Air Headquarters East Africa

Air Headquarters East Africa (or AHQ East Africa) was a command of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) formed on 19 October 1940 by expanding Air H.Q. RAF Nairobi. On 15 December 1941, the command was reduced to Group status as No. 207 (General Purpose) Group. On 16 November 1942, Air H.Q. East Africa was reformed by raising No. 207 Group back to Command status again.[1]

Commanders[1] & Squadron Assignments[2] (1941–1945)
11 November 1941
Air H.Q. East Africa
A/Cdre William Sowrey
27 October 1942
No. 207 Group
A/Cdre Malcolm Taylor
10 July 1943
Air H.Q. East Africa
AVM Harold Kerby
June 1944
Air H.Q. East Africa
AVM Harold Kerby
January 1945
Air H.Q. East Africa
AVM Brian Baker
3 Squadron SAAF
Mohawk
No. 246 Wing

No. 209 Squadron
Catalina
-
-

No. 246 Wing

No. 209 Squadron
Catalina
No. 265 Squadron
Catalina

No. 246 Wing
General Reconnaissance
No. 246 Wing
General Reconnaissance
15 Squadron SAAF
Battle
1433 Flight SAAF
Lysander

1414 Flight SAAF
Gladiator

No. 258 Wing

No. 1414 Flight
Lysander, Anson

No. 258 Wing
General Reconnaissance
No. 258 Wing
General Reconnaissance
16 Squadron SAAF
Junkers 86, Maryland
16 Squadron SAAF
Beaufort, Maryland
No. 259 Squadron
Catalina
41 Squadron SAAF
Hartebeeste
41 Squadron SAAF
Hartebeeste, Hurricane
No. 262 Squadron
Catalina
51 Flight SAAF
Anson
No. 321 Squadron
Catalina
No. 321 Squadron Det.
Catalina
34 Flight SAAF
Junkers 86
34 Flight SAAF
Anson
35 Flight SAAF
Junkers 52
35 Flight SAAF
Blenheim
Notes: A/Cdre=Air Commodore; AVM=Air Vice Marshal; Det.=Detachment

In January 1943, Air H.Q. East Africa became a sub-command of the RAF Middle East Command, itself a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command.[2]

Postwar, Air H.Q. East Africa was disbanded on 15 September 1951, reformed on 1 February 1961, and disbanded on 11 December 1964.[1] In the 1950s and 1960s the RAF in East Africa was reduced to a single station, RAF Eastleigh, and about 500 personnel. RAF stations at Kisumu, Thika, and Mombasa were thus eventually closed. No. 214 Squadron RAF made a six-month detachment to Eastleigh in 1951, during the Mau Mau Uprising.[3] No. 1340 Flight used the Harvard in Kenya against the Mau Mau in the 1950s, where they operated with 20 lb bombs and machine guns against the gangs.

The Air Officer Commanding served as air advisor to a number of former British territories in the region.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Overseas Commands - Middle East & Mediterranean". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 Richards, D.; Saunders, H. (1953). The Royal Air Force 1939–1945. 2 & 3. HMSO.
  3. http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Squadron%20Association/Nightjar/Nightjar_August_2012/Nightjar_August_2012.pdf
  4. David Lee (RAF officer), Flight from the Middle East: A history of the Royal Air Force in the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent territories 1945–1972, HMSO 1980.
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