RAF Middle East Command

RAF Middle East Command was a major command of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Established in 1940, it was responsible for all RAF operations across a vast theatre stretching from the Eastern Mediterranean to East Africa and the Persian Gulf. The command played a pivotal role in the North African Campaign, the East African Campaign, and the Syria–Lebanon campaign, providing crucial air support to Allied ground forces. It was disbanded in 1943, with its functions absorbed by the newly formed Mediterranean Air Command.

History

The command was formed on 15 February 1940 by renaming the pre-existing RAF Middle East, which had its origins in the RAF Iraq Command and the Air Headquarters Egypt. Its creation was a response to the escalating threat from Fascist Italy in the Mediterranean and the need for a unified air command in the region. The command's authority initially covered Egypt, the Sudan, Kenya, Somaliland, Aden, Palestine, and Transjordan. Its geographical remit expanded dramatically with the outbreak of the Western Desert Campaign and the Anglo-Iraqi War. Following the Allied invasion of Sicily and the shifting strategic focus to Southern Europe, the command was dissolved on 10 February 1943 as part of a major reorganization of Allied air forces in the theatre under the Casablanca Conference agreements.

Structure and organization

Headquartered in Cairo, the command exercised control through a network of subordinate air headquarters. Key formations included Air Headquarters Egypt, responsible for the vital Western Desert front, and Air Headquarters Levant, overseeing operations in Palestine and Syria. Other significant components were Air Headquarters Malta, which endured the Siege of Malta, and Air Headquarters Aden for the southern flank. The command also directed the forces in Iraq and, for a period, the air units supporting the British Eighth Army. It coordinated closely with Commonwealth air forces, including the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and South African Air Force, as well as Allied units like the United States Army Air Forces and Free French Air Force.

Operational history

The command's aircraft were engaged in continuous combat from its inception. Early operations included the campaign against Italian East Africa, where Blenheims and Hurricanes supported the advance of the King's African Rifles. Its most significant contribution was to the protracted North African Campaign, providing air cover for the British Eighth Army during the Battle of El Alamein and attacking Rommel's supply lines across the Mediterranean Sea. Squadrons from the command also participated in the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy French forces and the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. It conducted strategic bombing missions against Axis targets in Crete and the Aegean Sea, and its transport and reconnaissance units were vital during the Siege of Tobruk and the Battle of Crete.

Commanders

The first Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief was Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, a veteran of the First World War and the Royal Naval Air Service. He was succeeded in May 1941 by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who would become one of the most influential Allied air commanders. Tedder's advocacy for integrated air power and close air support was instrumental in the victories in the Western Desert Campaign. His tenure saw the development of effective cooperation with the British Eighth Army under General Montgomery. Tedder was later promoted to lead the Mediterranean Air Command, with his former deputy, Air Marshal Sir William Welsh, briefly overseeing Middle East Command before its dissolution.

Bases and units

The command operated from a wide array of airfields across the theatre. Major bases included RAF Abu Sueir and Heliopolis in Egypt, RAF Habbaniya in Iraq, and RAF Luqa on Malta. It controlled numerous operational groups and wings, such as the Desert Air Force (initially known as the Air Headquarters Western Desert), which comprised squadrons flying the Kittyhawk, Spitfire, and Beaufighter. Other key units were No. 201 Group for maritime patrol and the transport squadrons of No. 216 Group, flying Hudsons and Dakotas. The command also hosted specialized formations like the USAAF's Ninth Air Force for a period before the Allied reorganization.