be responsible for the operational control and administration of RAF Stations in Ceylon and bases in the Indian Ocean.  It was reduced to Group status as No 222 Group on 1 September 1941.  No 222 Group was raised to command status as AHQ Ceylon on 16 October 1945, but AHQ Ceylon (Unit) was disbanded on 1 January 1946. 

The AHQ disbanded on 1 November 1957.

 1 Jan 1946             A/Cdre C E Chilton

xx xxx xxxx:            A/Cdre G C Bladon

27 Aug 1949          A/Cdre F L Pearce

 5 Feb 1951?          A/Cdre J B M Wallis

23 May 1952          A/Cdre J Cox

31 May 1955          A/Cdre H W Mermagen

Formed 1 Oct 1945 by raising No 224 Group to Command status.   Reduced to No 224 Group, 31 Aug 1957.

1 Oct 1945                  AVM J D Breakey

8 Nov 1947                 AVM J W Jones

28 May 1948               AVM A C Sanderson

22 Jan 1951                 AVM R S Blucke

14 Feb 1952                AVM G H Mills

 1 Jan 1953                  AVM  F R W Scherger (RAAF)

14 Jan 1956                 AVM W H Kyle

11 Jun 1957                 AVM  V E Hancock (RAAF)

This was formed as HQ RAF Hong Kong on 15 Sep 1945 and was renamed AHQ Hong Kong on 15 May 1946.  It disbanded into HQ British Forces, Hong Kong on 24 Mar 1967

AOC's

15 Sep 1945                A/Cdre W A D Brook

30 Jun 1946                 A/Cdre S N Webster

28 Oct 1948                A/Cdre A D Davies

12 Apr 1951                A/Cdre D W F Bonhan-Carter

xx xxx 1953?                A/Cdre R C Field

22 Jun 1955                 A/Cdre A D Messenger

13 Nov 1957               A/Cdre P D Holder

13 Feb 1960                A/Cdre P L Donkin

27 May 1962               A/Cdre J H N Whitworth

 3 Apr 1964                 A/Cdre D Crowley-Milling

15 Dec 1965                A/Cdre H A C Bird-Wilson

 1 Nov 1970                 A/Cdre C L Godwin

18 Dec 1972                A/Cdre M P Stanton

17 Mar 1975                A/Cdre B G Frow

 Commanders

28 Mar 1977                Gp Capt A D A Honley

30 Jan 1979                 Gp Capt T A Burnett

Formed 1 Oct 1945 by renaming No 909 Group. Subordinate to AHQ Burma. Disbanded, xx Apr 1946.

HQ French Indo-China

Formed 1 Oct 1945. Disbanded, 15 Feb 1946.

 1 Oct 1945            A/Cdre W G Cheshire

Formed 1 Oct 1945. Disbanded, 30 Nov 1946.

1 Oct 1945             A/Cdre C A Stevens

Formed 30 Sep 1946 with disbandment of Allied ACSEA. Renamed Far East Air Force, 1 Jun 1949.

30 Sep 1946             AM Sir George Pirie

Far East Air Force

Formed 1 Jun 1949  by renaming  Air Command Far East.  Disbanded 31 Oct 1971.

Commanders in Chief

 1 Jun 1949                  

26 Nov 1949               AM Sir Francis Fogarty

11 Jun 1952                 AM Sir Clifford Sanderson

12 Nov 1954               AM Sir Francis Fressanges

13 Jul 1957                  AM - ACM The Earl of Bandon

30 Jun 1960                 AM Sir Anthony Selway

31 May 1962               AM Sir Hector McGregor

Commanders

10 Jan 1964                 AM Sir Peter Wykeham

 8 Aug 1966                 AM Sir Rochford Hughes

11 Feb 1969                AM Sir Neil Wheeler

 1 Oct 1970                 AVM N M Maynard

Far East Command

Formed xx Nov 1962/1 Jun 1963? as a unified command with the C in C's post alternating between the three services.  Disbanded 13 Oct 1971.

Commanders in Chief

xx xxx 1963                 Adm Sir Varyl Begg

28 May 1965               ACM Sir John Grandy

 1 Feb 1967                 Gen Sir Michael Carver

xx xxx xxxx:                 Adm Sir Peter Hill-Norton

29 May 1970               ACM Sir Brian Burnett  

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