List of Balloon Organisations
This is a list of Barrage Balloon Organisations of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force formed shortly before and during the Second World War . As the AAF was ' embodied' with the RAF on the outbreak of war when the AAF stopped recruiting, all balloon squadron numbered 900 to 947 were AAF and from 948 to 999 were RAF.
Barrage Balloon Groups and Centres [ ]
data from :-[1]
No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group AAF
17 Mar 1937 - 7 Jan 1945
No. 1 Balloon Centre
Kidbrooke , London SE3
4 Oct 1937 - 1960
No. 2 Balloon Centre
Hook , Surrey
1937 - pre Jun 1944
No. 3 Balloon Centre
Stanmore , Middlesex
1937 - Current
No. 4 Balloon Centre
Chigwell , Essex
2 Aug 1938 - 1 Apr 1943
No. 22 Balloon Centre
Biggin Hill , Kent
19 Feb 1944 - 20 Nov 1944
No. 23 Balloon Centre
Gravesend , Kent
1 Feb 1944 - 15 Jan 1945
No. 24 Balloon Centre
Redhill , Surrey
1 Jul 1944 - 15 Jan 1945
Birmingham
1 Apr 1939 - 13 Nov 1941
No. 5 Balloon Centre
Whitehouse Common, Sutton Coldfield , Birmingham
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
No. 6 Balloon Centre
Wythall , Birmingham
Transferred to No 32 Group13 Nov 1941
No. 7 Balloon Centre
Curzon Lane, Alvaston , Derbyshire
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
No. 8 Balloon Centre
Fazakerley , Liverpool
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
No. 9 Balloon Centre
Houghton Green , Warrington
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
No. 10 Balloon Centre
Bowlee , Middleton, Greater Manchester
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
Romsey / Bath
1 Mar 1939 - 15 Nov 1944
No. 11 Balloon Centre
Pucklechurch , Bristol
No. 12 Balloon Centre
Southampton Road, Titchfield , Fareham , Hants
Transferred to - pre Jun 1944
No. 13 Balloon Centre
Collaton Cross, Yealmpton , Plymouth
No. 14 Balloon Centre
Caerau , Ely , Cardiff
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
No. 21 Balloon Centre
Pembroke Dock , Wales
27 Aug 1940 - 31 Dec 1941
/ Sheffield (1940)
1 Mar 1939 - 4 Sep 1944
No. 15 Balloon Centre
Long Benton, Forest Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
No. 16 Balloon Centre
Hemsworth , Norton , Sheffield
15 Aug 1939 - pre Jun 1944
No. 17 Balloon Centre
Royal Air Force Sutton-on-Hull , Hull
17 May 1939 - 15 Oct 1942
Edinburgh
1 Jul 1940 - 4 Sep 1944
No. 18 Balloon Centre
Bishopbriggs , Glasgow
Aug 1939 - Unknown
No. 19 Balloon Centre
Rosyth , Fife
21 Oct 1939 - 6 May 1940
No. 18 Balloon Centre
Lyness , Orkney
2 Jun 1940 - 27 Dec 1941
Barrage Balloon Squadrons [ ]
16 May 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Woolwich , Abbey Wood , Kidbrooke
16 May 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Kidbrooke , Brixton
16 May 1938 - Unknown 1944
5 Flights of 9 balloons.
Amalgamated with 902 Sqn.
Brixton / Forest Hill
16 May 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Clapham
16 May 1938 - Unknown 1944
5 Flights of 9 balloons. Amalgamated with 901 Sqn
Kensington , Clapham
7 Jul 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Hampstead , Kensington
16 May 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Harringay / Woodberry Down
5 Jul 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
Wanstead , Harringay
16 May 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons
West Ham , East Ham
5 Jul 1938
5 Flights of 9 balloons, (3 Water-borne (Aug 1940))
Dagenham , East Ham .
Jan 1939 – Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons (48 balloons in Aug 1940)
West Bromwich , Chelmsford , Erdington (Dec 1943).
Jan 1939 -Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons (24 balloons in Aug 1940)
Brockworth , Gloucester .
Jan 1939 -Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Erdington / Sutton Coldfield , Chelmsford
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
4 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Wythall / Northfield .
Jan 1939 -Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Bourneville / , Chelmsford .
Jan 1939 – Unknown, Jun 1944 - Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (32 balloons in Aug 1940)
Coventry
Reformed for Anti-'Diver' duties
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Coventry
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
3 Flights of 8 balloons ( 32 balloons in Aug 1940)
Derby / Alveston .
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
4 Flights of 8 balloons. (52 balloons (12 Water-borne) in Aug 1940)
Birkenhead .
Jan 1939 - pre Dec 1943
4 Flights of 8 balloons (A & B Flights later 12 balloons each, C & D retained 8 each)
Derry
Jan 1939 - 20 Feb 1943
3 Flights of 8 balloons (48 balloons in Aug 1940)
Liverpool / Fazakerley .
Jan 1939 - pre Dec 1943
4 Flights of 8 balloons
Warrington /
Jan 1939 - Unknown, Jun 1944 - Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons
Runcorn / Birkenhead
Reformed for Anti-'Diver' duties
Jan 1939 Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons (24 balloons in Aug 1940)
Southampton / Eastleigh .
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
3 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Manchester
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
3 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Bowlee / Manchester
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (32 balloons in Aug 1940)
Bristol .
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (10 Water-borne Aug 1940)
Felixstowe / Harwich
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (7 Water-borneAug 1940)
South Queensferry
Jan 1939 - pre Dec 1943
3 Flights of 8 balloons (50 balloons (10 Water-borne ) in Aug 1940)
Southampton .
Jan 1939 - pre Dec 1943
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (32 balloons in Aug 1940)
Portsmouth
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Portsmouth / Gosport
Jan 1939 Unknown
5 Flights of 8 balloons (24 balloons in Aug 1940)
Plymouth .
Jan 1939 Unknown
2 Flights of 8 balloons (24 balloons in Aug 1940)
Plymouth /Filton .
20 Feb 1939 - 4 Jun 1943
4 Flights of 8 balloons (4 Water-borne Aug 1940)
Newcastle upon Tyne
Amalgamated with No 937 on 4 Jun 1943
20 Feb 1939 - 4 Jun 1943
4 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons (3 Water-borne) in Aug 1940)
Newcastle upon Tyne
Amalgamated with No 936 on 4 Jun 1943
4 Jun 1943 - 1 Dec 1944
20 Feb 1939 - 1 Dec 1944
3 Flights of 8 balloons (48 balloons in Aug 1940)
Stockton on Tees / Billingham
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Sheffield
Unknown - pre Jun 1944
Sheffield
3 Flights of 8 balloons
Jan 1939 Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Sheffield / Sunderland (May 1943)
Amalgamated with 939 due to lack of volunteers
25 Jan 1939 - 1 Jan 1942
3 Flights of 8 balloons 42 balloons (24 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
RAF Sutton on Hull
Amalgamated with 943 - 1 Jan 1942
25 Jan 1939 - 1 Jan 1942
3 Flights of 8 balloons (32 balloons in Aug 1940)
RAF Sutton on Hull
Amalgamated with 942 - 1 Jan 1942
1 Jan 1942 - 31 Aug 1944
Anti-'Diver- duties from 31 Jul 1944
25 Jan 1939 -26 Apr 1942
3 Flights of 8 balloons
RAF Sutton on Hull
Jan 1939 - Unknown, Jun 1944 - Unknown
4 Flights of 8 balloons (40 balloons in Aug 1940)
Glasgow
Reformed in 22 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944
4 Flights of 8 balloons (48 balloons in Aug 1940)
Renfrew
Jan 1939 - pre Jun 1944, Jun 1944 - Unknown
3 Flights of 8 balloons (32 balloons in Aug 1940)
Glasgow
Reformed in 22 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Oct 1939 - pre Dec 194
24 balloons in Aug 1940
Rosyth
Oct 1949 - Unknown, Jun 1944 - Unknown
32 balloons in Aug 1940
Crewe
Reformed in 23 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Unknown – Unknown
Lyness , Orkney – Feb 1940, Kirkwall , Orkney - 1944
32 balloons in Aug 1940
Unknown - pre Dec 1943
40 balloons in Aug 1940
Bristol until 19 Jun 1944 (Norwich) and then Anti-'Diver' duties
Nov 1939
Sheerness
40 balloons (32 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Cardiff 1943/44
39 balloons (7 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
1943/44 -, Anti-'Diver' duties from Jun 1944
Cobham
1943/44
Weston-super-Mare
24 balloons in Aug 1940
Jul 1940 – Unknown
Yeovil
24 balloons in Aug 1940
Jul 1940 - Unknown
Swansea
25 balloons (3 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Reformed in 23 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
27 Aug 1940 Unknown
RAF
Feb 1940 - Unknown
Lyness , Orkney to Dec 1943, Canterbury 1944 on
24 balloons (16 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Jul 1940 – Unknown
Dover
8 Water-borne balloons (Aug 1940)
Sep 1940 - pre Dec 1943
Milford Haven
24balloons (9 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Accrington - pre Dec 1943
Aug 1940 - Unknown
Torpoint , Plymouth 1944 on
24 balloons (6 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Jul 1940 - Unknown
Port Talbot
16 balloons in Aug 1940
Reformed in 23 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Sep 1940 - Unknown
Newport , Monmouthshire, moved to south of London from Jun 1944
40 balloons in Aug 1940
Reformed in 23 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Unknown - pre Dec 1943
Ardrossan
48 balloons in Aug 1940
Unknown - pre Dec 1943
Belfast
16 balloons (8 Water-borne) in Aug 1940
Jul 1940 – Unknown , - Unknown
Barry pre Dec 1943, Great Yarmouth from Jun 1944
16 balloons in Aug 1940
Reformed in 23 Balloon Centre for Anti-'Diver' duties
Barrow-in-Furness - pre Dec 1943
1944
Egypt
1944
Egypt
2nd Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF or 2 TAF)
1944
No. 242 Group RAF
1944
2nd TAF
1944
1941 1944
3rd TAF
1944
3rd TAF
Unknown - 6 Jun 1945
2nd TAF (1944 on)
980 Sqn defended Abadan from 1942 and Khosrowabad before being moved via Jordan to the Suez Canal and then Italy
1941-Unknown
Reformed in UK for Anti-'Diver' duties - 1944
1944
1944
1944
No. 222 Group RAF
1944
No. 242 Group RAF
1944
Malta
1 Sep 1943-Unknown
No. 224 Group RAF (1944 on)
1944
2nd TAF
Dec 1943 -
, Great Yarmouth
Jun 1944 to 85 Group, for the defence of ports.
Dec 1943
, Chelmsford
Dec 1943
, Canterbury
Jun 1944 to 85 Group,
Dec 1943
, Titchfield
No. 85 Group RAF
Mobile Unit for the defence of ports
Weymouth (1944)
Mobile Unit for the defence of ports
Brighton (1944)
Mobile Unit for the defence of ports
Paignton (1944)
Mobile Unit for the defence of ports
References [ ]