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]
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 |
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3 Squadron SAAF Mohawk |
No. 246 Wing
No. 209 Squadron |
No. 246 Wing
No. 209 Squadron |
No. 246 Wing General Reconnaissance |
No. 246 Wing General Reconnaissance |
15 Squadron SAAF Battle |
1433 Flight SAAF Lysander 1414 Flight SAAF |
No. 258 Wing
No. 1414 Flight |
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 |
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41 Squadron SAAF Hartebeeste |
41 Squadron SAAF Hartebeeste, Hurricane |
No. 262 Squadron Catalina |
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51 Flight SAAF Anson |
No. 321 Squadron Catalina |
No. 321 Squadron Det. Catalina |
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34 Flight SAAF Junkers 86 |
34 Flight SAAF Anson |
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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 2 3 "Overseas Commands - Middle East & Mediterranean". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- 1 2 Richards, D.; Saunders, H. (1953). The Royal Air Force 1939–1945. 2 & 3. HMSO.
- ↑ http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Squadron%20Association/Nightjar/Nightjar_August_2012/Nightjar_August_2012.pdf
- ↑ 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.