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| RAF Home Command | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Home Command (Royal Air Force) |
| Dates | 1939–1959; 1962–1972 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Command |
| Role | Personnel, training, administration |
| Size | Command-level formation |
| Garrison | RAF Cranwell, RAF Uxbridge, RAF Brampton |
| Garrison label | Headquarters |
| Notable commanders | Sir John Slessor, Sir William Sholto Douglas, Sir Hugh Saunders |
RAF Home Command was a command-level formation of the Royal Air Force responsible primarily for training, personnel management, administrative control and support functions within the United Kingdom during several periods of the 20th century. Formed at the outbreak of the Second World War and reconstituted in the postwar era, it coordinated training establishments, maintenance units and reserve forces linked to domestic defence and force generation. The command interacted closely with other services and government bodies including the Air Ministry, Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), and elements of the British Army and Royal Navy.
Home Command was established in 1939 as part of a reorganisation of the Royal Air Force at the onset of the Second World War to centralise control of non-operational units and training schools. Throughout the Battle of Britain and the wider wartime period it administered training for aircrew and ground trades, drawing on institutions such as RAF College Cranwell and the Air Training Corps. Postwar demobilisation and the onset of the Cold War prompted further reorganisations; Home Command was disbanded and reformed several times between 1945 and 1972 as responsibilities shifted to commands like Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Training Command (RAF), and later the unified Strike Command (RAF). Senior RAF leaders including Sir John Slessor, Sir William Sholto Douglas, and Sir Hugh Saunders played roles in shaping Home Command’s doctrine and structure. The command’s history reflects broader changes in British defence policy through events such as the 1947 Defence White Paper and strategic realignments associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Home Command comprised multiple groups, wings and stations organised to manage training schools, reserve formations and administrative services. Typical sub-units included numbered groups aligned with training functions, administrative groups responsible for personnel and posting, and maintenance groups overseeing Maintenance Unit (RAF) depots and aircraft storage. Headquarters elements sat at locations including RAF Cranwell, RAF Uxbridge and RAF Brampton, and liaised with the Air Ministry civil servants and the Joint Services Command and Staff College on doctrine. The command integrated formations from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and coordinated with the Air Training Corps and University Air Squadrons for recruitment and pre-entry instruction. Its organisational doctrine drew on staff practices developed during the First World War and interwar restructuring overseen by figures such as Sir Hugh Trenchard.
Home Command’s core responsibilities were training aircrew and ground personnel; managing postings, welfare and discipline; and providing administrative support to operational commands. It ran elementary and advanced flying schools, technical training colleges, and specialised instruction for signals, catering and engineering trades at establishments like RAF Halton and RAF Cosford. The command also oversaw mobilisation of reserve units including the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and the integration of conscripts during periods of national emergency, coordinating with the Personnel and Training Command (RAF) progeny. In peacetime it focused on career management, trade training pipelines, and the maintenance of strategic reserves in support of commitments to allies such as United States Air Force units stationed in the UK and NATO partners.
Operational activity for Home Command centred on training operations, personnel flows and domestic contingency support rather than front-line combat. It organised large-scale courses, aircrew conversion units, and exercises to prepare units for deployment to operational commands like Bomber Command and Fighter Command. During the Second World War Home Command-managed ranges and training areas supported live gunnery and bombing practice, while postwar activities included managing the drawdown after conflicts such as the Korean War and providing support during national crises like the Suez Crisis. The command also conducted air transport support for internal movements, coordinated aircrew selection boards, and administered awards and recognitions aligned with decorations such as the Air Force Cross.
Major facilities under Home Command included RAF Cranwell, RAF Halton, RAF Cosford, RAF Uxbridge and RAF Brampton, which hosted officer training, apprenticeships and administrative headquarters. The command employed a network of satellite airfields, ranges and maintenance depots such as numbered Maintenance Unit (RAF) sites, aircraft storage units and Elementary Flying Training Schools at locations across England, Scotland and Wales. Many of these establishments were later transferred to other commands or civilian use following 1950s and 1960s defence reviews; notable closures and repurposings involved sites near RAF Finningley and RAF Leeming.
Leadership of Home Command featured senior RAF officers drawn from operational and training backgrounds. Notable commanders included Sir John Slessor, who had extensive operational command experience, Sir William Sholto Douglas, a pre-war senior officer, and Sir Hugh Saunders, noted for training system reforms. Other officers who held command roles often progressed from appointments at RAF College Cranwell, numbered groups and the Air Ministry, reflecting the command’s emphasis on professional education and personnel management.
Home Command adopted heraldic and ceremonial elements consistent with RAF practice, drawing on symbols used at training institutions like RAF College Cranwell and badges associated with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Traditions emphasized drill, marching and the granting of wings through graduation parades at venues such as the college parade ground and Airmen’s Halls. Ceremonial links were maintained with veteran organisations including the Royal Air Forces Association and commemorations tied to events like Remembrance Sunday.