RAF Balloon Command
Encyclopedia
Balloon Command was the Royal Air Force
command
which was responsible for controlling all the United Kingdom-based barrage balloon
units during World War II.
in Middlesex
. It consisted of a headquarters
and several groups
. Balloon Command was disbanded in February 1945.
The command consisted of five groups
which were in turn subdivided into balloon centres (equivalent to wings of heavier-than-air aircraft). The organization was as follows:
The dates indicated give the periods for which each group existed as part of Balloon Command. No. 30 and 31 groups also existed in World War I as part of different formations.
The balloon centres in turn consisted of balloon squadron
s which were numbered from 900 to 994.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
which was responsible for controlling all the United Kingdom-based barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
units during World War II.
History
Balloon Command was formed on 1 November 1938 at RAF Stanmore ParkRAF Stanmore Park
RAF Stanmore Park was a Royal Air Force station in Stanmore, Middlesex .-History:The unit was opened in 1939 and closed in 1997. In 1939 Balloon Command was established at Stanmore Park....
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. It consisted of a headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
and several groups
Group (air force)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
. Balloon Command was disbanded in February 1945.
Commanders
The following officers were in command:- 1 November 1938 Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
O T BoydOwen Tudor BoydAir Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd CB, OBE, MC, AFC was an officer in the British Royal Flying Corps during most of World War I... - 1 December 1940 Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Leslie GossageLeslie GossageAir Marshal Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage KCB, CVO, DSO, MC . He was a former artillery officer who become a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and later a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War... - 1 February 1944 Air Vice-Marshal W C C GellWilliam Gell (RAF officer)Air Vice Marshal William Charles Coleman Gell CB DSO & Bar MC DL was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Balloon Command.-RAF career:...
- 13 February 1945 Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
P L LincolnPhilip LincolnAir Commodore Philip Lionel Lincoln CB DSO MC was a Royal Air Force officer who became the last Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Balloon Command.-RAF career:...
Organization
During World War II, the command had the following organization:- Headquarters at Old Church Lane, StanmoreStanmoreStanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, high.-Toponymy:...
in MiddlesexMiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. This in turn directly controlled:- RAF CardingtonRAF CardingtonRAF Cardington started life as a private venture when Short Brothers bought land there to build airships for the Admiralty. They constructed a Airship hangar in 1915 to enable them to build two rigid airships, the R-31 and the R-32. Shorts also built a housing estate, opposite the site, which...
- RAF Chessington
- RAF Cardington
The command consisted of five groups
Group (air force)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
which were in turn subdivided into balloon centres (equivalent to wings of heavier-than-air aircraft). The organization was as follows:
- No. 30 Group headquartered at ChessingtonChessingtonChessington is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, England. The Hogsmill river runs through it. Neighbouring settlements include: Tolworth, Ewell, Surbiton, Claygate, Epsom, Oxshott, Leatherhead, Esher, Kingston upon Thames and Worcester Park.-History:Its name...
, near SurbitonSurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(1 November 1938 to 7 January 1945)- No. 1 Balloon Centre
- No. 2 Balloon Centre
- No. 3 Balloon Centre
- No. 4 Balloon Centre
- No. 12 Balloon Centre
- No. 31 Group (1 April 1939 to 13 November 1941)
- No. 32 Group headquartered at Claverton Manor, ClavertonClaverton, SomersetClaverton is a small village and civil parish about east of Bath at the southern end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Somerset, England...
, near Bath, Somerset (1 March 1939 to 15 November 1944)- No. 6 Balloon Centre (earlier in 33 Group)
- No. 11 Balloon Centre
- No. 13 Balloon Centre
- No. 14 Balloon Centre
- No. 33 Group headquartered at Parkhead House, Abbey Lane, SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(1 March 1939 to 4 September 1944)- No. 5 Balloon Centre
- No. 6 Balloon Centre (later in 32 Group)
- No. 8 Balloon Centre
- No. 9 Balloon Centre
- No. 10 Balloon Centre
- No. 15 Balloon Centre (earlier in 34 Group)
- No. 16 Balloon Centre
- No. 17 Balloon Centre
- No. 34 Group headquartered at Tor House, Corstorphine Road, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
(7 April 1940 to 19 July 1943)- No. 15 Balloon Centre (later in 33 Group)
- No. 18 Balloon Centre
The dates indicated give the periods for which each group existed as part of Balloon Command. No. 30 and 31 groups also existed in World War I as part of different formations.
The balloon centres in turn consisted of balloon squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s which were numbered from 900 to 994.