RAF Balloon Command - Second World War Organization

Second World War Organization

During World War II, the command had the following organization:

  • Headquarters at Old Church Lane, Stanmore in Middlesex. This in turn directly controlled:
    • RAF Cardington
    • RAF Chessington

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:

  • No. 30 Group headquartered at Chessington, near Surbiton, Surrey (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, Claverton, 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, Sheffield, Yorkshire (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, Edinburgh (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 squadrons which were numbered from 900 to 994.

  • WAAF Barrage Balloon crews at RAF Cardington.

  • Restored Fordson Sussex Balloon Winch Tender

  • Rear view of Fordson Sussex on display at the RAF Museum Hendon.

  • Balloons over London.

  • RAF Cardington near Bedford was home to a large Balloon Command unit.

Read more about this topic:  RAF Balloon Command

Famous quotes containing the words world, war and/or organization:

    “What would become of the world if the condemned started to confide their heartaches to the executioners?”
    —Albert Camus (1913–1960)

    “... there was the first Balkan war and the second Balkan war and then there was the first world war. It is extraordinary how having done a thing once you have to do it again, there is the pleasure of coincidence and there is the pleasure of repetition, and so there is the second world war, and in between there was the Abyssinian war and the Spanish civil war.”
    —Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)

    “The only thing that’s been a worse flop than the organization of non-violence has been the organization of violence.”
    —Joan Baez (b. 1941)