During WW2, the older RAF Stations were allocated satellite airfields - the main station acting as their administration centre. The Stations together became a Base, so for example the combine of RAF Waddington, looking after RAF Skellingthorpe and RAF Bardney became Base 53: the third Base in 5 Group. Each of the stations had a Group Captain Station Commander, but in overall control at the main station was the Base Commander, an Air Commodore. Indeed, aircrew/groundcrew are seen in the F540s of the time as posted from a squadron to "Base" if administratively sick for example. I suspect that the "Base" as the HQ of the Stations carried on from here.