British Air Forces in France

British Air Forces in France (BAFF) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) Command set up on 15 January 1940 led by Air Marshal Arthur Barratt, to provide unified command of the RAF in France.[1] When the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) went to France, the Royal Air Force Component of the British Expeditionary Force (Air Component, Air Vice-Marshal Charles Blount) accompanied the BEF for air support and the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF, Air Vice-Marshal Patrick Playfair) the former No. 1 Group RAF of Bomber Command, moved to airfields in eastern France for independent operations. Barratt was charged with giving "full assurance" to the BEF of air support and to provide the BEF with

...such bomber squadrons as the latter may, in consultation with him, consider necessary from time to time.

— Air Ministry[2]

Since the British held only a small part of the Western Front, Barratt had to operate in the context of the immediate needs of the Allies. In France the new arrangement worked well but the War Office and the Air Ministry never agreed on what support should be given to the BEF.[3]

The AASF consisted of RAF light bomber squadrons, based around Rheims to be within range of the Ruhr, should the political decision be taken to begin strategic bombing. No decision had been taken before Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), the German offensive in the west, began on 10 May 1940. The AASF bomber force was used instead against the German Army and its lines of communication. BAFF could also request Bomber Command to provide support from medium bombers based in Britain. The headquarters of BAFF were at Chauny next to those of François d'Astier de La Vigerie, the French air commander, to maximise co-operation between the BAFF and the Armée de l'Air. BAFF HQ moved to Coulommiers, thence to Château Reze, Pornic on 16 June; AASF HQ was based at Château Polignac near Reims, moved to Troyes on 15 May, Muides near Blois on 3 June and Nantes on 10 June. The Air Component HQ was based at Marœuil, moved to Arras 9 May, Hazebrouck 16 May and returned to England on 21/22 May.[4][a]

  1. ^ Richards 1974, p. 108.
  2. ^ Ellis 2004, p. 27.
  3. ^ Ellis 2004, pp. 27–28.
  4. ^ Cornwell 2007, pp. 178–179.


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