RAF Transport Command

RAF Transport Command
Unit name	RAF Transport Command
Dates	1943–1967
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Command
Role	Strategic and tactical air transport
Garrison	RAF Upavon
Notable commanders	Sir Frederick Bowhill, Sir Ralph Cochrane, Sir Brian Burnett

RAF Transport Command. It was a major command of the Royal Air Force responsible for worldwide air logistics, formed in 1943 during the Second World War. The command played a pivotal role in major Allied operations, including the Berlin Airlift and the Suez Crisis, before being merged into the new RAF Air Support Command in 1967. Its legacy is carried on by today's RAF Air Mobility Force.

History

The command was established on 25 March 1943 by renaming the pre-existing RAF Ferry Command, which had been managing the transatlantic delivery of American-built aircraft from factories like those of Lockheed Corporation. Its creation centralized the Royal Air Force's strategic airlift capacity under a single authority, a critical development as the Allies of World War II prepared for large-scale offensives such as Operation Overlord. Post-war, it became indispensable during the Cold War, most famously during the Berlin Blockade, where its aircraft sustained the city. It also provided vital support during the Malayan Emergency and the Korean War, before its responsibilities were reassigned in the 1967 reorganization that created RAF Air Support Command.

Organisation and structure

Headquartered at RAF Upavon on Salisbury Plain, the command was divided into functional groups and geographically dispersed wings. Key subordinate formations included No. 38 Group RAF, which specialized in tactical transport and supported airborne forces, and No. 46 Group RAF, focused on strategic routes across the British Empire. Its global network of staging posts stretched from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire to bases in the Middle East, such as RAF Khormaksar in Aden, and across the Far East. This structure allowed it to operate regular scheduled services, known as Empire and Commonwealth air routes, while maintaining rapid reaction capabilities for military crises.

Aircraft and equipment

Throughout its existence, the command operated a diverse fleet of transport aircraft. Early workhorses included the Douglas Dakota and the Avro York, which were vital for the Berlin Airlift. These were supplemented and later replaced by more advanced types such as the Handley Page Hastings, the Bristol Britannia, and the Blackburn Beverley. For shorter-range tactical missions, it utilized the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy and the Scottish Aviation Pioneer. The command also pioneered the use of helicopters, including the Westland Whirlwind, for casualty evacuation and support to ground forces in conflicts like the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.

Major operations and deployments

Its first major test was the D-Day landings, airlifting paratroopers of the British 6th Airborne Division and towing Airspeed Horsa gliders. The command's defining moment was the Berlin Airlift (Operation Plainfare), where it flew thousands of sorties into Tempelhof Airport alongside the United States Air Force. It provided crucial airbridge support during the Suez Crisis (Operation Musketeer) and the subsequent withdrawal. Other significant deployments included supplying United Nations forces in the Korean War, supporting counter-insurgency operations in Kenya and Cyprus, and conducting humanitarian relief flights following disasters like the 1953 North Sea flood.

Commanders and senior personnel

The first Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief was Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill, a veteran of the Royal Naval Air Service. He was succeeded in 1945 by the renowned Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane, who had previously commanded No. 5 Group RAF and oversaw the famed Dambusters raid. Later commanders included Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett, who later served as Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom), and Air Marshal Sir Denis Barnett, a former Battle of Britain pilot. Many of its senior officers had distinguished backgrounds in Bomber Command or Fighter Command.

Legacy and successor formations

Upon its disbandment in 1967, its assets and duties were transferred to the newly formed RAF Air Support Command. This organization was itself short-lived, merging with Bomber Command in 1972 to create RAF Strike Command. The specialized transport and air-to-air refuelling role was later consolidated under No. 38 Group RAF within Strike Command. The modern incarnation of its mission is fulfilled by the RAF Air Mobility Force, a component of No. 1 Group RAF, operating aircraft such as the C-130J Hercules and the Airbus A400M Atlas. Its historical contributions are commemorated by the Royal Air Force Museum London and the RAF Museum Cosford.

Category:Royal Air Force commands