The former Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Far East Air Force, was the

Command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards * ...

organisation that controlled all

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

assets in the east of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

(

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

). It was originally formed as Air Command, South East Asia in 1943 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. In 1946, this was renamed RAF Air Command Far East, and finally Far East Air Force in June 1949. The command was disbanded on 31 October 1971.

Early history

The RAF's Far East Command was formed in January 1930 and its first officer commanding, Group Captain Henry Cave-Browne-Cave, was double-hatted as Officer Commanding RAF Singapore. This was upgraded to Headquarters Air Force Far East Command in 1933. During the

, when Malaya, Singapore,

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

were overrun by the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, the command retreated to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, there receiving the name Air Headquarters Bengal. The true ancestor of the postwar Far East Air Force was formed on 16 November 1943, under

Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...

, Supreme Allied Commander,

South East Asia Command South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during the Second World War. History Organisation The initial supreme commander of the theatre was General Sir A ...

(SEAC). It was initially called South East Asia Air Command, but became Air Command, South East Asia (ACSEA) on 30 December 1943. On 1 July 1944 ACSEA comprised No. 222 Group RAF, No. 225 Group, No. 229 Group RAF, and Eastern Air Command, under U.S. Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, itself being made up of the Strategic Air Force ( 7th Bombardment Group USAAF and No. 231 Group RAF, under Brigadier General Howard C. Davidson of the United States Army Air Force); the U.S.

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...

( 80th Fighter Group, 311th Fighter Group, and 443rd Troop Carrier Group); the RAF Third Tactical Air Force ( Nos 221 and 224 Groups, No. 177 Wing RAF, 3d Combat Cargo Group USAAF, and

12th Bombardment Group 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassi ...

USAAF); the Photographic Reconnaissance Force ( No. 171 Wing RAF and U.S. 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group); and No. 293 Wing RAF.APPENDIX XII Order of Battle, Air Command, South-East Asia, 1st July 1944
/ref> By January 1945 ACSEA's subsidiary Base Air Forces South East Asia, under Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr, comprised No. 223 Group RAF on the North West Frontier at RAF Peshawar, No. 225 Group RAF (responsible for the "air defence of southern India and the whole coastline from Bengal to Karachi," by January 1943 controlling Nos 172 and 173 Wings),

No. 226 Group RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...

No. 227 Group RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, ...

, and No. 230 Group RAF, carrying out maintenance, training, and administration. The four major RAF formations under HQ ACSEA in India and Ceylon at the end of the war were HQ BAFSEA; AHQ Burma; HQ 222 Group at Columbo, controlling all operational squadrons in Ceylon, largely carrying out maritime duties; and 229 Group, a Transport Command group located in New Delhi. 222 Group disbanded by being renamed AHQ Ceylon on 15 October 1945; it inherited six Liberator squadrons (Nos 99, 356, 203, 8, 160, and 321 RNLAF); four Sunderland squadrons (205, 209, 230, and 240); and No. 136 Squadron with Spitfires. After HQ BAFSEA was merged with AHQ India, twelve RAF squadrons (225 Group: Nos 5, 30 at Bhopal, 45 at St Thomas Mount; 227 Group: 298 Squadron at Samungli with a detachment at Chaklala; No. 228 Group RAF: 176, 658 AOP, 355 at Digri, 159 at Salbani; 229 Group: 353 and 232 at Palam; and 10 and 76 with Dakotas at Poona) remained in India after 1 April 1946, and AHQ India was placed under joint command of the Indian Government and the Air Ministry (Lee Eastward 65-69, Appendix B, 261). No. 223 Group was disbanded at Peshawar by being redesignated No 1 (Indian) Group on 15 August 1945; No. 225 Group disbanded at Hindustan near Bangalore by being redesignated No 2 (Indian) Group on 1 May 1946; No. 226 Group disbanded at Palam on 31 July 1946, with its units being transferred to No.2 (Indian) Group; No. 227 Group disbanded at

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...

on 1 May 1946 by becoming No. 4 (Indian) Group. In May 1945 No. 228 Group had moved to Barrackpore and absorbed No. 230 Group, and then on 1 May 1946 becoming No. 3 (Indian) Group. No. 229 Group disbanded on 31 March 1947 and its responsibilities were taken over by No. 1 (Indian) Group; and No. 231 Group ceased operations on 1 August 1945, with by that time no units assigned, and disbanded on 30 September. In 1946, ACSEA was renamed RAF Air Command Far East, and finally Far East Air Force in June 1949. The tri-service headquarters remained in place after the war over to coordinate re-occupation of territory within the bounds of the command that had not yet been liberated from the Japanese. That included parts of Burma; the other British colonies of Singapore, Malaya,

British North Borneo (I persevere and I achieve) , national_anthem = , capital = Kudat (1881–1884);Sandakan (1884–1945);Jesselton (1946) , common_languages = English, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Sabah Malay, Chinese etc. , go ...

and

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...

; the independent nation of

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, the French colony of

French Indo-China French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

up to the 16th parallel, and most of the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

colony of the Dutch East Indies. After the completion of the re-occupation duties, SEAC was disestablished in November 1946. However, the benefits of a supreme commander were not forgotten, and a tri-service headquarters was revived in 1962, when the Far East Command was formed. The Far East Command was also disestablished in 1971.

Postwar Occupation Duties

Unlike in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, war ended very unexpectedly in the Far East. The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

, combined with the American blockade of Japan, and the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

entry into the war on 9 August 1945 finally shocked the Japanese into suing for peace. Once peace came, there was a period of euphoria within the RAF units, but the forces in the region came back down to earth with a bump a few days later. Instead of the end to operations that a great many of the conscripts had naively thought would occur, if anything, operations in some parts of the forces increased in tempo. South-East Asia Command had been increased in size from the day after the surrender, taking in south

, and much of the Dutch East Indies. The command was now half as big again in area as it had been during the war. The strain imposed by the high operations tempo that occupation duties, when combined with the downsizing of the command due to

demobilisation Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milit ...

and return of American aircraft provided under lend-lease aircraft was very great, and it manifested itself in a series of mutinies around the command in early 1946. The first of these was at Mauripur in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

, India. Enlisted airmen downed tools and refused to work until their grievances about demobilisation had been met. Given the nature of the times, this was impossible, although their complaints were passed up the chain of command. The stoppages were non-violent almost to a fault, and since the personnel involved were hostilities-only conscripts, rather than regular professional members of the RAF, the stoppages were not formally treated as mutinies. Had they been so, punishments up to and including execution by

firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are ...

could have been imposed on those responsible. Other mutinies occurred in Ceylon, elsewhere in India and Singapore. They also spread to units of the

Royal Indian Air Force The Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) was the aerial force of British India and later the Dominion of India. Along with the Indian Army, and Royal Indian Navy, it was one of the Armed Forces of British Indian Empire. The Indian Air Force was offi ...

for a short while.

Siam

The easiest of the occupation tasks was in

. Unlike elsewhere in the region, Siam had retained a functioning civil government throughout the war, and thus British troops did not have to deploy to restore order over most of the country. RAF forces set a headquarters in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, at Don Muang airfield, under Group Captain D O Finlay on 9 September 1945. The headquarters was from No. 909 Wing RAF. The Wing left its previously controlled aircraft, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in Burma. Three squadrons were represented in Siam during the occupation, No. 20 Squadron RAF with Spitfire VIII aircraft, No. 211 Squadron RAF with de Havilland Mosquito VI aircraft, and a detachment of

No. 685 Squadron RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...

with Mosquito photo-

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

aircraft. The airfield was defended by No. 2945 Squadron RAF Regiment. In addition to the resident forces,

Douglas Dakota The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

transport aircraft were frequent users of Don Muang. They made supply runs to the airport, stopped over on trips to and from French Indo-China, and evacuated prisoners of war and internees who had been imprisoned in Siam at the end of the war. The job in Siam was completed very quickly, with almost all of the RAF personnel at Don Muang being gone by January 1946.

Burma

Burma was also relatively straightforward to deal with, although more complicated than Siam. Much of the colony had been conquered several months before the war ended, in the big British offensive of summer 1945. That gave ACSEA crucial breathing space to start getting the colony back on its feet before the massive increase in occupation duties postwar occurred.

Air Headquarters Burma The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Gravity of Earth, Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating Atmo ...

was well established under Air Marshal Sir Hugh Saunders. At the end of the war, it had 28 squadrons under its control. This quickly reduced as the demobilisation really kicked in. Again, the transport squadrons saw the largest amount of work, evacuating POWs and internees and supplying garrisons and the civilian population. Second to the transport squadrons in workload were the photo reconnaissance aircraft. The opportunity was taken to complete the process of surveying SE Asia from the air, and using the survey to bring maps up to date. The survey was not completed until August 1947. After the clean-up immediately postwar, came the task of preparing Burma for independence. AHQ Burma moved out of Rangoon to Mingaladon on 1 January 1947. The headquarters was disbanded on 31 December 1947, and three months later Burma became independent.

French Indo-China

The most prickly tasks in the entire command were the temporary occupations of the colonies of other European powers. One was the occupation of part of

, and the other the occupation of part of the Dutch East Indies. The easier of the two was French Indo-China. Resentment against the French was strong, with

Ho Chi Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as (' Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as P ...

Viet Minh The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...

movement beginning to become a real problem. British forces were responsible for the southern part of the country, south of the 16th parallel, whilst Chinese forces dealt with the north. An RAF headquarters was set up near Saigon on 8 September, at Tan Son Nhut airfield. However, the main occupation forces were slow to arrive, so Mountbatten had to use Japanese forces still in the area for internal security duties for a short while. One aspect of the occupation that was mercifully smaller in magnitude than in other areas of the command was prisoners of war. Only about 5,000 were in French Indo-China, and thus that part of the repatriation problem was small. At Tan Son Nhut, a large amount of space was available for transport aircraft; it had hard standings (all weather concrete supports for landed aircraft) for about 70 Dakotas. This was fortunate, since a great number of transport aircraft was required in the country, despite the low population of POWs. The other aircraft at the airfield were Spitfires of No. 273 Squadron RAF and a detachment of photo-reconnaissance Mosquitoes. The situation in French Indo-China and the Netherlands East Indies was particularly tricky because of the hostility of the locals to the returning colonial powers. French Indo-China was handed back to French control a great deal more quickly than had the Netherlands East Indies to Dutch control, meaning that RAF aircraft did not have to get involved in suppressing any revolts in the area, apart from one occasion when Spitfires attacked enemy forces with cannon fire to support French ground troops. The RAF provided some spare Spitfires in the command to French Air Force pilots who were being sent to the colony, and more Spitfires were sent from Europe. The main RAF presence was withdrawn in mid February 1946, when the Air Headquarters was disbanded. However, a small RAF presence was retained for a few more months to help direct military transport aircraft using the airfield.

Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation

The Indonesian–Malaysian Confrontation during 1962–1966 was

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

's political and armed opposition to the creation of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It is also known by its Indonesian/ Malay name ''Konfrontasi''. The creation of Malaysia was the amalgamation of the Federation of Malaya (now

West Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

and the crown colony/ British protectorates of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...

and

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

(collectively known as British Borneo, now

East Malaysia East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. Near the coast of Sabah is a small archipelago called Labuan. East Malaysia li ...

) in September 1963. The confrontation was an

undeclared war An undeclared war is a military conflict between two or more nations without either side issuing a formal declaration of war. The term is sometimes used to include any disagreement or conflict fought about without an official declaration. Since ...

with most of the action in the border area between Indonesia and East Malaysia on the island of

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

(known as Kalimantan in Indonesia). Sabah and Sarawak were ethnically, religiously and politically diverse and there was some local opposition to joining Malaysia that Indonesia attempted to exploit, although with little success. The terrain in Borneo was challenging and there were very few roads. Both sides relied on light infantry operations and air transport, although rivers were also used. There was almost no use of offensive airpower. The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Malaysian Armed Forces provided a significant element of the effort with assistance from the other member nations ( Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

) from the combined Far East Strategic Reserve stationed then in West Malaysia and

. Initial Indonesian attacks into East Malaysia relied heavily on local volunteers trained by the Indonesian Army. The main military forces backing Malaysia were British and initially their activities were low key. The British responded to increased Indonesian activity by expanding their own. This included, starting in 1965, covert operations into Indonesian Kalimantan under the code name Operation Claret. In 1965 there were several Indonesian operations into West Malaysia, but without military success. By August 1966, following Indonesian President Suharto's rise to power, a peace agreement finally took effect as Indonesia accepted the existence of Malaysia.

Drawdown and departure

RAF units and forces in Burma, the Netherlands East Indies,

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, and

/Thailand left in 1945–1947. Forces in India departed in 1947, though many RAF officers and other personnel stayed on for a time with the

Royal Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

and the Indian Air Force. Air Headquarters Malaya (AHQ Malaya) was disbanded on 31 August 1957. No. 222 Group RAF was raised to command status as AHQ Ceylon on 16 Oct 1945. This was in turn disbanded on 1 November 1957. Its stations, including

RAF Negombo Negombo (, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway (Sri Lanka), Colombo–Katunayake Expressway ...

, 22 miles north of Columbo, had been handed over to the Royal Ceylon Air Force in the course of 1955–56.

Subordinate Formations

Air Command, South East Asia

* No. 222 Group RAF - ''partial listing of squadrons only'' ** 17, No. 273 Squadron RAF (Spitfire) ** No. 8 Squadron RAF (Vickers Wellington under AHQ Aden 1 July 1944 for administration and local operational control) **

No. 321 Squadron RAF No. 321 (Dutch) Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War formed from the personnel of the ''Marineluchtvaartdienst'' (MLD), the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service. History Formation Formed on 1 June 1940 at RA ...

, No. 413 Squadron RCAF (Catalina) ** No. 230 Squadron RAF (Sunderland) **

No. 89 Squadron RAF No. 89 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, mainly active in the fighter role during its existence. History Formation and World War I No. 89 squadron was formed on 1 September 1917 as a training unit at Netheravon. The squadron was not used f ...

No. 160 Squadron RAF No. 160 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force unit during the World War II, Second World War, when it flew for four years in a number of roles including Bomber, heavy bomber, Minelayer, minelaying, Aerial reconnaissance, reconnaissance, special ope ...

(Liberator) * No. 231 Group RAF ** No. 175 Wing RAF *** No. 99 Squadron RAF (Wellington) *** No. 292 (A.S.R.) Squadron (Warwick) ** No. 184 Wing RAF *** Nos 353,

No. 356 Squadron RAF No. 356 Squadron RAF was a short-lived long-range bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force between 1944 and 1945. History The squadron was formed on 15 January 1944 at Salbani, Bengal, British India, as a long-range bomber unit equipped with the ...

(Liberator) ** No. 185 Wing RAF *** No. 159 Squadron RAF (Liberator) * No. 225 Group RAF ** No. 5 Squadron RAF (Hurricane) ** No. 27 Squadron RAF, 47 Squadron, Beaufighter ** Nos. 200, 354 Squadrons (Liberator) ** No. 203 Squadron RAF (Wellington) ** No. 191 Squadron RAF, Nos 212, 240 Squadrons (Catalinas) * No. 229 Group * Eastern Air Command ** Photographic Reconnaissance Force *** No. 171 Wing RAF **** No. 681 Squadron RAF (disbanded by being renumbered as 34 Squadron, 1 August 1946 ) **** No. 684 Squadron RAF ** Third Tactical Air Force - ''partial listing only'' *** No. 177 Wing RAF **** Nos 31, 62, 117, 194 Squadrons (Dakota) **** 3d Combat Cargo Group (to be activated,

Sylhet Airfield Osmani Airport ( bn, ওসমানী আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর, ') in Sylhet, Bangladesh, is the third largest airport in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong. The airport is operated by the Civil Avi ...

, 5 June 1944) (to include four combat cargo squadrons) ***

No. 221 Group RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...

**** No. 168 Wing RAF ***** No. 60 Squadron RAF (Hurricane);

No. 81 Squadron RAF No 81 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew Fighter aircraft during the Second World War, and reconnaissance aircraft in the Far East after the war and was disbanded in 1970. History First World War No. 81 Squadron Royal Flyin ...

(Spitfire);

No. 84 Squadron RAF No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently one of the two operational parts of the RAF Search and Rescue Force left in ser ...

(Vengeance) **** No. 170 Wing RAF ***** Nos. 1 (I.A.F.), No. 11 Squadron RAF, Nos 42, 113 Squadrons (Hurricane); ***** Nos. 607, 615 Squadrons (Spitfire) **** No. 243 Wing RAF ***** Nos 28 and 34 Squadrons RAF (Hurricane) ***

No. 224 Group RAF No. 224 Group of the Royal Air Force was established during World War II and was operational during the Cold War. The group was formed on 3 February 1942 as No 224 (Fighter) Group in Singapore. It was disbanded within two months, as the Japanese ...

, with Nos 165, 166, and 167 Wings RAF and their squadrons

Other AHQs and groups

– disbanded 31 December 1947 * AHQ Ceylon – the AHQ continued after Ceylon became independent, moving from Katurkuruda to RAF Negombo on 23 February 1948 (see Lee, Eastward, 86-87). The AHQ was disbanded 1 November 1957 . * AHQ Hong Kong – included as part of British Forces, Hong Kong in 1967 * AHQ India at New Delhi – disbanded 15 August 1947 ** Detachments from No. 22 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF from July 1944. ** AHQ Bengal ***

***

** No. 223 Group RAF ** No. 225 Group RAF **

Air Headquarters Malaya The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

– formed 30 September 1945, disbanded 31 August 1957 *

AHQ Netherlands East Indies AHQ often stands for "Air Headquarters" and may refer to * Air H.Q. Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean * Air Headquarters East Africa * Air Headquarters (Pakistan Air Force) * AHQ Iraq * AHQ Levant * AHQ Malta * Desert Air Force * ahq e-Sports Clu ...

– disbanded 28 November 1946 * AHQ Saigon – disbanded 14 February 1946 * AHQ Siam * AHQ Singapore **

** No. 390 Maintenance Unit RAF *

– disbanded 30 September 1945, reformed 31 August 1957, disbanded again 1 October 1968 ** No. 20 Squadron RAF ** No. 34 Squadron RAF ** No. 45 Squadron RAF ** No. 52 Squadron RAF ** No. 60 Squadron RAF **

** No. 110 Squadron RAF **

No. 209 Squadron RAF Number 209 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was originally formed from a nucleus of "Naval Eight" on 1 February 1917 at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France, as No. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS)Rawlings 1978, p. 324. and saw active servic ...

Flying squadrons

* No. 8 Squadron RAF * No. 10 Squadron RAF * No. 11 Squadron RAF *

No. 17 Squadron RAF Number 17 Squadron (sometimes written as No. XVII Squadron), currently No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES), is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was reformed on 12 April 2013 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as the Operational ...

* No. 20 Squadron RAF *

No. 26 Squadron RAF No. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976. The squadron's motto is ''N Wagter in die Lug'' (Afrikaans) (A guard in the sky), and the badge is a springbok's head couped. History 1915 ...

* No. 28 Squadron RAF * No. 30 Squadron RAF * No. 33 Squadron RAF * No. 34 Squadron RAF * No. 36 Squadron RAF * No. 39 Squadron RAF * No. 45 Squadron RAF * No. 48 Squadron RAF * No. 52 Squadron RAF * No. 57 Squadron RAF * No. 60 Squadron RAF *

No. 62 Squadron RAF No. 62 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was originally established as a Royal Flying Corps squadron in 1916 and operated the Bristol F2B fighter in France during the last year of the First World War. After the war the squadron was disbanded and it ...

* No. 64 Squadron RAF * No. 65 Squadron RAF * No. 66 Squadron RAF * No. 70 Squadron RAF * No. 74 Squadron RAF * No. 80 Squadron RAF *

* No. 83 Squadron RAF *

* No. 88 Squadron RAF * No. 96 Squadron RAF * No. 100 Squadron RAF * No. 103 Squadron RAF * No. 110 Squadron RAF * No. 120 Squadron RAF * No. 131 Squadron RAF *

No. 132 Squadron RAF No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 132 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 ...

No. 136 Squadron RAF No. 136 Squadron RAF was a short-lived RAF unit that saw no action in World War I, but upon reformation became the highest scoring unit in South East Asia Command during World War II. Shortly after the war the squadron was disbanded. History Form ...

* No. 152 Squadron RAF *

No. 155 Squadron RAF No. 155 Squadron RAF is a former Royal Air Force squadron. History First World War No.155 Squadron was formed at RAF Chingford on 14 September 1918 as a bomber unit with Airco DH.9As after an earlier decision to form at RAF Feltham was abando ...

* No. 205 Squadron RAF * No. 206 Squadron RAF *

* No. 211 Squadron RAF * No. 215 Squadron RAF *

No. 225 Squadron RAF No. 225 Squadron RAF is a former Royal Air Force squadron. History World War One No. 225 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 April 1918 at Otranto, Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing Royal Naval Air Service, RNAS, and was equipped with Sopwith Cam ...

* No. 258 Squadron RAF * No. 267 Squadron RAF * No. 656 Squadron RAF/AAC (1943 – 15 January 1947; 29 June 1948 – 1 September 1957)

Other units

* No. 389 Maintenance Unit RAF * No. 390 Maintenance Unit RAF * No. 5001 (Airfield Construction) Squadron, RAF Seletar, 1963–66

Stations

RAF Butterworth Butterworth may refer to: Places * Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom * Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa ...

RAF Changi Changi () is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the Ser ...

RAF Hmawbi The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

* RAF Kai Tak * RAF Kallang * RAF Kuala Lumpur *

RAF Kuantan Kuantan ( Jawi: ) is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population, and the largest city in the East Coast of Penin ...

* RAF Gan *

RAF Sek Kong The Shek Kong Airfield (ICAO: VHSK), formerly Royal Air Force Station Sek Kong or Sek Kong Airfield, is an airfield (airbase) located in Shek Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. The base currently houses air force units of People's Liberation A ...

* RAF Labuan * RAF Meiktilla *

RAF Mingaladon The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

* RAF Pegu * RAF Seletar * RAF Tengah

Commanders

Commanders included:Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Overseas Commands – Iraq, India and the Far East

Far East Command

? (1933–1938)
Air Vice Marshal

John Tremayne Babington Air Marshal Sir John Tremayne Babington, (20 July 1891 – 20 March 1979) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. In 1944, he retired and the following year changed his name to Tremayne, his mother's maiden name, to avoid confusion with ...

(1938–1941) ''later known as Sir John Tremayne Tremayne''.
Air Vice Marshal C. W. H. Pulford (1941– 1942) ''died of malaria on active service''
Air Vice Marshal Paul Maltby (1942) ''captured; POW''

Air Command South East Asia

* Air Chief Marshal Sir

Richard Peirse Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse, (30 September 1892 – 5 August 1970), served as a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career The son of Admiral Sir Richard Peirse and his wife Blanche Melville Wemyss-Whittaker, Richard ...

(16 November 1943 – 26 November 1944) * Air Marshal Sir

Guy Garrod Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Guy Roland Garrod, (13 April 1891 – 3 January 1965) was a senior British Royal Air Force officer. RAF career He was born the third eldest son of Herbert Baring Garrod, barrister-at-law and educated at Bradfield Co ...

(26 November 1944 – 25 February 1945) – Temporary appointment * Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park (25 February 1945 – 30 April 1946) * Air Marshal Sir George Pirie (30 April – 30 September 1946)

Air Command Far East

* Air Marshal Sir George Pirie (30 September 1946 – 18 November 1947) * Air Marshal Sir

Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sit ...

(18 November 1947 – 1 June 1949)

Far East Air Force

* Air Marshal Sir

(1 June – 26 November 1949) * Air Marshal Sir

Francis Fogarty Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis Joseph Fogarty, (16 January 1899 – 12 January 1973) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War and also in the post-war years. During the First World War he served as a pilot in ...

(26 November 1949 – 11 June 1952) * Air Marshal Sir

Clifford Sanderson Air Marshal Sir (Alfred) Clifford Sanderson, (19 February 1898 – 28 January 1976) was a British Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding Far East Air Force from 1952 to 1954. RAF career Educated at Dulwich College, San ...

(11 June 1952 – 12 November 1954) * Air Marshal Sir Francis Fressanges (12 November 1954 – 13 July 1957) * Air Marshal The Earl of Bandon (13 July 1957 – 30 June 1960) * Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway (30 June 1960 – 31 May 1962) * Air Marshal Sir Hector McGregor (31 May 1962 – 10 June 1964) * Air Marshal Sir Peter Wykeham (10 June 1964 – 8 August 1966) * Air Marshal Sir Rochford Hughes (8 August 1966 – 11 February 1969) * Air Marshal Sir

Neil Wheeler Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Neil George Wheeler, (8 July 1917 – 9 January 2009) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer. Military career Educated St Helen's College in Southsea and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Wheeler was commissi ...

(11 February 1969 – 1 October 1970) * Air Vice Marshal N M Maynard (1 October 1970 – 31 October 1971)

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Overseas commands rafweb.org
{{Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, RAF Military units and formations established in 1949 Military units and formations disestablished in 1971