Area commands were the major operational and administrative formations of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) between 1940 and 1954. Four commands were raised in 1940, early in World WarII, to oversee operations, training and maintenance within their geographical boundaries. In 1941–42 the structure was revised to make a total of five commands, along with four functional groups that assumed the training and maintenance roles. The area commands focused on operations until the end of hostilities. A new area command covering RAAF units in New Guinea existed from 1944 to 1947. By the early 1950s, the area command structure was no longer considered appropriate, and in 1953 it was transformed into Home Command (controlling operations), Training Command, and Maintenance Command. The area commands ceded their authority to these functional commands in 1954, and were disbanded by the end of 1956. (Thisarticle is part of a featured topic: RAAF area commands.)
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