List of Royal Air Force Communication units

This is a List of Royal Air Force Communication units. "Communication" in the Royal Air Force sense meant units of light transport/liaison aircraft, very frequently supporting a command headquarters.

To allow rapid transport of air officers, staff and other important people many units and Headquarters operated communication Sections, Flights, Squadrons or wings.

A single wing of this type, the 2nd Tactical Air Force Communication Wing RAF, was established on 31 March 1945, and disbanded only three and a half months later at RAF Buckeburg on 15 July 1945, by being reduced to the British Air Forces of Occupation Communication Squadron.[1]

Squadrons

Unit	Formed on	Formed at	Disbanded on	Disbanded at	Notes
Aden Communication Squadron RAF	1 December 1951	RAF Khormaksar	31 August 1955	RAF Khormaksar	Became Aden Protectorate Communication and Support Squadron RAF[2]
Aden Protectorate Communication and Support Squadron RAF	1 September 1955	RAF Khormaksar	31 December 1956	RAF Khormaksar	Became No. 84 Squadron RAF[2]
Air Command Far East and Air Headquarters Malaya Communication Squadron RAF	21 August 1946	RAF Changi	15 January 1947	RAF Changi	Disbanded[3]
Air Component Field Force Communication Squadron RAF	25 August 1939	RAF Andover	27 November 1939	RAF Mont Jois	Became No. 81 Squadron RAF[3]
Air Defence of Great Britain Communication Squadron RAF	1 May 1944	RAF Northolt	16 October 1944	RAF Northolt	Became Fighter Command Communication Squadron RAF[3]
Air Division Communication Squadron RAF	18 December 1945	RAF Lubeck	8 August 1946	RAF Detmold	Disbanded[3]
Air Forces Gulf Communication Squadron RAF	15 September 1967	RAF Muharraq	8 August 1969	RAF Muharraq	Disbanded[4]
Air Headquarters Burma Communication Squadron RAF	20 September 1945	RAF Baigachi	14 November 1945	RAF Mingaladon	Became Air Headquarters Burma Communication Flight RAF[5]
Air Headquarters East Africa Communication Squadron RAF	1 November 1940	RAF Nairobi	15 December 1941	RAF Eastleigh	Disbanded[6]
Air Headquarters Hong Kong Communication Squadron RAF	12 September 1945	RAF Kai Tak	15 January 1947	RAF Kai Tak	Disbanded[6]
Air Headquarters India Communication Squadron RAF	1 March 1946	RAF Willingdon	15 August 1947	RAF Palam	Became Supreme Commanders Headquarters (Air) Communication Squadron RAF[7]
Air Headquarters Italy Communication Squadron RAF	10 November 1945	RAF Marcianise	15 August 1946	RAF Marcianise	Became Air Headquarters Italy Communication Flight RAF[7]
Air Headquarters Malaya Communication Squadron RAF	1 November 1945	RAF Kallang	15 January 1947	RAF Changi	Disbanded[7]
Air Headquarters Malta Communication Squadron RAF	31 May 1946	RAF Hal Far	1 July 1954	RAF Luqa	Became Malta Communication and Target Towing Squadron RAF[7]
Air Headquarters Netherlands East Indies Communication Squadron RAF	1 November 1945	RAF Mingaladon	21 August 1946	Unknown	Disbanded[7]
Allied Air Forces Central Europe Communication Squadron RAF	April 1951	RAF Melun-Villaroche	1966	RAF Melun-Villaroche	Disbanded[8]
Allied Expeditionary Air Force Communication Squadron RAF	6 April 1944	RAF Heston	15 October 1944	RAF Heston	Became Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (RAF) Communication Squadron RAF[8]
2nd Allied Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron RAF	February 1952	Unknown	1 January 1959	RAF Wildenrath	Became Royal Air Force Germany Communication Squadron RAF[1]
Base Air Forces, Southeast Asia Communication Squadron RAF	1 October 1944	RAF Willingdon	1 March 1946	RAF Palam	Became Air Headquarters India Communication Squadron RAF[9] National Archives record
Bomber Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 February 1956	RAF Halton	30 June 1963	RAF Bovingdon	[10][11]Became Bomber/Fighter/Coastal Commands Communication Squadron RAF
Bomber/Fighter/Coastal Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 July 1963	RAF Bovingdon	1 August 1963	RAF Bovingdon	Became Southern Communication Squadron RAF[12]
British Air Forces of Occupation Communication Squadron RAF	15 July 1945	RAF Bückeburg	1 September 1951	RAF Bückeburg	Became 2nd Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron[13]
British Commonwealth Air Communication Squadron RAF	After 1945	Unknown	31 March 1948	RAF Iwakuni	Disbanded[14]
Coastal Command Communication Squadron RAF	7 April 1945	RAF Leavesden	1 May 1946	RAF Leavesden	Became Bomber/Fighter/Coastal Command Communication Squadron RAF[15]
Colerne Communication Squadron RAF	30 July 1952	RAF Colerne	1 July 1957	RAF Colerne	Absorbed by No. 81 Group Communication Squadron RAF[16]
Communication Squadron, GHQ Royal Air Force, France RAF	1 April 1918	RAF Berck-sur-Mer	November 1918	RAF Bickendorf	Disbanded[17]
Communication Squadron, Hendon RAF	23 July 1918	RAF Hendon	27 July 1918	RAF Hendon	Became No. 1 (Communication) Squadron RAF[17]
Far East Communication Squadron RAF	16 October 1947	RAF Changi	January 1960	RAF Changi	Became part of No. 52 Squadron RAF[18]
Fighter Command Communication Squadron RAF	16 October 1944	RAF Northolt	30 June 1963	RAF Bovingdon	Became Bomber/Fighter/Coastal Command Communication Squadron RAF[19]
Flying Training Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 April 1959	RAF White Waltham	1 April 1964	RAF White Waltham	Disbanded[20]
No. 2 Group Communication Squadron RAF	1 December 1948	Unknown	4 October 1956	RAF Gütersloh	Disbanded[21]
No. 83 Group Communication Squadron RAF	1 March 1944	Unknown	30 April 1946	RAF Schleswigland	Disbanded[22]
No. 84 Group Communication Squadron (Air 29/2354) RAF	1 March 1944	Unknown	30 November 1947	RAF Celle	Disbanded[23]
No. 85 Group Communication Squadron RAF	1 May 1944	RAF Castle Camps	1 July 1946	Unknown	Became No. 85 Wing Communication Squadron RAF[23]
No. 88 Group Communication Squadron RAF	10 May 1945	RAF Turnhouse	30 September 1945	RAF Gardermoen	Disbanded[23]
No. 221 Group Communication Squadron RAF	1 January 1945	RAF Kalemyo	1 November 1945	RAF Mingaladon	Became Air Headquarters Netherlands East Indies Communication Squadron RAF[24]
No. 232 Group Communication Squadron RAF	27 February 1945	RAF Comilla	31 March 1946	RAF Rangoon	Disbanded[25]
No. 238 Group Communication Squadron RAF	20 April 1945	RAF Bilaspur	15 October 1945	RAF Bilaspur	Disbanded[25]
Headquarters Air Command Southeast Asia (Communication) Squadron RAF	31 January 1944	RAF Willingdon	30 September 1946	RAF Changi	Air Command Far East and Air Headquarters Malaya Communication Squadron RAF[26]
Headquarters British Forces Aden Communication Squadron RAF	21 March 1943	RAF Khormaksar	1 December 1951	RAF Khormaksar	Became Aden Communication Squadron RAF[26]
Headquarters Middle East Air Force Communication Squadron RAF	1 December 1954	RAF Nicosia	1 February 1946	RAF Nicosia	Became Middle East Command Communication Squadron RAF[5]
Headquarters Middle East Communication Squadron RAF	1 June 1949	RAF Kabrit	30 November 1949	RAF Kabrit	Disbanded[5]
Headquarters Royal Air Force Burma Communication Squadron RAF	21 April 1945	RAF Baigachi	20 September 1945	Unknown	Became Air Headquarters Burma Communication Squadron RAF[5]
Headquarters Royal Air Force Northern Ireland Communication Squadron RAF	19 November 1942	RAF Sydenham	31 March 1950	RAF Aldergrove	Became No. 67 Group Communication Flight RAF[5]
Home Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 August 1950	RAF White Waltham	1 April 1959	RAF White Waltham	Became Flying Training Command Communication Squadron RAF[27]
Maintenance Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 May 1944 1 August 1949	RAF Andover	Unknown 1 November 1960	Unknown	Became Maintenance Command Communication and Ferry Squadron RAF[28]
Maintenance Command Communication and Ferry Squadron RAF	1 November 1960	Unknown	1 April 1964	RAF Andover	Became Western Communication Squadron RAF[28]
Malta Communication and Target Towing Squadron RAF	1 July 1954	RAF Luqa	1 August 1963	RAF Ta Kali	Became Malta Communication Flight RAF[29]
Mediterranean and Middle East Communication Squadron RAF	1 February 1944	RAF Maison Blanche	1 June 1949	RAF Kabrit	Became Headquarters Middle East Communication Squadron RAF[30]
Metropolitan Communication Squadron RAF	8 April 1944	RAF Hendon	3 February 1969	RAF Northolt	Became No. 32 Squadron RAF[31]
Middle East Communication Squadron RAF	29 February 1944	RAF Heliopolis	10 November 1945	RAF Heliopolis	Became Mediterranean and Middle East Communication Squadron RAF[32]
Northern Communication Squadron RAF	1 October 1964	RAF Topcliffe	1 January 1967	RAF Topcliffe	Became Training Commands Communication Squadron RAF[33]
Reserve Command Communication Squadron RAF	10 September 1946	RAF White Waltham	1 August 1950	RAF White Waltham	Became Home Command Communication Squadron RAF[34]
Royal Air Force Bengal/Burma Communication Squadron RAF	4 December 1944	RAF Baigachi	21 April 1945	RAF Baigachi	Became Headquarters Royal Air Force Burma Communication Squadron RAF[35]
Royal Air Force Germany Communication Squadron RAF	1 January 1959	RAF Wildenrath	3 February 1969	RAF Wildenrath	Became No. 60 Squadron RAF[36]
Southern Communication Squadron RAF	1 August 1963	RAF Bovingdon	1 January 1969	Unknown	Became Strike Command Communication Squadron RAf[37]
Strike Command Communication Squadron RAF	1 January 1969	Unknown	3 February 1969	RAF Northolt	Became No. 207 Squadron RAF[37]
Special Communication Squadron RAF	1 January 1951	RAF Kabrit	1 September 1952	RAF Fayid	Became Middle East Air Force Special Communication Flight RAF[37]
No. 1 (Communication) Squadron RAF	27 July 1918	Unknown	8 October 1919	RAF Kenley	Disbanded[17]
No. 2 (Communication) Squadron RAF	1 March 1919	RAF Buc	8 October 1919	RAF Kenley	Disbanded[17]
No. 3 (Communication) Squadron RAF	February 1919	RAF Hounslow	March 1919	RAF Hounslow	Absorbed by No. 86 Wing Headquarters Flight RAF[17]
No. 4 (Communication) Squadron RAF	5 January 1919	RAF Felixstowe	31 December 1919	RAF Felixstowe	Absorbed by No. 230 Squadron RAF[17]
No. 5 (Communication) Squadron RAF	March 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	15 June 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	Became No. 274 Squadron RAF[17]
No. 6 (Communication) Squadron RAF	March 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	1 October 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	Disbanded[17]
No. 7 (Communication) Squadron RAF	March 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	1 October 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	Disbanded[17]
No. 8 (Communication) Squadron RAF	March 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	September 1919	RAF Bircham Newton	Disbanded[17]
Supreme Commander's Headquarters (Air) Communication Squadron RAF	15 August 1947	RAF Palam	17 December 1947	RAF Palam	Became Royal Air Force Communication Flight RAF[1]
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (RAF) Communication Squadron RAF	15 October 1944	RAF Heston	31 July 1945	RAF Detmold	Disbanded[1]
Tactical Air Force (Burma) Communication Squadron RAF	1 December 1943	RAF Comilla	28 December 1943	Unknown	Became 3rd Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron RAF[1]
2nd Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron RAF	1 April 1944 1 September 1951	RAF Buckeburg	31 March 1945 February 1952	Unknown	Became 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron RAF[1]
3rd Tactical Air Force Communication Squadron RAF	28 December 1943	Unknown	4 December 1944	RAF Comilla	Became Royal Air Force Bengal/Burma Communication Squadron RAF[1]
Training Commands Communication Squadron RAF	1 January 1967	RAF Topcliffe	3 February 1969	RAF Wyton	Became No. 26 Squadron RAF[38]
Transport Command Communication Squadron RAF	Unknown	Unknown	1 April 1964	RAF Upavon	Absorbed by the Western Communication Squadron RAF[39]
Turnhouse Communication Squadron RAF	1 October 1952	RAF Turnhouse	28 February 1958	RAF Turnhouse	Disbanded[40]
West Africa Command Communication Squadron RAF	July 1945	Unknown	1 November 1945	Unknown	Became West Africa Communication Squadron RAF[41]
West Africa Communication Squadron RAF	31 May 1944 1 October 1946	RAF Waterloo, SA	July 1945 25 September 1947	Unknown	Disbanded[41]
West Africa Transport and Communication Squadron RAF	1 November 1945	RAF Accra, Gold Coast	1 October 1946	RAF Takoradi, Gold Coast	Became West Africa Communication Squadron[41]
Western Communication Squadron RAF	1 April 1964	RAF Andover	3 February 1969	RAF Andover	Became No. 21 Squadron RAF[41]
No. 85 Wing Communication Squadron RAF	1 July 1946	Unknown	November 1948	Unknown	Became No. 85 Wing Communication Flight RAF[23]

Units

Unit	Formed on	Formed at	Disbanded on	Disbanded at	Notes
Aden Communication Unit RAF	1 January 1944	Khormaksar	January 1946	Khormaksar	Became Headquarters British Forces Aden Communication Flight[2]
Air Command Southeast Asia Communication Unit RAF	1 November 1943	Willingdon, India	31 January 1944	Willingdon, India	Became Headquarters Air Command Southeast Asia Communication Squadron[3]
Air Headquarters Bengal Communication Unit RAF	24 March 1943	Barrackpore, Bengal	1 December 1943	Comilla, India	Became Tactical Air Force (Burma) Communication Squadron[6]
Communication Unit, Desert Air Force RAF	1 July 1943	Sorman, Libya	1 June 1944	Orvieto, Italy	Became Desert Air Force Communication Flight[17]
Communication Unit, Heliopolis RAF	18 January 1940	Heliopolis	19 August 1940	Heliopolis	Became No. 267 Squadron RAF[42]
Communication Unit, Western Desert RAF	27 April 1942	Ma'aten Bagush, Egypt	1 July 1943	Sorman, Libya	Became Communication Unit, Desert Air Force[17]
Mediterranean Air Command Communication Unit RAF	2 August 1943	Maison Blanche, Algeria	1 February 1944	Maison Blanche, Algeria	Disbanded[30]

Flights

Unit	Formed on	Formed at	Disbanded on	Disbanded at	Notes
No. 1 (Communication) Flight (Kenya Auxiliary Air Unit) RAF
No. 1 (Indian) Group Communication Flight RAF
No. 2 (Indian) Group Communication Flight RAF
No. 3 (Indian) Group Communication Flight RAF
No. 85 Wing Communication Flight RAF
No. 87 Wing Communication Flight RAF
No. 87 Group Communication Flight RAF
2nd Tactical Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Air Defence of Great Britain Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Austria Communication Flight RAF / Austria Commission Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Burma Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Ceylon Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Communication Flight Iraq and Persia RAF
Air Headquarters East Africa Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Eastern Mediterranean Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Egypt Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Greece Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters India Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Austria Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Burma Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Ceylon Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Communication Flight Iraq and Persia RAF
Air Headquarters East Africa Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Iraq Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Italy Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Malaya Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Malta Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Middle East Communication Flight RAF
Air Headquarters Western Desert Communication Flight RAF
Allied Expeditionary Force Communication Flight RAF
Andover Communication Flight RAF
Army Co-Operation Command Communication Flight RAF
Austria Commission Flight RAF
Austria Communication Flight RAF
Balkan Air force Communication Flight RAF
Berlin Air Command (RAF) Communication Flight RAF
Bomber Command Communication Flight RAF	1942	RAF Halton	1956	RAF Halton	[43] Became Bomber Command Communication Squadron.
British Air Command Berlin Communication Flight RAF
British Commonwealth Air Communication Flight RAF
Burma Communication Flight RAF
Central Air Communication Section Training Flight RAF
Civil Aircraft Flight, National Air Communications RAF
Coastal Command Communication Flight RAF
Communication Flight, Aden RAF
Communication Flight, Air Headquarters New Delhi RAF
Communication Flight, Aldermaston RAF
Communication Flight, Dar es Salaam (Air Defence Unit, Tanganyika) RAF
Communication Flight, Dum Dum RAF
Communication Flight, Eastleigh RAF
Communication Flight, GHQ Royal Flying Corps, France RAF
Communication Flight, Heliopolis RAF
Communication Flight, Iraq RAF
Communication Flight, Iraq and Persia RAF
Communication Flight, Khartoum RAF (see 117 Squadron)
Communication Flight, Lydda RAF
Communication Flight, Nicosia RAF
Communication Flight, Ramleh RAF
Communication Flight, Takoradi RAF
Desert Air force Communication Flight RAF
East Africa Communication Flight RAF
Eastleigh Communication Flight RAF
Far East Communication Flight RAF
Flying Training Command Communication Flight RAF
Free French Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters British Forces Aden Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Combat Cargo Task Force Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Far East Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Middle East Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Middle East Air Force Flight RAF
Headquarters Rhodesian Air Training Wing Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Rhodesian Air Training Wing Communication Flight RAF
Headquarters Royal Air Air Force Northern Ireland Communication Flight RAF
Helicopter Communication Flight RAF
Home Communication Flight RAF
India Communication Flight RAF
Inland Area Communication Flight RAF
Iraq Communication Flight RAF
Kuala Lumpur Communication Flight RAF
Light Communication Trial Flight RAF
Maintenance Command Communication Flight RAF
Malta Air Sea Rescue and Communication Flight RAF
Malta Communication, Ferry Unit and Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF
Malta Communication Flight RAF
Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Forces Communication Flight RAF
Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Forces Communication Flight RAF
Mediterranean Tactical Air Forces Communication Flight RAF
Middle East Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Middle East Air Force Flight RAF
Middle East Air Force Special Communication Flight RAF
Middle East Command Communication Flight RAF
Middle East Communication Flight RAF
Northern Ireland Communication Flight RAF
Northwest African Air Forces Communication Flight RAF
Northwest African Coastal Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Northwest African Tactical Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Overseas Staff College Communication Flight RAF
Reserve Command Communication Flight RAF
Rhodesian Air Group Communication Flight RAF
Rhodesian Air Training Wing Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Delegation (Belgium) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Delegation (Denmark) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Delegation (France) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Delegation (Greece) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Delegation (Washington) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Staff College Communication Flight RAF
Royal Air Force Staff College (Overseas) Communication Flight RAF
Royal Hellenic Air Force Communication Flight RAF
Southeastern Area Communications Flight RAF
Southern Rhodesia Communications Flight RAF
Special Communication Flight RAF
Technical Training Command Communication Flight RAF
Training Command Communication Flight RAF
Transport Command Communication Flight RAF
Wessex Bombing Area Communication Flight RAF
Western Desert Communication Flight RAF

References

Citations

1. Lake 1999, p. 279.
2. Lake 1999, p. 9.
3. Lake 1999, p. 14.
4. Lake 1999, p. 16.
5. Lake 1999, p. 129.
6. Lake 1999, p. 17.
7. Lake 1999, p. 18.
8. Lake 1999, p. 27.
9. Lake 1999, p. 35.
10. "Bovingdon". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
11. Lake 1999, p. 38.
12. Lake 1999, p. 39.
13. Lake 1999, p. 40.
14. Lake 1999, p. 41.
15. Lake 1999, p. 49.
16. Lake 1999, p. 50.
17. Lake 1999, p. 52.
18. Lake 1999, p. 66.
19. Lake 1999, p. 70.
20. Lake 1999, p. 103.
21. Lake 1999, p. 119.
22. Lake 1999, p. 124.
23. Lake 1999, p. 125.
24. Lake 1999, p. 126.
25. Lake 1999, p. 127.
26. Lake 1999, p. 128.
27. Lake 1999, p. 130.
28. Lake 1999, p. 135.
29. Lake 1999, p. 136.
30. Lake 1999, p. 137.
31. Lake 1999, p. 138.
32. Lake 1999, p. 139.
33. Lake 1999, p. 141.
34. Lake 1999, p. 171.
35. Lake 1999, p. 174.
36. Lake 1999, p. 176.
37. Lake 1999, p. 187.
38. Lake 1999, p. 283.
39. Lake 1999, p. 288.
40. Lake 1999, p. 289.
41. Lake 1999, p. 290.
42. Lake 1999, p. 51.
43. "Halton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 29 April 2020.

Bibliography

• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.