Reserves

Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

RAF Reserve Classes

Class	Conceived	Implemented	Eligibility/Notes	Training Requirement
A	1918	1923	Ex-regular commissioned pilots.	12 hours/year
AA1	?	?	Direct entrants - some previous flying experience (e.g. UAS).	12 hours/year
AA2	?	?	Direct entrants - no previous flying experience .	12 hours/year
B	1918	1923	Ex-regular Technical Officers requiring current level of knowledge.	14 days/year if required
BB	?	?	Direct entrant Technical Officers requiring current level of knowledge.	14 days/year if required
C	1918	1923	Ex-regular/wartime officers (ground trades) not requiring current level of knowledge.	not mandatory but 14 days/year permissible
CC	?	?	Civilians employed by the RAF who would be commissioned on mobilisation.	Nil
D	1918	1923	Ex-regular medical officers and dentists.	Nil during mandatory reserve period but 14 days/year if extended
DD	?	?	Direct entrant medical officers and dentists.	Nil
E	1918	1923	Ex-regular airmen. In April 1921, the Air Ministry announced that Class E reservists could not enlist in the Army.	14 days/year if required for ground trades, 12 hours/year for pilots
F		circa 1935	Airman pilots with no previous experience. This class was closed with the formation of the RAFVR in 1937.	30 hours/year
G	1918	1918	Airmen released from service after WW1, liable for recall whilst on the reserve. Class disbanded and all airman in the class discharged - 30 April 1920	Nil
G		1945	Airmen released from service after WW2, liable for recall whilst on the reserve. Last placement in this class - 31 Dec 1948. Liability terminated - 30 June 1969.	Nil
H		1 Jan 1949	Ex-National Service airmen after mandatory period of service. Initially required to serve 6 years on reserve, later changed to 3½ years.	21 days in a year up to a maximum of 60 days
J		1948	Civilians required to exercise executive authority or fill a uniformed post in a specified locality (e.g. ATC Wing Admin Officers and ATC Regional Commandants)	Nil

The following Air Ministry Orders were related to the RAF Reserve Classes

AMO A174/48 (19 February 1948), amended by AMO A258 dated 25 March 1948

Royal Air Force Reserve-Regulations Setting up Class G

The following Regulations have been made by His Majesty in substitution for the Regulations announced in AMO A325/45 which set up a new class of the Royal Air Force Reserve, designated Class G, to include regular and reserve airmen who are released from air force service, and whose liability for air force service is limited to the period of the present emergency.
Under the revised Regulations, Class G comprises three sections, of which sections (i) and (ii) include all airmen classified A and B, respectively, under the Release Scheme, and section (iii) includes all airmen classified as Class C under the Release Scheme and all airmen who are released from service but who are not classified A, B or C under the Release Scheme, except airmen who have an outstanding regular or reserve liability.
The necessary action to effect the transfer of airmen to the appropriate sections on release will be taken by the Air Officer i/c Records.

REGULATIONS

REGULATIONS FOR THE ROYAL AIR FORCE RESERVE, INCLUDING THE RESERVE OF AIR FORCE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE RESERVE

Class G of the reserve will consist solely of airmen of the reserve, including airmen released under the provisions of section 5 (2) of the Armed Forces (Conditions of Service) Act, 1939, whose liability for recall to air force service is limited to the period of the present emergency. It will be divided into three sections, G (i), G(ii) and G(iii), and airmen of the reserve whose liability is limited as above will be transferred as follows :-
1. Class G (i)
  1. Airmen released from air force service under the provisions of section 5 (2) of the Armed Forces (Conditions of Service) Act, 1939, and classified as Class A from the day following the effective date of release.
  2. Airmen whose transfer is authorised by the Air Officer i/c Records, either from Class G(iii) or in accordance with para. 2 of these Regulations-from the date of such transfer.
2. Class G (ii)
  1. Airmen released from air force service under the provisions of section 5 (2) of the Armed Forces (Conditions of Service) Act, 1939, and classified as Class B from the day following the effective date of release.
  2. Airmen whose transfer is authorised by the Air Officer i/c Records, either from Class G (iii), or in accordance with para. 2 of these Regulations-from the date of such transfer.
3. Class G (iii)
  1. Airmen released from air force service under the provisions of section 5 (2) of the Armed Forces (Conditions of Service) Act, 1939, and classified as Class C from the day following the effective date of release.
  2. Airmen released from air force service under the provisions of section 5 (2) of the Armed Forces (Conditions of Service) Act, 1939, and not classified A, B or C from the day following such release or from 28th December, 1944, whichever is the later.
  3. Airmen transferred in accordance with para. 2 of these Regulations from the date of such transfer.
Airmen who at the date of release from air force service are serving on an engagement which includes a specific period of reserve service which has not expired, will be transferred to the appropriate section of Class G from the day following the expiry of such period or the date of this order, whichever is the later.
Airmen of Class G of the air force reserve will not qualify for any service emoluments in respect of their reserve service.
During their period of reserve service, airmen of Class G of the air force reserve will not undertake training. They will, however, be liable to recall to permanent air force service.

(AMOs A325/45, A517/47 and A612/47 cancelled.)

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