List of communications units and formations of the Royal Air Force

This is a list of communications units and formations of the Royal Air Force.

In the Royal Air Force sense, wings, groups, and commands can be considered formations. A formation is defined by the US Department of Defense as "two or more aircraft, ships, or units proceeding together under a commander".[1] "Formations are those military organisations which are formed from different speciality Arms and Services troop units to create a balanced, combined combat force."[2]

Higher level communications formations in the Royal Air Force included RAF Signals Command, which was later reduced to group status and incorporated into RAF Strike Command. Nos 26 and No. 60 Group RAF were established in the 1940s. No. 26 Group was reformed on 12 February 1940 within RAF Training Command, and transferred to RAF Technical Training Command on 27 May 1940. It was transferred to RAF Bomber Command on 10 February 1942, and then amalgamated with No. 60 (Signals) Group to form No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF on 25 April 1946.

The Radio Warfare Establishment (RWE) was established 21 July 1945 at RAF Swanton Morley, and later became the Central Signals Establishment (CSE). The CSE was formed 1 September 1946 at RAF Watton, equipped with Dominie and Tiger Moth, and disbanded there on 1 July 1965.[3] When the establishment disbanded, the Research Wing and civilian parts of the "..Installation Squadron became the RAF Signals Command Air Radio Laboratories, and the training and service elements of Installation Squadron became the EW Support Wing."[4] Many files regarding the CSE are accessible in the National Archives at Kew .

Radio units and formations

Radio Establishment
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
Radio Warfare Establishment21 July 1945Swanton MorleyFortress
Halifax		Watton1 September 1946Central Signals Establishment[5]

Radio Schools
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
1 Radio School10 March 1941CranwellBotha
Proctor		N/AN/A[6] Active
2 Radio School18 January 1940YatesburyTiger Moth
Botha		Yatesbury31 October 1965Disbanded[5]
3 Radio School27 December 1940PrestwickAudax
Blenheim		Compton Basset30 November 1964Disbanded[5]
4 Radio School1 January 1943MadleyDominie
Proctor		Swanton Morley1 May 19511 Air Signallers School[5]
6 Radio School1 January 1943BoltonBlenheim
Tiger Moth		Cranwell1 December 1952Absorbed by 1 Radio School[5]
10 Radio School1 January 1943Carew CheritonAnson
Oxford		Carew Cheriton24 November 1945Disbanded[5]
11 Radio School11 December 1942Hooton ParkBotha
Anson		Hooton Park31 August 1944Disbanded[5]
12 Radio School17 July 1943St AthanProctor
Anson		St Athan7 March 1946Empire Radio School[5]
14 Radio School1 June 1944St AthanProctor
Anson		Debden7 March 1946Empire Radio School[5]
3 Radio Direction Finding School19 August 1942PrestwickHart
Botha		Hooton Park13 December 194211 Radio School[6]
Empire Radio School7 March 1946DebdenTiger Moth
Proctor		Debden20 October 1949Royal Air Force Technical College, Signals Division[7]

Radio Flights
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
Radio Development FlightDecember 1942DremDefiant
Beaufighter		Drem1 June 19431692 (Special Duties) Flight[6]
1 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940WickHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19401 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
2 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940DyceHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19402 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
3 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940UsworthHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19403 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
4 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940Church FentonHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19404 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
5 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940DuxfordHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19405 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
6 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940Biggin HillHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19406 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
7 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight15 July 1940FiltonHornet MothN/A16 October 19407 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
8 Radio Maintenance Unit Calibration Flight1 July 1940SpekeHornet Moth
Blenheim		N/A16 October 19408 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight[6]
1 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Longman16 February 194170 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
2 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Dyce16 February 194171 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
3 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Usworth16 February 194172 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
4 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Church Fenton16 February 194173 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
5 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Duxford16 February 194174 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
6 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Biggin Hill16 February 194175 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
7 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet MothFilton16 February 194176 Wing Calibration Flight[6]
8 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight16 October 1940N/AHornet Moth
Blenheim		Speke16 February 194177 Wing Calibration Flight[6]

Signals units and formations

Wings
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
No. 1 Wing RAF
No. 5 Wing RAF
No. 69 Wing RAF
No. 70 Wing RAF
No. 71 Wing RAF
No. 72 Wing RAF
No. 73 Wing RAF
No. 74 Wing RAF
No. 75 Wing RAF
No. 76 Wing RAF
No. 77 Wing RAF
No. 78 Wing RAF
No. 81 Wing RAF
No. 83 Wing RAF
No. 84 Wing RAF

Squadrons
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
Signals Command Development SquadronN/AWattonLincoln
Hastings		Watton1 January 1962No. 151 Squadron RAF[8]
Signals Squadron4 January 1942KabritWellingtonKabrit1 March 1942No. 162 Squadron RAF[8]

Units
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
No. 1 Signals Unit RAF
No. 2 Signals Unit RAF
No. 6 Signals Unit RAF
No. 7 Signals Unit RAF
No. 9 Signals Unit RAF
No. 11 Signals Unit RAF
No. 12 Signals Unit RAF
No. 26 Signals Unit RAF
No. 33 Signals Unit RAF
No. 50 Signals Unit RAF
No. 54 Signals Unit RAF
No. 59 Signals Unit RAF
No. 71 Signals Unit RAF
No. 81 Signals Unit RAF
No. 90 Signals Unit RAF
No. 91 Signals Unit RAF
No. 101 Signals Unit RAF
No. 112 Signals Unit RAF
No. 117 Signals Unit RAF
No. 123 Signals Unit RAF
No. 144 Signals Unit RAF
No. 146 Signals Unit RAF
No. 235 Signals Unit RAF
No. 244 Signals Unit RAF
No. 264 Signals Unit RAF
No. 271 Signals Unit RAF
No. 276 Signals Unit RAF
No. 280 Signals Unit RAF
No. 303 Signals Unit RAF
No. 336 Signals Unit RAF
No. 367 Signals Unit RAF
No. 388 Signals Unit RAF
No. 399 Signals Unit RAF
No. 405 Signals Unit RAF
No. 409 Signals Unit RAF
No. 425 Signals Unit RAF
No. 432 Signals Unit RAF
No. 444 Signals Unit RAF
No. 469 Signals Unit RAF
No. 487 Signals Unit RAF
No. 500 Signals Unit RAF
No. 585 Signals Unit RAF
No. 591 Signals Unit RAF
No. 615 Signals Unit RAF
No. 646 Signals Unit RAF
No. 719 Signals Unit RAF
No. 721 Signals Unit RAF
No. 724 Signals Unit RAF
No. 751 Signals Unit RAF
No. 815 Signals Unit RAF
No. 840 Signals Unit RAF
No. 889 Signals Unit RAF
No. 926 Signals Unit RAF
No. 962 Signals Unit RAF
No. 966 Signals Unit RAF
No. 993 Signals Unit RAF
No. 1001 Signals Unit RAF
Signals Development Unit RAF15 April 1943Hinton-in-the-HedgesWhitley
Wellington		Henlow1 January 1950Radio Engineering Unit RAF[8]
Signals Flying Unit RAF20 July 1944HonileyOxford
Wellington		Honliey1 September 1946Central Signals Establishment[8]

Schools
NameFormedLocationAircraftDisbanded atDisbandedUnit became
1 Signals School26 August 1940CranwellValentia
Wallace		Cranwell1 January 19431 Radio School[8]
2 Signals School26 August 1940YatesburyDragon Rapide
Dominie		Yatesbury1 January 19432 Radio School[8]
3 Signals School26 August 1940Compton BassettN/ACompton Bassett1 January 19433 Radio School[8]
3 Signals School (India)19 August 1943HakimpetBlenheimHakimpet14 May 1944Absorbed by 10 School of Air Force Technical Training, Hakimpet[8]
4 Signals School27 August 1941MadleyDominie
Proctor		Madley1 January 19434 Radio School[8]

References
  1. United States Department of Defense, DOD Dictionary Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Fomin, N.N., Great Soviet Encyclopaedia (Russian: Большая Советская Энциклопедия), Moscow, 1978
  3. Lake 1999, p. 47.
  4. Air of Authority, Other Establishments - Experimental and Administrative, accessed May 2020.
  5. Lake 1999, p. 160.
  6. Lake 1999, p. 159.
  7. Lake 1999, p. 64.
  8. Lake 1999, p. 186.
Bibliography
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
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