Royal Air Force
Order of Battle, France, 10th May 1940

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Please note that this OB is based on two sources which cannot quite agree ! Squadrons for which no aircraft type is given only appear in source (1) while Squadrons that only appears in source (2) are indicated so.

Air Officer Commanding in Chief : Air Marshall A.S. Barrat
Senior Air Staff Officer : Air Vice-Marshall D.C.S. Evill

Headquarters (North) : Group Captain S.C. Strafford
Headquarters (East) : Squadron Leader R. Cleland

Air Component [ Top of Page ]

Air Component Headquarters
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ Air Component -
-
-
 Air Vice-Marshall C.H.B. Blount

No 14 Group

Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ No. 14 Group -
-
-
 Group Captain P.F. Fullard
60 (Fighter) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 60 Wing     Wing Commander J.A. Boret
85 Squadron Hurricane Mk I     Lille-Seclin
87 Squadron Hurricane Mk I     Senon
61 (Fighter) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 61 Wing     Wing Commander R.Y. Eccles
607 Squadron Hurricane Mk I
Gladiator		     Vitry-en-Artois
615 Squadron Hurricane Mk I
Gladiator		     A flight : Le Touquet
B flight : Abbeville
63 (Fighter) Wing - created on 10 May 1940
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
HQ 63 Wing     ? only mentioned in source (2)
3 Squadron Hurricane Mk I    Merville
79 Squadron Hurricane Mk I    Merville
70 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 70 Wing     Wing Commander W.A. Opie
18 Squadron Blenheim Mk V    
57 Squadron Blenheim Mk V    
52 (Bomber) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
HQ 52 Wing     Wing Commander A.F. Hutton
53 Squadron Blenheim Mk IV    
55 (?) Squadron     source (2) says 59 Squadron
50 (Army Co-operation) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 50 Wing     Group Captain A.R. Churchman
4 Squadron Lysander    
13 Squadron Lysander    
16 Squadron Lysander
51 (Army Co-operation) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
HQ 51 Wing     Wing Commander A.H. Flower
2 Squadron Lysander    
26 Squadron Lysander    
81 (C) Squadron Dragon Communications Squadron

Advanced Air Striking Force [ Top of Page ]

Advanced Air Striking Force Headquarters
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ Air Component -
-
-
 Air Vice-Marshall P.H.L. Playfair
67 (Fighter) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
HQ 67 Wing     Wing Co. C. Walter
1 Squadron Hurricane Mk I
12
   Wassincourt
73 Squadron Hurricane Mk I
12
   Rouvre
212 Squadron Photographic Recce Squadron. Only mentioned in source (1)
501 Squadron Hurricane Mk I
12
   Bethenville Arrived 10 May 1940. Only mentioned in source (2)
No. 71 (Bomber) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 71 Wing     Air Commodore R.M. Field
105 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Villeneuve
114 Squadron Blenheim Mk IV
16
   Condé
139 Squadron Blenheim Mk IV
16
 Plivot
150 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
 Ecury
75 (Bomber) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
HQ 75 Wing     Group Captain A.H. Wann
88 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Mourmelon
103 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Betheniville
208 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
 Auberive source (2) gives 218 Squadron instead
76 (Bomber) Wing
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander
HQ 76 Wing     Group Captain H.S. Kerby
12 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Amifontaine
142 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Berry-au-Bac
226 Squadron Fairey Battle
16
   Reims
Unit Aircraft Total Avail. Base Commander Notes
98 Squadron Fairey Battle     Nantes   Acted as a reserve for Fairey Battle squadrons. Only mentioned in source (2)

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