| Balloon Command | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 November 1938–February 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Vi Et Ictu (Latin:By Force and Impact).[1] |
| Engagements | World War II |
Balloon Command was theRoyal Air Forcecommand which was responsible for controlling all the United Kingdom-basedbarrage balloon units during theSecond World War.
Prior to the establishment of Balloon Command, a balloon group was brought into being in 1937. This smaller formation was known as No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group and was commanded by Air CommodoreJohn Hearson.[2] Balloon Command was formed on 1 November 1938 atRAF Stanmore Park inMiddlesex.[3] It consisted of aheadquarters and severalgroups. Balloon Command was disbanded on 5th February 1945.[3]
The following officers were in command:[3]
Before the second world war the command had one group - No. 30 (Balloon) Group at four stations:
Important: All Balloon Squadrons numbered 901 to 947 were formed within the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939, thereafter, the remainder numbered 948 to 999 were RAF Squadrons.
During World War II, the command had the following organization:
The command consisted of fivegroups[4] which were in turn subdivided into balloon centres (equivalent towings of heavier-than-air aircraft). The organization was as follows:
The dates indicated give the periods for which each group existed as part of Balloon Command. No. 30 and 31 groups also existed in World War I as part of different formations.
The balloon centres in turn consisted of balloonsquadrons which were numbered from 900 to 994.
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