RAF Support Command
| RAF Support Command | |
|---|---|
| File:RAFSupportCommand.png | |
| Active | 1973-1994 |
| Country | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom |
| Branch | File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force |
| Role | Logistical and maintenance support |
| Size | 18,144 uniformed personnel (1993) |
| Headquarters | RAF Brampton[1] |
| Motto | Ut Aquilae Volent (Latin: That Eagles May Fly)[2] |
Support Command was a command of the Royal Air Force between 1973 and 1994. The headquarters was located at RAF Brampton in Cambridgeshire.
History
[edit | edit source]It was formed on 31 August 1973 by the renaming of RAF Maintenance Command,[3] with No. 90 (Signals) Group being added to it. Its responsibilities included all logistical and maintenance support requirements of the RAF. Among its first stations assigned may have been RAF Gan, transferred from Far East Air Force. It was renamed as RAF Support Command, and its role further increased, on 13 June 1977 when it absorbed Training Command, making it additionally responsible for all RAF ground and aircrew training.[4] In 1982, Support Command had an inventory of 500 aircraft and 49,000 personnel, which included 14,000 civilians and 8,000 trainees.[4]
Support Command undertook training for all officers and other ranks, which was delivered at Biggin Hill, Cosford, Cranwell, Digby, Finningley, Halton, Henlow, Hereford, Leeming, Linton-on-Ouse, Locking, Newton, North Luffenham, St Athan, Sealand, Shawbury, Swinderby, and Valley.[5] One major function of Support Command was facilitating medical training and delivery of medical services. This involved the control of the RAF Hospitals at Ely, Halton, Nocton Hall and Wroughton. Support Command was also responsible for the rehabilitation centres at Chessington and Headley Court.[6]
In the 1980s the bunker at RAF Holmpton was converted to form a new Emergency War Headquarters for RAF Support Command.[7] In the year before it was disbanded (1993), Support Command had 18,144 uniformed personnel under its structure, spread across 40 locations.[8] In October 1985, the HQ building of Support Command at RAF Brampton was destroyed by fire.[9] Staff had to move into temporary accommodation until a new HQ building was built, with the final cost coming in at around £44 million.[10] The new HQ was opened on 7 June 1988 by the Duke of Gloucester.[11]
In 1994 the Command was split up, with many of its functions merging with those of the RAF Personnel Management Centre to form RAF Personnel and Training Command, and others being hived off into RAF Logistics Command.[3]
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief
[edit | edit source]The following officers have held the appointment of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Support Command:[3]
- 31 Aug 1973 - Air Marshal Sir Reginald Harland
- 13 Jun 1977 - Air Marshal Sir Rex Roe
- 30 Aug 1978 - Air Marshal Sir Keith Williamson
- 3 May 1980 - Air Marshal Sir John Gingell[12]
- 27 Apr 1981 - Air Marshal Sir Michael Beavis[4]
- 15 Feb 1984 - Air Marshal Sir David Harcourt-Smith[13]
- 2 Jan 1986 - Air Marshal Sir John Sutton[14]
- 5 Apr 1989 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon[15]
- 8 May 1990 - Air Chief Marshal Sir John Thomson[15]
- 5 Oct 1992 - Air Chief Marshal Sir John Willis
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Royal Air Force, History of RAF Brampton[permanent dead link], accessed December 2013.
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- ^ a b c Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - RAF Home Commands formed between 1958 - 2002 Archived 5 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Ansell 1982, p. 293.
- ^ Ansell 1982, pp. 293–299.
- ^ Ansell 1982, p. 299.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ March 1989, p. 88.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
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Sources
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Jackson, Brendan. "Logistic support in the Royal Air Force." The RUSI Journal 137, no. 6 (1992): 38–43.
- Terry Ford GEng MRAeS, (1987) "Royal Air Force Engineering", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 59 Issue: 11, pp. 11–13, https://doi.org/10.1108/. An opportunity to become acquainted with the engineering expertise available at RAF Stations and to study the degree of involvement in design and manufacture occurred recently when visiting Abingdon and Marham.