Back to list of Service numbers OR Return to Home page
|
RAF Bridgnorth | |
RAF Strengths 1957 to 1962
This table illustrates the decline in numbers of both the National Service
and Regular elements of the
Royal Air Force and the relatively faster reduction in numbers of National Servicemen compared with the Regulars.
| Date | National Service | Regulars | Total | % of Regulars |
| 1 Apr 1957 (actual) | 68,700 | 153,900 | 222,600 | 30.86 |
| 1 April 1958 (estimated) | 46,700 | 141,300 | 188,000 | 24.84 |
| 1 Apr 1959 (actual) | 26,500 | 142,300 | 168,800 | 15.70 |
| 1 April 1960 (estimated) | 18,400 | 139,400 | 157,800 | 11.66 |
| 1 Apr 1961 (actual) | 13,400 | 131,800 | 145,200 | 9.23 |
| 1 April 1962 (estimated) | 5,400 | 128,900 | 134,300 | 4.02 |
National Service Numbers.
| Service No. batch | Dates of allocation | Quantity | Remarks |
| 2340000 - 2599999 | Jan 1947 - July 1953 | 260,000 | Non ATC. |
| 2700000 - 2787999 | July 1953 - Feb 1956 | 88,000 | Non ATC. |
| 3100000 - 3156537 ** | May 1949 - 1957 | 56,538 | Ex ATC. |
| 5010251 - 5010916 | Feb 1956 - ? | 666 | Non ATC. |
| 5010917 - 5012250 ** | May 1956 - ? | 1,334 | Ex CCF (RAF) |
| 5012251 - 5012999 | May 1956 - Nov 1960 | 749 | Non ATC. (granted postponement) |
| 5013000 - 5082226 | Feb 1956 - Nov 1960 | 69,227 | Non ATC. |
| 5090000 - 5099999 | May 1957 - ? | 10,000 | Granted postponement |
| 5100000 - 5100357 ** | Feb 1959 - ? | 358 | Ex CCF (RAF) |
| 5190000 - 5194999 | Jan 1957 - ? | 5,000 | Aircrew |
** denotes ex Air Training Corps or Combined Cadet Force (RAF) recruit.
Statistics.
| Year | Officers | Airmen | Total | ||||||
| GD | Non GD | Total | Aircrew | Ground | Total | ||||
| 1947 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48,031 | ||
| 1948 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 46,952 | ||
| 1949 | -- | -- | 350 | -- | -- | 43,166 | 43,516 | ||
| 1950 | 14 | 352 | 366 | 5 | 52,148 | 52,153 | 52,519 | ||
| 1951 | 10 | 246 | 256 | -- | 47,206 | 47,206 | 47,462 | ||
| 1952 | 14 | 442 | 456 | -- | 39,356 | 39,356 | 39,812 | ||
| 1953 | 36 | 250 | 286 | -- | 36,550 | 36,550 | 36,836 | ||
| 1954 | 56 | 251 | 307 | -- | 33,288 | 33,288 | 33,595 | ||
| 1955 | 58 | 173 | 231 | -- | 41,953 | 41,953 | 42,184 | ||
| 1956 | 64 | 149 | 213 | -- | 36,560 | 36,560 | 36,773 | ||
| 1957 | 4 | 146 | 150 | 6 | 20,655 | 20,661 | 20,811 | ||
| 1958 | 2 | 125 | 127 | -- | 12,018 | 12,018 | 12,145 | ||
| 1959 | 2 | 188 | 190 | -- | 11,128 | 11,128 | 11,318 | ||
| 1960 | 1 | 92 | 93 | -- | 9,051 | 9,051 | 9,144 | ||
| 1961 | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | 19 | 19 | 20 | ||
| Total | 261 | 2,415 | 3,026 | 11 | 339,932 | 383,109 | 433,087 |
My thanks to the Royal Air Force National Association for providing all the above facts.
Back to list of Service numbers OR Return to Home page