RAFA History

It began in the Sergeants’ Mess at RAF Andover in 1929 with the ‘Comrades of the Royal Air Force’ and a conversation between three men, Vernon Goodhand, Joe Pearce and Warrant Officer Bartlett. Their conversation focused on the numerous small organizations that had grown up since the end of WW1 to keep former members of squadrons and units in touch with each other. They debated whether it was time that one great organization dedicated to this work and to the welfare of serving and ex-serving RAF personnel should not now be born.

By 1930 a provisional committee was formed, the title ‘Comrades of the Royal Air Forces’ was adopted and three months later the first general meeting was held at the Queen’s Hotel, Leicester Square, London. Air Ministry support for the ‘Comrades’ came in 1933 when the Air Council officially recognized the organization and Lord Trenchard accepted the Presidency.

The new Association was to make rapid progress in the early thirties, although membership remained fairly small. Benevolent schemes began and Christmas hampers were sent to unemployed members in those difficult days.

One very important event in the Association’s history came in 1936 when King George V gave his patronage, the Association has been honored with Royal patronage ever since.

The size of the RAF remained modest until the effects of the re-armament programme began to be felt in 1938. However, the strength of the ‘comrades’ never grew beyond 10,000 in pre-war days.

The outbreak of war in 1939 and the re-forming of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in July of that year, led to the Women’s Royal Air Force Old Comrades Association (that had been formed in 1919) opening its membership to all ranks of the new women’s service. The two old comrades’ organizations for airmen and airwomen were amalgamated in 1941, with a combined membership of nearly 20,000.

By 1943, with more than a million serving in the RAF, it became clear that if the Association was to play an effective role in the post-war era, it would need to be organized on a much sounder basis. The Association’s Central Committee, in studying the organization's future role, concluded that its aims and objectives should be extended beyond its original purpose.

1943 also marks the year that the name was changed to The Royal Air Forces Association. A National council, under the chairmanship of ACM Sir John Steel was formed to replace the Central committee of RAFA. Its first meeting was on 24 August 1943 in a London hotel and Lord Trenchard, as President, gave the address of welcome.

The foundations of the present structure were laid in the remaining wartime years, so that when demobilization began in 1945 the Association was able to cope with the situation. Welfare officers, employment officials and legal advisers were appointed both at national headquarters and at Branch level and, at the Air Ministry’s invitations, officials went to Release Centers to tell those being demobbed how the Association could help them.

The growth of membership reached a peak around this time. In 1947 there were about 200,000 members with some 565 Branches throughout the UK and in some overseas territories. Enrolment of members reached the staggering total of 10,000 a month! There was a danger that the organization would be swamped and it was decided to distribute much of the administrative work over nine separate areas, each with its own HQ.

Today The RAF Association (RAFA) still has a wide network of over 500 Branches worldwide with a membership of 79,000. However, enrolment has not maintained at the dizzy levels of the 1940’s and we now have a major challenge encouraging serving RAF personnel to support their Association. Much work by our Membership department is being done to talk with all new recruits and sign up new members at the end of the initial training.