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RAF establishment level early 60s
Could someone point me to a link that might answer this question please?
A ballpark figure would be fine Ta FW |
According to the MOD Website:-
1962 - 148,000 Personnel 1968 - 120,000 Personnel 1976 - 90,000 Personnel |
At its peak post-1945 strength in 1952, total RAF manpower was over 270,000 of which about one third were National Servicemen: in 1962, with barely a trickle of National Servicemen remaining, it was 148,000; in 1968, when the first large scale changes were announced, it was 120,000; and in 1976, when the second major defence review had been completed and more cuts made, the RAF was only 90,000 strong (in total less than the number of officers in the USAF). It's the first result you get when you Google "RAF Manpower 1960". |
Used the wrong search words
That is really helpful thanks FW |
What words did you use!?!
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It sticks in my memory that we were told that it was 135,000 when I joined in 1964.
Can't remember what I did yesterday, but I do seem to remember that. ;) |
I joined inSilver Jubilee year, 1977, when I did I recall reading R.I.S.S. bumf about H.M. Forces being divided up as R.N. (Inc Royal Marines) 70,000, The Army 164,000 and the R.A.F. 87,000. 321,000 all told.:ok:
I remember also, about 1990, the established strengh had altered to 156,000 for the Army and 90,000 for the R.A.F. the Navy remained unchanged, but I think these figures are all give and take a couple of thousand here and there. The Army at one stage in the early 1980s was billed at around 168,000. FB:) Here is an almost complete ORBAT for the R.A.F. as of 1st April 1963, 45th Anniversary year; APPENDIX II The Royal Air Force order of Battle, April 1963; Bomber Command - Headquarters: High Wycombe No. 1 Group – Headquarters: Bawtry Coningsby 9 Vulcan B2 Medium Strike Coningsby 12 Vulcan B2 Medium Strike Coningsby 35 Vulcan B2 Medium Strike Finningley 18 Valiant B1 ECM Finningley 230 OCU Vulcan B1/B2 Ops Conversion Finningley BCDU Valiant B1/Vulcan B1/1A Role Development Lindholme BCBS Hastings T5/Varsity T1 Bombing School Scampton 27 Vulcan B2 Blue Steel Strike Scampton 83 Vulcan B2 Blue Steel Strike Scampton 617 Vulcan B2 Blue Steel Strike Waddington 44 Vulcan B1/B1A Medium Strike Waddington 50 Vulcan B1/B1A Medium Strike Waddington 101 Vulcan B1/B1A Medium Strike No. 3 Group – Headquarters: Mildenhall Bassingbourn 231 OCU Canberra B2/PR3/T4 Ops Conversion Cottesmore 10 Victor B1 Medium Strike Cottesmore 15 Victor B1A Medium Strike Gaydon 232 OCU Valiant B1/Victor B1 Ops Conversion Gaydon RRF Victor B1 Radar Recce Honington 55 Victor B1A Medium Strike Honington 57 Victor B1A Medium Strike Honington 90 Valiant B1 ECM Marham 49 Valiant B1 Medium Strike Marham 148 Valiant B1 Medium Strike Marham 207 Valiant B1 Medium Strike Marham 214 Valiant BK1 IFR Tanker Wittering 232 OCU Victor B2 Ops Conversion Wittering 100 Victor B2 Blue Steel Strike Wittering 139 Victor B2 Blue Steel Strike Wyton 58 Canberra PR7 Photo Recce Wyton 543 Valiant PR1 Strategic Recce Fighter Command – Headquarters: Bentley Priory No. 11 Group – Headquarters: Leconfield Binbrook 64 Javelin FAW9 A.W. Interceptor Binbrook AFDS Javelin/Hunter F6 A.D. Development Leconfield 19 Lightning F2/Hunter F6 A.W. Interceptor Leconfield 92 Lightning F2/Hunter F6 A.W. Interceptor Leuchars 23 Javelin FAW9 A.W. Interceptor Middleton St. George IRS Javelin T3 Ops Conversion Middleton St. George LCS Lightning T4 Ops Conversion SAM Wings/Sqns; 21 Wing Breighton 112 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Carnaby 247 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Misson 94 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Woodhall Spa 222 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Woolfox Lodge 62 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. 148 SAM Servicing Wing: Church Fenton No. 12 Group – Headquarters: Horsham St. Faith Chivenor 229 OCU/145 Hunter F4 Ops Conversion Chivenor 229 OCU/234 Hunter F4 Ops Conversion Chivenor Hunter Flight IRS Hunter T7 Instrument Rating Coltishall 74 Lightning F1 A.W. Interceptor Wattisham 41 Javelin FAW8 A.W. Interceptor Wattisham 56 Lightning F1A A.W. Interceptor Wattisham 111 Lightning F1A A.W. Interceptor SAM Wings/Sqns; 24 Wing Marham 242 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Rattlesden 266 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Watton 263 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Warboys 257 Bloodhound 1 S.A.M. Coastal Command – Headquarters: Northwood No. 18 Group – Headquarters: Pitreavie Castle Aldegrove 202 Hastings Met 1 Meteorological Ballykelly JASWS Ballykelly ASWDU Shackleton MR1/2 ASW Ballykelly 203 Shackleton MR2 ASW Ballykelly 204 Shackleton MR2C ASW Kinloss MOTU Shackleton T4 Ops Conversion Leconfield 228 Whirlwind HR10 SAR No. 19 Group – Headquarters: Mountbatten St. Mawgan 42 Shackleton MR2 ASW St. Mawgan 201 Shackleton MR3 ASW St. Mawgan 206 Shackleton MR3 ASW St. Mawgan 220 Shackleton MR3 ASW N.F. Gibraltar 224 Shackleton MR2 ASW Transport Command – Headquarters: Upavon Benson Queen’s Flight DC3 V.I.P. Transport Colerne 24 Hastings C1 Medium Transport Colerne 36 Hastings C1 Medium Transport Lyneham 99 Britannia C1/2 Medium Transport Lyneham 216 Comet C2/4 Long Range Trsprt Thorney Island 242 OCU Beverley C1 Ops Conversion No. 38 Group – Headquarters: Odiham Abingdon 1PTS Abingdon ATD Abingdon 47 Beverley C1 Heavy Transport Abingdon 53 Beverley C1 Heavy Transport Benson Argosy CU Argosy C1 Medium Transport Benson 114 Argosy C1 Medium Transport Benson 215 Argosy C1 Medium Transport Benson 267 Argosy C1 Medium Transport Odiham 225 Whirlwind HAR10 Troop Assault Odiham Transport & Comms Odiham Twin Pioneer Cvsn Flt Twin Pioneer Ops Conversion Waterbeach 1 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Waterbeach 54 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Flying Training Command – Headquarters: Reading White Waltham CCS Pembroke & Anson Comms Flight Little Rissington CFS Gnat, Jet Provost & C’munk Flyng Trng Bicester Oxford UAS Chipmunk T10 Scholarships Filton Bristol UAS Chipmunk T10 Scholarships Hamble South’ton UAS Chipmunk T10 Scholarships Cranwell R.A.F. College Vampire T11 Cadet Training Cranwell R.A.F. College Jet Provost T3/4 Cadet Training Cranwell R.A.F. College Chipmunk T10 Cadet Training Manby R.A.F. F.C. Meteor F8/T7 Tactics Training Manby R.A.F. F.C. Canberra T4 Tactics Training No. 23 Group-Headquarters: Dishforth Acklington 6 FTS Jet Provost T3/4 Basic Training Dishforth GCF Anson, Meteor, Provost Comms Flight Dishforth Leeds UAS Chipmunk T10 Scholarships Leeming 3 FTS Jet Provost T3/T4 Basic Training Linton-on-Ouse 1 FTS Jet Provost T3/T4 Basic Training Church Fenton 7 FTS Jet Provost T3/T4 Basic Training Church Fenton 7 FTS Vampire T11 Basic Training Valley 4 FTS Folland Gnat T1 Advanced Training Valley 4 FTS Vampire T11 Advanced Training Oakington 5 FTS Varsity T1 Multi-Engine Trng Stradishall 1 ANS Varsity T1 Navigation Training Hullavington 2 ANS Varsity T1/Valetta T1 Navigation Training No. 25 Group-Headquarters: White Waltham Royal Air Force Germany - Headquarters: Rheindahlen Bruggen 80 Canberra PR7 Photo Recce Bruggen 213 Canberra B (I) 6 Tactical Strike Bruggen 431 Maintenance Unit Laarbruch 31 Canberra PR7 Photo Recce Laarbruch 16 Canberra B (I) 8 Tactical Strike Laarbruch 420 Maintenance Unit Geilenkirchen 11 Javelin FAW9 A.D. Fighter Geilenkirchen 5 Javelin FAW9 A.D. Fighter Geilenkirchen 3 Canberra B (I) 8 Tactical Strike Wildenrath 17 Canberra PR7 Photo Recce Wildenrath 14 Canberra B (I) 8 Tactical Strike Gutersloh 230 Whirlwind HAR10 Troop Transport Gutersloh 2 Hunter FR10 Tactical Recce Gutersloh 4 Hunter FR10 Tactical Recce Near East Air Force - Headquarters: Akrotiri Akrotiri 6 Canberra B16 Tactical Bomber Akrotiri 13 Canberra PR9 High Alt Recce Akrotiri 32 Canberra B15 Tactical Bomber Akrotiri 73 Canberra B15 Tactical Bomber Akrotiri 249 Canberra B16 Tactical Bomber Nicosia 29 Javelin FAW9 A.W. Interceptor El Adam 103 Sycamore HR14 S.A.R. Malta Luqa 38 Shackleton MR2 A.S.W. Air Forces Middle East - Headquarters: Khormaksar Khormaksar 8 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Khormaksar 43 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Khormaksar 208 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Khormaksar 78 Wessex HC2 Troop Transport Khormaksar 37 Shackleton MR2 A.S.W. Khormaksar 84 Beverley C1 Heavy Transport Muharraq 152 Pembroke C1 V.I.P. Comms Muharraq 152 Twin Pioneer CC1/2 V.I.P. Comms Far East Air Force – Headquarters: Changi (Singapore) Changi 205 Shackleton MR2 A.S.W. Changi Towed Target Flight No. 224 Group – Headquarters: Seletar Seletar 224 Comms Flight Seletar 66 Belvedere HC1 Troop Transport Seletar 34 Beverley C1 Heavy Transport Tengah 20 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Tengah 45 Canberra B15 Tactical Bomber Tengah 81 Canberra PR7 Photo Recce Kai Tak 28 Hunter FGA9 Close Air Support Kai Tak 60 Javelin FAW9 A.W. Interceptor |
In 90-91 the new target was 57,000. Overnight the nav school throughput was halved. Only a year earlier the Air Sec's branch even was asking the question "what is the long term future of the navigator branch?"
We all thought they should have been addressing the question not asking the sharper end. |
Did we (RAF) not creep above the 100,000 level at the back end of the 80's? Or was it a flat 90,000'ish from 76 to 90?
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PA,
I think it was slight decline to about 86/87,000 or so by 1982 then a steady rise back to about 90,000 again. That rise, I believe was set to continue but for the collapse of the Berlin Wall. We were expecting to get another 40 or so Tonkas in addition to the lot we had by 89/90!:ok: FB:) |
Finn' Boy
Off the top of my head, without getting the books out, your list omits 511 Brits at DL, 48 Hastings Changi, 70 Hastings Cyprus, 210 Shacks B'kelly and 215 was at Changi not Benson.
48 reunion on Saturday at Lyneham! |
Just noticed my other Sqn, 30 (albeit Hercs for me) omitted - Beverleys moved from Kenya to Bahrain in '64.
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I seem to remember that in the late 70s the strength was about 103,000 with an establishment slightly smaller than that. I was Office Commander at CIO Ilford at the time and there was a big, big push on to meet increased recruiting targets.
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105 Argosies Khormaksar missing.
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Brian and Brakedwell, I think there are a few other ommissions as well, glancing through, I noticed the ommission of 2 FTS, not deliberately, but I pasted the orbat in with the caviat that it is "almost complete". I hope to get the full list for this year and other more significant points in history, at a later date. Apologies to those who's unit is conspicuous by its absence from the line up. But thanks for the info chaps!:O
FB:) |
Tangmere was open in 1964 as far as I recall and I remember planes being there?
According to Wiki it closed in 1970. |
Tangmere was open in 1964 as far as I recall and I remember planes being there? According to Wiki it closed in 1970. |
When I arrived at Honington in 1962 90 Sqn was a tanker squadron just like 214. It was still a tanker squadron when it folded in 1966.
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A quick scan through that long, long list and omissions that caught my eye for Seletar are the single & twin Pioneers of 209 Sqn and the Sqn of Valetta's (52?). Not sure of the Sqn number but I do remember chopping them up in early 1966 when stationed on 390MU at Seletar (also home to the huge storage MU 389).
At that time there were also the Whistling Tits at Changi. |
Finningley Boy
Jefford's (ex Canberra and Vulcan nav) book 'RAF Squadrons' has graphs showing number of squadrons in selected years and is a good source of info'. Mine is the 1st edition and as the title says it's about squadrons so does not have details of flights, FTSs etc. There is a second edition maybe that does.
Delve's book 'The Source Book Of The RAF' has a lot of detail of flts,groups etc. |
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