The Auxiliary Air Force

Born in 1926 with four squadrons the Auxiliary Air Force was the RAF's equivalent of the Territorial Army, part time local formations trained to supplement the regulars in time of war.

By 1939, twenty squadrons had been raised, however many regulars were unenthusiastic about the AAF squadrons. Basically the volunteers were drawn from well heeled middle class society. A parlance of the day was that Auxiliaries were 'Gentlemen trying to be officers' and that Regulars were' Officers trying to be Gentlemen'.

A leading WWII ace Johnnie Johnson, always complained that he had been refused entry to an AAF squadron because of his lack of knowledge about fox-hunting. 'Ginger' Lacey posted to an AAF squadron found then " a rather snobbish preserve of the rich". Another squadron even insisted that prospective officers be given a Social Test to see if they were acceptable as Gentlemen.

In one such squadron, the Officers, concerned about petrol shortages, contrived to purchase their own petrol station. When the pumps were found to be only half full one of their officers who happened to be a Director of Shell Oil arranged for an immediate delivery. That squadron from then on was known as the Millionaires' squadron.

Given to wearing bright scarves and silk lined jackets, by 1940 the AAF formed a quarter of RAF fighter resources. These 'Gentlemen' pilots were soon to meet the battle hardened veterans of Goering's Luftwaffe.

 

A decade later, still very little information on the RAF's Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF)

List of WW2 RAuxAF Squadrons formed 1925-1939
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Auxiliary_Air_Force

• No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron RAF
• No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron RAF
• No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF
• No. 503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron RAF (disbanded 1 November 1938 - not reformed postwar)
• No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron RAF
• No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAF
• No. 601 (County of London) Squadron RAF
• No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron RAF
• No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron RAF
• No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron RAF
• No. 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron RAF
• No. 607 (County of Durham) Squadron RAF
• No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron RAF (originally 'County of York')
• No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron RAF
• No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron RAF
• No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron RAF
• No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAF
• No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAF
• No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAF
• No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron RAF
• No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron RAF

Barrage Balloon Organisation of the Auxiliary Air Force:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Auxiliary_Air_Force#Barrage_Balloon_Organisation_of_the_Auxiliary_Air_Force

 

Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transport_Auxiliary

RAF Orienteering (RAFO) is occasionally listed in http://www.cwgc.org/ as records an Auxiliary Air Force designation.

Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)
http://tinyurl.com/pdvp47x

The ' in Women's us an illegal html character. Thanks below...

 

Your WAAF link took me to an article titled "Women". The link you posted somehow got corrupted and is not complete. Here is the un-corrupted link tor the WAAF article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Auxiliary_Air_Force