RAF Staff College, Andover

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The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.

1 Foundation
2 Organization history
3 Changes during and after World War II
4 Commandants
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Foundation

Following the foundation of the RAF in April 1918 and the end of World War I in November 1918, there was a determination to maintain the Air Force as an independent service rather than let the Army and Royal Navy control air operations again. Therefore the creation of an RAF Staff College to parallel the Army Staff College and the Royal Naval Staff College was an important element in fully establishing the RAF.

On the 14 November 1921, Air Commodore Robert Brooke-Popham was tasked with setting up the RAF Staff College. On the 1 April the following year, the new RAF Staff College came into being with Brooke-Popham as its first commandant. The Staff College was based in Andover and was subordinate to Inland Area.

[edit] Organization history

From its foundation and through the 1920s and 30s, the Staff College provided training to select officers (usually promising flight lieutenants or squadron leaders) to prepare them for staff duties at the Air Ministry or at Command or Group headquarters.

[edit] Changes during and after World War II

Although the College was closed on 3 September 1939, the day the British declaration of war was made, it reopened the following November running shorter courses. However, the next year on 28 May 1940, the College closed again. The RAF reopened its staff college at Bulstrode Park in December 1941. The College at Bulstode Park was later reduced in size and only offered training to allied and foreign air force officers. When Bulstode Park closed in 1948, this smaller College returned to Andover and its role in training overseas officers was continued. It was not until 1970 that the Staff College at Andover finally closed when it was absorbed into the RAF Staff College at Bracknell.