Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation


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RAF Station Commanders - South East England


[Andover | Blackbushe | Detling | Dunsfold | Eastbourne | Eastchurch | Eastleigh | Farnborough | Ford | Gatwick | Gosport | Greenham Common | Hartford Bridge | Hamble | Harrowbeer | Hawkinge | Isle of Grain | Lasham | Lee on Solent | Lympne | Manston | Odiham | Rochford | Southampton | Tangmere | Thorney Island | Wartling | Welford | Worthy Down]

RAF Andover

23 Dec 1919                            Sqn Ldr W A McClaughry (OC, Air Pilotage Sch)

 1 Apr 1925                             Flt Lt J E J Drabble

12 Feb 1926                            Wg Cdr L A Pattinson

 4 Oct 1926                             Wg Cdr J H A Landon

26 Jan 1928                             Wg Cdr E A B Rice

21 Oct 1929                            Wg Cdr W B Hargrave

 1 Apr 1932                             Wg Cdr E L Tomkinson

 xx Jan 1933                            Wg Cdr F H Coleman

18 Feb 1933                            Wg Cdr S R Watkins

13 May 1935                           Wg Cdr A T Whitelock

11 Mar 1938                            Wg Cdr T M Williams

27 Oct 1939                            Wg Cdr L Darvall?

 4 Jan 1940:                             Wg Cdr S H C Gray (Temporary)

xx xxx 1941                             Gp Capt C E V Porter

15 Dec 1942                           Gp Capt C N Lowe

xx xxx xxxx                              Gp Capt J A Gray

xx xxx 1951                              Wg Cdr M P C Corkery

xx xxx 1953                              Wg Cdr G M Wyatt (Photo below shows Wg Cdr Wyatt at opening of the 1953 Andover Open Day.  Photo courtesy Gerald Rickwood©)

xx xxx 1956                              Wg. Cdr M M Kane

xx xxx 1958                              Wg. Cdr. F F Addington

18 Aug 1960                            Wg Cdr W Stapleton

xx xxx xxxx

 5 Sep 1966                             Wg Cdr J R Shephard

27 Jan 1969                             Wg Cdr G M Smith

13 Apr 1971                            Wg Cdr T E M Dunne

xx xxx xxxx

21 Jun 1976                             Wg Cdr A L Wright

 

RAF Blackbushe (RAF Hartford Bridge)

28 Aug 1943                              Gp Capt W L M MacDonald

15 Oct 1943                              Placed on Care and Maintenance within No 137 Airfield/Wing

15 May 1944                             C & M Party renamed Holding Party

 1 May 1944                              Sqn Ldr F Alderton

xx xxx xxxx                                Gp Capt Maxwell

xx xxx 1945                               Gp Capt J Bradbury         

 

RAF Detling

xx xxx 1939                           Wg Cdr C P Gabriel (taken ill 15 Feb 1940)

15 Feb - 9 Mar 1940            Sqn Ldr J H Lowe (Temporary)

15 Jun 1940                          Gp Capt F L Hopps

 9 Mar 1940                          Wg Cdr C P Gabriel

20 Jul 1940                           Wg Cdr/Gp Capt E P M Davis (killed 13 Aug 1940)

16 Aug 1940                         Gp Capt C F Toogood

 6 Dec 1940                          Wg Cdr E A Hodgson

17 Dec 1940                         Wg Cdr C J Turner

22 Dec 1940                         Wg Cdr E A Hodgson

 

RAF/RCAF Dunsfold

 5 Dec 1942        Wg Cdr R F Begg RCAF

 1 Jan 1943         Wg Cdr E H G Moncrieff RCAF

19 Jan 1943        Wg Cdr H J Burden RCAF

10 Nov 1943      Gp Capt L W Cannon

29 Nov 1943      Gp Capt L Dunlap RCAF

 1 Jul 1944          Sqn Ldr J J Sector

 2 Sep 1944        Sqn Ldr A G Sudworth

 6 Feb 1945        Sqn Ldr G Hampson

 7 Jun 1945        Wg Cdr H J L Hallowes

 

RAF Eastbourne

29 Sep 1941                            Gp Capt J H Dand

 6 Oct 1942                             Flt Lt Vigors (Temp)

13 Oct 1942                            Wg Cdr Warton

 

RAF Eastchurch

 1 Jul 1920                               Wg Cdr A W Bigsworth*

23 Feb 1923                            Wg Cdr J R W Smyth-Pigott*

 1 May 1925                            Wg Cdr C H K Edmonds*

27 Mar 1927                           Wg Cdr E H Johnson

 6 May 1927                            Wg Cdr S Grant-Dalton*

30 Mar 1929                            Wg Cdr G W Murlis-Green*

16 Jan 1932                             Gp Capt A W Tedder**

 4 Apr 1934                             Wg Cdr E H Spurling

1 Oct 1934                              Gp Capt C W H Pulford**

 7 Sep 1936                             Gp Capt R H Kershaw**

31 Aug 1937                            Gp Capt L G S Payne***

15 Jul 1938                              SHQ Opened

22 Jul 1938                              Gp Capt C B Dalison

17 Sep 1939                            Flt Lt F T Eades

20 Nov 1939                            Gp Capt A P Davidson

30 May 1940                            Sqn Ldr F T Eades

 1 Jun 1940                               Wg Cdr A F Hutton

 8 Jun 1940                               Wg Cdr E C T Edwards

14 Jun 1940                              Sqn Ldr F T Eades

 9 Aug 1940                              Gp Capt F L Hopps

13 Sep 1940                              Sqn Ldr F T Eades

*Cmdt, A&GS

**Cmdt, AAS

***Cmdt, No 1 AAS

 

RAF Farnborough

  1 Feb 1933                            Wg Cdr F C V Laws

16 Oct 1933                            Wg Cdr G H Bowman

28 Jul 1934                              Wg Cdr M L Taylor

26 Mar 1936                            Wg Cdr C Porri

xx xxx xxxx

xx xxx 1962                             Gp Capt J C T Downey

26 Mar 1965                           Gp Capt P D Thorne

 

RAF Ford

  1 Oct 1940                            Sqn Ldr G F W Heycock (OC, No 23 Sqn)

 3 Oct 1940                             Sqn Ldr E H Stevens

23 Oct 1940                            Wg Cdr D M Fleming

 

RAF Gatwick

21 Jul 1940                            Gp Capt J Cottle

12 Aug 1940                          Sqn Ldr J D Gardiner

 2 Sep 1940                           Sqn Ldr A R Hungerford

 

RAF Gosport (RAF Base Gosport up to 1934/5)

 1 Oct 1921                             Wg Cdr N J Gill

14 Nov 1921                           Wg Cdr H R Busteed

 4 Apr 1925                             Wg Cdr R E C Peirse

22 Aug 1925                            Wg Cdr B L Huskisson

19 Jul 1926                              Gp Capt E D M Robertson

27 Mar 1927                            Wg Cdr J T Babington

 3 Sep 1928                             Gp Capt C D Breese

10 Apr 1930                            Wg Cdr J H S Tyssen

 4 Mar 1935                             Gp Capt W C Hicks

 6 Jan 1937                              Wg Cdr H J Roach (Temporary)

 5 Mar 1937                             Gp Capt W C Hicks

 1 May 1937                            Gp Capt B E Baker

28 Aug 1938                            Gp Capt E O Grenfell

30 Aug 1940                            Wg Cdr T A Warne-Browne (Temporary)

16 Sep 1940                            Wg Cdr E W Broadberry (Temporary)

19 Sep 1940                            Wg Cdr E J Ffoulkes-Jones (Temporary)

17 Oct 1940                            Gp Capt E O Grenfell

 1 Nov 1940                            Gp Capt J H Butler

 

RAF Greenham Common

xx Aug 1954                            Wg Cdr G D Jones

 

RAF Hamble

 1 Jan 1940                              Sqn Ldr-Wg Cdr H F Jenkins

 

RAF Harrowbeer

15 Sep 1941                            Wg Cdr E F Ward

 3 Sep 1943                             Wg Cdr J Butterworth

 

RAF Hawkinge

xx xxx 1917                            Maj MacRae

1 May 1920                             Sqn Ldr Sir Norman R A D Leslie*

 6 Feb 1923                             Sqn Ldr A H Peck*

12 Sep 1927                            Sqn Ldr E D Atkinson*

25 Mar 1927                            Sqn Ldr W H Park*

 1 Jan 1929                              Sqn Ldr L G S Payne*

19 Feb 1930                            Sqn Ldr R S Aitken

29 Sep 1930                             Sqn Ldr H M Probyn*

28 Feb 1932                            Sqn Ldr W E G Bryant*

28 Feb 1933                            Sqn Ldr A L Paxton*

21 Jan 1935                             Sqn Ldr W F Dickson*

4 Nov 1935                             SHQ formed

4 Nov 1935                             Sqn Ldr W F Dickson

17 Feb 1936                            Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr A C Bayley

22 Sep 1937                            Wg Cdr R A George

 3 Apr 1939                             Wg Cdr L Darvall

20 Oct 1939                            Sqn Ldr L S Weedon

22 Oct 1939                            Wg Cdr R H Hanmer

27 Oct 1939                            Sqn Ldr L S Weedon

30 Nov 1939                           Flt Lt/Sqn Ldr A Ferris

 1 May 1940                            Wg Cdr W L Payne

12 Jul 1940                              Sqn Ldr H B Hurley

16 Aug 1940                            Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr E E Arnold

 2 Apr 1941                             Wg Cdr W M Fry

19 Jan 1942                             Wg Cdr W L Bateman

30 Apr 1942                            Wg Cdr R W Bundey

25 Sep 1942                            Wg Cdr E G Jones

2 Nov 1942                             Wg Cdr W A Richardson

20 Dec 1942                            Wg Cdr L L A Strange

11 Feb 1943                            Wg Cdr F F Barrett

 9 Jan 1944                               Wg Cdr D J Scott

 1 Mar 1944                             Wg Cdr R F Watts

 1 Jan 1945                              Wg Cdr M N Crossley

 3 Sep 1945                             Wg Cdr H C Kennard

 1 Jun 1947                              Gp Off N Dinnie WAAF

15 Feb 1950                            Gp Off A Stephens WAAF

 3 Nov 1952                            Gp Off M H Barnett WRAF

29 May 1956                           Gp Off J L A Conan-Doyle WRAF

20 Apr 1959                            Gp Off F B Hill WRAF

 2 May 1960                            Wg Off E M Benson WRAF

 *OC No 25 Sqn

 

RAF Isle of Grain

23 Dec 1919                            Wg Cdr T R Cave-Browne-Cave

 

RAF Lasham

xx xxx 1943                              Gp Capt L W Cannon

 8 Dec 1943                             Gp Capt L W C Bower

Memorial to No 320 Squadron and other units that served at RAF Lasham
Memorial to No 320 Squadron and other units that served at RAF Lasham (photo courtesy - Marjorie Hobby)

RAF Lee-on-Solent

14 Oct 1924                            Wg Cdr C E Maude*

26 Mar 1927                            Wg Cdr G F Pretyman*

30 Nov 1929                           Wg Cdr D G Donald*

 2 May 1931                            Wg Cdr J C Quinnell*

 4 Dec 1933                             Gp Capt L T N Gould*

 2 Mar 1936                             Gp Capt J B Graham*

 1 Dec 1937                             Gp Capt J B Graham (separate SHQ)

25 Feb 1938                            Wg Cdr W J Seward

 1 Apr 1939                             Gp Capt J B Graham

*Cmdt, Sch of Naval Co-op

 

RAF Lympne

 4 Nov 1936                            Wg Cdr B E Baker

 8 Dec 1936                            Wg Cdr W A C Morgan

26 Sep 1936                           Vacant

17 Oct 1938                           No SHQ

10 Jun 1940                            Flt Lt T P Aldworth (OC, C & M Party)

11 Jun  1940                           Plt Off A D Rutherford-Jones (Equipment Officer)

15 Jun 1940                            Fg Off T Hogan (Admin)

24 Jun  1940                           Flt Lt-Sqn Ldr D H Montgomery

 

RNAS/RAF Manston

29 May 1916        Sqn Cdr R L G Marix RNAS

 5 Jun 1916           Wg Cdr R Bell-Davies VC, DSO RNAS

14 Jun 1916          Wg Cdr-Wg Capt W L Elder RNAS

 4 Dec 1916         Flt Cdr G L Thompson RNAS

 9 May 1917        Sqn Cdr J T Babington RNAS

14 Sep 1918         Lt Col A C Bishop

 5 Nov 1919         Wg Cdr W H Primrose

xx Nov 1921         Wg Cdr J H A Landon

 2 Jul 1924            Gp Capt A L Godman

19 Jan 1925          Gp Capt S A Hebden

13 May 1929        Gp Capt R C M Pink

 1 Jul 1931            Wg Cdr R M Drummond

 2 Oct 1931          Gp Capt S W Smith

18 Aug 1933        Gp Capt E R Manning

10 Aug 1935        Gp Capt W V Strugnell

xx Jul 1939           Gp Capt A Gray

xx xxx 1939          Sqn Ldr E S Osborn (Temporary)

28 Oct 1939         Wg Cdr R H Hanmer

12 Jun 1940          Wg Cdr R B Jordan

20 Jun 1940          Sqn Ldr E S Osborn

 5 Sep 1940         Sqn Ldr G A L Manton

xx Mar 1941        Wg Cdr R L Bennet

xx Oct 1941         Wg Cdr T P Gleave

xx Apr 1942         Gp Capt A G Adnams

xx Sep 1942         Wg Cdr C R Hancock

xx Nov 1942        Wg Cdr D F B Sheen

xx Apr 1943         Wg Cdr G L Raphael

 9 Oct 1944          Gp Capt A D Murray

xx Sep 1945         Wg Cdr R F H Clerke

xx Oct 1946         Gp Capt R Grice

xx Jan 1948          Gp Capt M D Crichton-Biggie

xx Feb 1950         Gp Capt T W G Eady

xx Jul 1950           Gp Capt J Rankin

xx May 1952        Gp Capt E S Finch

xx Apr 1955         Gp Capt W G Oldbury

xx Oct 1956         Wg Cdr J A A Read

xx May 1958        Sqn Ldr P A Alt

xx Sep 1958         Flt Lt D E G Marlow

xx Apr 1959         Sqn Ldr W E Evans

xx Jul 1961           Wg Cdr W J Swift

xx Mar 1964        Wg Cdr W Hoy

xx Nov 1965        Wg Cdr D B Wills

xx Jan 1969          Wg Cdr E N Scott

xx Jul 1971           Wg Cdr R A Jell

xx Apr 1974        Wg Cdr C J Duncombe

xx Feb 1976        Wg Cdr N T R Bulpitt

xx Mar 1978        Wg Cdr C Campbell

xx Aug 1980        Wg Cdr H H Skinner

xx Sep 1983        Wg Cdr J D Ward

xx Sep 1985        Wg Cdr T J Hindmarsh

xx Mar 1988        Wg Cdr J R Whitson

xx Nov 1990        Wg Cdr A C Montgomery

xx Nov 1993        Wg Cdr D H White

xx Feb 1996         Wg Cdr M G Richardson

xx xxx xxxx          

xx xxx xxxx           Wg Cdr S Savage

xx xxx 2014          Wg Cdr C Thorpe

 

RAF Odiham

11 Jan 1937                            Wg Cdr L O Brown

22 Oct 1938                           Sqn Ldr Hutton (Temp)

 5 Dec 1938                            Wg Cdr F M F West

xx xxx xxxx

xx xxx xxxx                              Wg Cdr C D North-Lewis (1947)

xx xxx 1949                             Gp Capt D C Stapleton

xx xxx 1950                             Gp Capt H J Maguire

xx Aug 1952                            Wg/Gp Capt J A Kent

xx Aug 1952                            

 1 Apr 1960                             Wg Cdr B J Jennings

19 Feb 1962                            Gp Capt D F B Sheen

 7 Aug 1964                             Gp Capt W S O Randle

16 Sep 1966                            Gp Capt W E Martin

21 Feb 1969                            Gp Capt A T Talbot-Williams

12 Feb 1971                            Gp Capt J A G Slessor

18 May 1973                           Gp Capt A L Bennett

30 May 1975                           Gp Capt J L Price

22 Apr 1977                            Gp Capt P D M Moore

xx xxx 1979                             Gp Capt C H Reineck

18 Dec 1981                            Gp Capt A F C Hunter

21 Oct 1983                            Gp Capt B A Wright

15 Nov 1985                           Gp Capt T Garden

xx xxx 1987                             Gp Capt J R Day

xx xxx 1989                             Gp Capt J C French

xx xxx xxxx

xx Dec 1993                            Gp Capt P A Crawford

xx xxx xxxx

xx xxx xxxx

xx xxx 2000                             Gp Capt M C Barter

14 Dec 2001                            Gp Capt A D Pulford

xx xxx 2004                             Gp Capt T S Milburn

xx xxx xxxx                              Gp Capt S K P Reynolds

xx xxx xxxx                              Gp Capt S J Shell

28 Oct 2011                            Gp Capt D J Toriati

28 Oct 2013                            Gp Capt R C Maddison

xx Oct 2015                            Gp Capt P J Robinson

xx Oct 2017                            Gp Capt L Turner

xx Sep 2019                            Gp Capt N J Knight

xx Aug 2021                           Gp Capt D G McGurk

xx Aug 2023                           Gp Capt M D Roberts

 

RAF Rochford

28 Oct 1940                           Wg Cdr B E Embry

 

RAF Southampton/Eastleigh (renamed 1 Aug 1936)

 4 Jan 1936                              Wg Cdr D Iron

24 Feb 1937                            Wg Cdr F H Laurence

 

RAF Tangmere

23 Nov 1926                           Wg Cdr J H S Tyssen

 1 Oct 1928                             Sqn Ldr E B Grenfell (Temporary)

 7 Dec 1928                             Wg Cdr J B Graham

22 Nov 1931                           Wg Cdr R M Drummond

 9 Jun 1933                              Wg Cdr G C Pirie

27 Aug 1934                            Wg Cdr E G Hopcroft

 1 Feb 1935                             Wg Cdr R B Mansell

22 Aug 1935                            Wg Cdr L H Slatter

13 Apr 1937                            Wg Cdr C W Hill

 3 Jan 1938                              Gp Capt K R Park

 9 Jun 1938                              Gp Capt F Sowrey

 1 Aug 1939                            Gp Capt C H Nicholas

 1 Oct 1939                             Wg Cdr I A Betram

 1 Mar 1940                            Wg Cdr C L Lea-Cox

 6 Jul 1940:                              Gp Capt J A Boret

28 Apr 1941                            Gp Capt A B Woodhall

 4 Feb 1942                             Gp Capt C H Appleton

xx xxx xxxx

xx xxx 1949                             Wg Cdr T O Prickett

xx Aug 1952                            Gp Capt J A Kent

xx Oct 1955                             Gp Capt E W Whitley

xx Sep 1958                             Wg Cdr W D David

 8 May 1961                            Gp Capt P A Hughes

 1 Feb 1965                             Wg Cdr P D J Wood

 4 Aug 1967                             Gp Capt R D Roe

30 Apr 1968                            Wg Cdr D Gray

 

RAF Thorney Island

21 Mar 1938                            Gp Capt J C Russell

xx xxx xxxx

 5 Jun 1940                               Gp Capt T A Langford-Sainsbury

xx xxx xxxx                               Gp Capt H S Scroggs (killed 29 Sep 1941)

xx Jun 1942                              Gp Capt O I Gilson

xx Apr 1943                           

xx xxx 1946                              Gp Capt A W Hunt

xx xxx 1948                             

xx Apr 1954                             Gp Capt S J Marchbank

xx xxx 1956                             Gp Capt H E C Boxer

xx Dec 1958                            Gp Capt W G Devas

24 Jan 1961                             Gp Capt D L Pitt

 4 Feb 1963                             Gp Capt H M H Tudor

16 Jul 1965                              Gp Capt R C E Scott

 7 Sep 1967                             Gp Capt S Slater

16 Feb 1970                            Gp Capt D Wood

 3 Mar 1972                             Gp Capt J D Spottiswood

21 Jun 1974                             Gp Capt G H Gilbert

 

RAF Wartling

xx Jun 1958                              Gp Capt I G Esplin

14 Jun 1960                             Gp Capt R F Watts

28 Aug 1961                            Gp Capt W J Gregory

 

RAF Welford

xx xxx 1949                             Gp Capt M Watson

 

RAF Worthy Down

 1 Dec 1926                             Gp Capt Hon J D Boyle

 4 Apr 1929                             Gp Capt F K Haskins

 6 Aug 1929                             Gp Capt C H K Edmonds

 7 Aug 1931                             Gp Capt J R W Smyth-Pigott

16 Jan 1934                             Wg Cdr/Gp Capt A A B Thomson

 6 Nov 1936                            Wg Cdr C H Keith

22 Aug 1937                            Wg Cdr W Underhill

 6 Mar 1939                            Wg Cdr G R C Spencer

 

Officers shown in Italics either never reached Air Rank or were not in the General Duties Branch when they did so

[Andover | Blackbushe | Detling | Dunsfold | Eastbourne | Eastchurch | Eastleigh | Farnborough | Ford | Gatwick | Gosport | Greenham Common | Hartford Bridge | Hamble | Harrowbeer | Hawkinge | Isle of Grain | Lasham | Lee on Solent | Lympne | Manston | Odiham | Rochford | Southampton | Tangmere | Thorney Island | Wartling | Welford | Worthy Down]

This page was last updated on 14/03/24

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