Catalogue description Air Ministry: Fighter Command: Registered Files
Reference: | AIR 16 |
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Title: | Air Ministry: Fighter Command: Registered Files |
Description: |
Files, etc., of Headquarters Fighter Command relating to organisation, defence schemes, trials, training, etc. Records before 1936 are of the Air Defence of Great Britain Command. |
Date: | 1925-1988 |
Related material: |
Associated with Fighter Command between 1944 and 1966 was the Central Fighter Establishment whose records are in AIR 64 |
Held by: | The National Archives, Kew |
Former reference in its original department: | FC and other file series |
Legal status: | Public Record(s) |
Language: | English |
Creator: |
Air Ministry, Air Defence of Great Britain, 1925-1936 Air Ministry, Air Defence of Great Britain, 1943-1944 Air Ministry, Fighter Command, 1936-1943 Air Ministry, Fighter Command, 1944-1964 Ministry of Defence, Fighter Command, 1964-1968 |
Physical description: | 1514 files and volumes |
Access conditions: | Open unless otherwise stated |
Immediate source of acquisition: |
From 1968 Ministry of Defence |
Accruals: | Series is accruing |
Administrative / biographical background: |
The Command was formed on 14 July 1936 out of the Air Defence of Great Britain organisation. It was responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom from air attack. The headquarters of Fighter Command was at Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex. During the Second World War Fighter Command played a major part in the Battle of Britain and in stopping the flying bomb attacks on Britain during 1944 and 1945. The Command was also responsible at various times for Balloon Command, the Observer Corps, the chain of radar stations and certain units of Anti-Aircraft Command. In November 1943 the Command was renamed Air Defence of Great Britain, but reverted back to its original name in October 1944. After the War Fighter Command became responsible for the deployment of British guided weapons in addition to its traditional roles. Fighter Command merged with Bomber Command on 30 April 1968 to form Strike Command. |
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