RAF Transport Command
Encyclopedia
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force
command
that controlled all transport aircraft
of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command
, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command
in 1967.
, it at first ferried aircraft
from factories to operational units and performed air transport. Later it took over the job of dropping paratroops from Army Cooperation Command
as well.
After WWII, it increased rapidly in size. It took part in several big operations, including the Berlin Airlift in 1948, which reinforced the need for a big RAF transport fleet. The Handley Page Hastings
, a four-engined transport, was introduced during the Berlin AirLift and continued as a mainstay transport aircraft of the RAF for the next 15 years. In 1956, new aircraft designs became available, including the de Havilland Comet
(the first operational jet
transport
), and the Blackburn Beverley
. In 1959, the Bristol Britannia
was introduced.
The principal RAF Transport Command functions of this period were support operations involving the evacuation of military personnel from the Suez Canal Zone
prior and after the Suez Crisis
of October-November 1956; casualty evacuation from South Korea
during the Korean War
and from the Malaya
during the Malayan Emergency
; essential supplies to Woomera, South Australia
, and ferrying personnel and supplies out to Christmas Island
for the atomic bomb tests carried out by the UK. In addition, Transport Command ran scheduled routes to military staging posts and bases in the Indian Ocean
region, Southeast Asia
and the Far East
, to maintain contact between the UK and military bases of strategic importance. It also carried out special flights worldwide covering all the continents bar Antarctica. Many varied tasks were undertaken during the 1950s.
The 1960s saw a reduction of the RAF and a loss of independence of the former functional commands. Transport Command was renamed Air Support Command
in 1967.
(Iceland
) on to Shetland and from there to mainland Scotland.
a research expedition over two years on the Greenland ice.
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...
that controlled all transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command
RAF Ferry Command
The RAF Ferry Command had a short life, but it spawned, in part, an organisation that lasted well beyond the war years during which it was formed.-History:...
, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command
RAF Air Support Command
Air Support Command of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 August 1967 by the redesignation of Transport Command. Its change of name reflected the change of emphasis of the Command from merely transporting materials and men around the world to providing general support to RAF operations around the...
in 1967.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it at first ferried aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
from factories to operational units and performed air transport. Later it took over the job of dropping paratroops from Army Cooperation Command
RAF Army Cooperation Command
RAF Army Cooperation Command was a short-lived major command of the Royal Air Force during World War II, comprising the army cooperation units of the RAF.The command was formed on 1 December 1940 when No...
as well.
After WWII, it increased rapidly in size. It took part in several big operations, including the Berlin Airlift in 1948, which reinforced the need for a big RAF transport fleet. The Handley Page Hastings
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force...
, a four-engined transport, was introduced during the Berlin AirLift and continued as a mainstay transport aircraft of the RAF for the next 15 years. In 1956, new aircraft designs became available, including the de Havilland Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
(the first operational jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
transport
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
), and the Blackburn Beverley
Blackburn Beverley
The Blackburn B-101 Beverley was a 1950s British heavy transport aircraft built by Blackburn and General Aircraft and flown by squadrons of Royal Air Force Transport Command from 1957 until 1967.-Design and development:...
. In 1959, the Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
was introduced.
The principal RAF Transport Command functions of this period were support operations involving the evacuation of military personnel from the Suez Canal Zone
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
prior and after the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
of October-November 1956; casualty evacuation from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and from the Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
; essential supplies to Woomera, South Australia
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
, and ferrying personnel and supplies out to Christmas Island
Kiritimati
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, and part of the Republic of Kiribati....
for the atomic bomb tests carried out by the UK. In addition, Transport Command ran scheduled routes to military staging posts and bases in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
region, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, to maintain contact between the UK and military bases of strategic importance. It also carried out special flights worldwide covering all the continents bar Antarctica. Many varied tasks were undertaken during the 1950s.
The 1960s saw a reduction of the RAF and a loss of independence of the former functional commands. Transport Command was renamed Air Support Command
RAF Air Support Command
Air Support Command of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 August 1967 by the redesignation of Transport Command. Its change of name reflected the change of emphasis of the Command from merely transporting materials and men around the world to providing general support to RAF operations around the...
in 1967.
Operation Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook was a major operation of Transport command - the ferrying of 400 Sabre fighters from North America to the UK. This required pilots and ground crew to be transported to Canada. The Sabres were flown via KeflavikKeflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
(Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
) on to Shetland and from there to mainland Scotland.
North Greenland Expedition
Transport Command supported the British North Greenland ExpeditionBritish North Greenland Expedition
British North Greenland Expedition was led by Commander James Simpson RN.North Ice was the name of a research station of the expedition, on the inland ice of Greenland.List of BNGE members, with their particulars...
a research expedition over two years on the Greenland ice.
Commanders-in-Chief
Commanders-in-Chief included:- 25 March 1943 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick BowhillFrederick BowhillAir Chief Marshal Sir Frederick William Bowhill, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force before and during World War II.-RAF career:...
- 15 February 1945 - Air Marshal Sir Ralph CochraneRalph CochraneAir Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, GBE, KCB, AFC, RAF was a British pilot and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid....
- 24 September 1947 - Air Marshal Sir Brian BakerBrian Edmund BakerAir Marshal Sir Brian Edmund Baker KBE, CB, DSO, MC, AFC was a British Flying Ace in World War I credited, in conjunction with his gunners, with 12 victories, comprising 1 aircraft captured, 1 and 3 shared destroyed, and 6 and 1 shared 'out of control'.-Military career:Baker served in the Rifle...
- 31 March 1950 - Air Marshal Sir Aubrey EllwoodAubrey Ellwood (RAF officer)Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Beauclerk Ellwood KCB DSC RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:...
- 1 January 1952 - Air Vice Marshal Robert BluckeRobert BluckeAir Vice Marshal Robert Stewart Blucke CB CBE DSO AFC & Bar was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Transport Command.-RAF career:...
- 3 June 1952 - Air Vice Marshal Sir Charles GuestCharles GuestAir Marshal Sir Charles Edward Neville Guest KBE CB was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Transport Command.-RAF career:...
- 15 March 1954 - Air Vice Marshal Sir George BeamishGeorge BeamishAir Marshal Sir George Robert Beamish, KCB, CBE, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force from the Second World War to his retirement in the late 1950s...
- 15 October 1955 - Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKeeAndrew McKee (RAF officer)Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKee KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Transport Command.-RAF career:...
- 16 May 1959 - Air Marshal Sir Denis BarnettDenis BarnettAir Chief Marshal Sir Denis Hensley Fulton Barnett GCB CBE DFC was a squadron commander and senior officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II...
- 30 April 1962 - Air Marshal Sir Edmund HudlestonEdmund HudlestonAir Chief Marshal Sir Edmund Cuthbert Hudleston GCB, CBE, ADC, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
- 1 December 1963 - Air Marshal Sir Kenneth CrossKenneth CrossAir Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Brian Boyd Cross KCB CBE DSO DFC RAF , was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He was commonly known as Bing.-RAF career:...
- 27 January 1967 - Air Marshal Sir Thomas PrickettThomas PrickettAir Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Öther Prickett KCB, DSO, DFC was a World War II bomber pilot and senior Royal Air Force commander in the 1950s and 1960s...
See also
- RAF stationRAF stationA Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
- List of Royal Air Force commands
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- AircraftAircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...