Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Overseas Named Groups - Africa, Middle East & Mediterranean
This was formed in Cairo on 1 July 1916 to control all RFC units in Egypt, Salonika, Mesopotamia and East Africa and was redesignated HQ RFC Middle East on 5 October 1917.
1 Jul 1916: Brig-Gen W G H Salmond
This was formed in Cairo on 5 October 1917 by renaming Middle East Brigade and was redesignated HQ RAF Middle East on 1 April 1918.
5 Oct 1917: Brig-Gen W G H Salmond
5 Nov 1917: Brig-Gen W S Brancker
This was formed at Umm el Kaleh on 5 October 1917 to control all RFC operational units 5th and 40th Wings) east of Suez for the forthcoming offensive against the Turks with an Advanced HQ operated at Deir el Balah. By April 1919 it was located at Ismailia and in June, as a cadre, was amalgamated with HQ 5th Wing (cadre) and HQ 40th Wing (cadre) to form the Arbitive Amagamated HQ, which in turn was redesignated Palestine Group on 18 March 1920.
Officers Commanding: -
5 Oct 1917 Brig-Gen W G H Salmond (retained command of HQ RFC Middle East)
5 Nov 1917 Brig-Gen W S Brancker (retained command of HQ RFC Middle East)
14 Dec 1917 Brig-Gen A E Borton
xx Nov 1918 Lt Col R Williams
xx Jan 1919
Arbitive Amagamated HQ
26 Jun 1919 Maj W J Y Guilfoyle
16 Aug 1919 Lt Col S Grant-Dalton
23 Aug 1919 Sqn Ldr W L Welsh
7 Oct 1919 Wg Cdr S Grant-Dalton
6 Jan 1920 Wg Cdr C S Burnett
Training Brigade (Middle East)
This was formed at Heliopolis on 14 December 1917 from training Group to control all RFC training units west of Suez and was redesignated Egyptian Group on 18 March 1920.
14 Dec 1917 Brig-Gen P L W Herbert
8 Sep 1919 A/Cdre R M Groves
This was formed at Heliopolis on 18 March 1920 by redesignating HQ Training Brigade and disbanded on 17 December 1924.
18 Mar 1920 ?
1 Jun 1920 A/Cdre O Swann
1 Jan 1922 A/Cdre B C H Drew
2 May 1924 A/Cdre R H Clark-Hall
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Group available in the Member Areas
This was formed on 18 April 1939, being redesignated No 202 Group on 21 September 1939.
18 Apr 1939 A/Cdre R Collishaw
This was formed at Ismailia on 18 March 1920 by redesignating Palestine Brigade, by which time it controlled Nos 14, 55, 208 and 216 Squadrons. On 1 April 1921 it assumed control of No 45 Squadron but was reduced to Palestine Wing on 1 April 1922.
18 Mar 1920 Wg Cdr C S Burnett
20 Mar 1920 Wg Cdr S Grant-Dalton
26 Nov 1920 Gp Capt U J D Bourke
1 Jan 1922 Gp Capt P F M Fellowes
Listings of units and personnel controlled by this Group available in the Member Areas
This was formed at Valetta on 27 September 1918 by redesignating Malta Command but was redesignated Mediterranean District on 12 December 1918.
This was formed at Valetta on 12 December 1918 by redesignating Malta Group. It was subordinate to HQ RAF Middle East and tasked with the control of RAF units based in the Mediterranean, including those on board the RNs aircraft carriers. It was redesignated Mediterranean Group on 18 March 1920.
2 Apr 1919 A/Cdre O Swann
This was formed at Amman on 1 April 1922 to control RAF units operating in the mandated territories under the control of HQ RAF Middle East. On 1 April 1924 it was transferred to the control of the newly formed Palestine Command and was renamed RAF Transjordan in March/April 1925.
1 Apr 1922 Gp Capt R Gordon
16 Apr 1923 Gp Capt N D K MacEwen
This was formed at Amman by renaming RAF Trans-Jordania in March/April 1925 and was absorbed into HQ Transjordan & Palestine on 1 October 1926.
xx xxx 1925 Gp Capt N D K MacEwen
6 May 1926 Gp Capt L W B Rees VC
HQ RAF Transjordan & Palestine/HQ Palestine & Transjordan
This was formed at Amman from Palestine Command and RAF Transjordan as HQ RAF Transjordan & Palestine on 1 October 1926. It moved to Azrak on 13 April 1927, back to Amman on 2 June and then to Government Offices, Jerusalem on 29 September 1929. On 13 January 1930 it moved to Customs House in Jerusalem and from 10 April set up an Advanced HQ at Amman. Its final move was to the Old Fast Hotel Building in Jerusalem, where it was redesignated HQ RAF Palestine & Transjordan in April 1933. It was raised to Command status as HQ RAF in Palestine and Transjordan to control the RAF element of British Forces in Palestine & Transjordan on 15 September 1936.
1 Oct 1926 Gp Capt L W B Rees VC
15 Nov 1928 Gp Capt P H L Playfair
xx Aug 1929 Brig Dobbie
7 Sep 1929 AVM H C T Dowding
1 Dec 1929 A/Cdre P H L Playfair
20 Nov 1930 A/Cdre W R Freeman
30 Sep 1933 A/Cdre-AVM R E C Peirse (also AOC, British Forces in Palestine & Transjordan)
15 Sep 1936 A/Cdre R M Hill
General Reconnaissance Group, Gibraltar
This was formed at Gibraltar in about September 1939 but was redesignated No 200 (General Reconnaissance) Group on 21 September 1939.
General Reconnaissance Group, Alexandria
This was formed on 8 September 1939 at Alexandria but was redesignated No 201 (General Reconnaissance) Group, on 18 September 1939.
This was formed 17 June 1941 in RAF Middle East and was redesignated No 206 Group on 1 September 1941.
xx xxx 1941 Gp Capt C B Cooke
This was formed 28 June 1940 from HQ Southern Rhodesian Air Force to control all air training units in the country. With the end of hostilities there was a reduction in the training effort but it never actually ceased and on 1 December 1946 the RATG was redesignated Air Training Wing, Southern Rhodesia. As the result of training increasing, it reverted to the title Rhodesian Air Training Group on 10 May 1948 at Kumalo. In late 1950/early 1951 control of training was transferred to HQ, Flying Training Command, whilst administration and technical control remained with the Air Ministry. It finally disbanding on 31 March 1954.
21 Mar 1940 AVM C W Meredith
xx xxx xxxx A/Cdre J W B Grigson (Acting)
30
Oct 1946
A/Cdre G G Banting
19
Feb 1949
A/Cdre N S Allinson
4
May 1951
A/Cdre H H Brookes
16
Jan 1952/3
A/Cdre G Bearne
HQ Tactical Light Bomber Force
This was formed on 20 March 1943 under the control of North-West African Tactical Air Force to administer operational and administrative control over No 326 Wing, RAF and two US Light Bomber Groups equipped with Bostons and Mitchells, but disbanded on 1 March 1944.
This was formed at Hussein Dey on 30 June 1946 by redesignating No 218 Group under the control of AHQ Malta, but disbanded on 17 August 1946.
20 Jun 1946 A/Cdre E A Burridge
This page was last updated on 09/11/24