RAF Boys in the Middle East

The area of responsibility for the RAF in the Middle East was vast, encompassing the whole of Arabia plus substantial parts of East Africa. The operational challenges were substantial, not least the frequent need to operate in and out of remote and minimally prepared dessert landing grounds in areas sparsely populated by often less than friendly inhabitants. Add to the mix the Second World War, tribal uprisings and squabbles between neighbouring countries, and the RAF certainly had its work cut out.

The RFC had a presence in the Middle East from 1914 with operation responsibility for Egypt, the Sudan and Kenya, and administrative responsibility for Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq and Aden, tasks carried on by the RAF from 1918. The critical wartime campaigns in Egypt and Libya came under RAF Middle East, and Middle East Command was absorbed into RAF Mediterranean and Middle East in 1945. Middle East Air Force (MEAF) was formed on 1 June 1949 and on 1 March 1961 it was renamed Near East Air Force (NEAF). At the same time Air Forces Middle East (AFME) was formed at Steamer Point Aden, being disbanded in 1967. To support the dwindling RAF presence in the region HQ Air Forces Gulf at Muharraq Bahrain came into being in September 1967, disbanding on 15 December 1971 following the final withdrawal from Aden.

RAF Boys in the Middle East will present the reader with a varied collection of stories from those who were there, supported by explanatory text and original black and white and colour photographs. The recollections of over 40 air and ground crew, with some going back to pre-war years, cover a good number of the many locations, aircraft types and units which served throughout the Middle East. A step back in time to honour those veterans.

Steve Bond is a life-long aviation enthusiast and historian, who has also been fortunate enough to spend most of his working life in the industry.  He served in the Royal Air Force for 22 years as an aircraft Propulsion Technician, with tours on the Harrier, VC10, Chipmunk, Bulldog, Hawk and Tornado fleets, concluding his Service career as a member of the Eurofighter development team in the Ministry of Defence.   He also put together the team that restored the Saunders-Roe SR53 aircraft now on show at the RAF Museum Cosford.

Steve then moved into the civilian aerospace industry, spending six years with TRW Aeronautical Systems as Integrated Logistic Support Manager, looking after a variety of aircraft system programmes, including the Global Express, EH101 Merlin, Saab Gripen, AV-8B and most of the Airbus product range.

He joined City University as a Senior Lecturer in January 2001, and was Programme Director for the BEng/MEng Air Transport Engineering and MSc Air Safety Management degree programmes, the latter being developed by him.  He also ran an extensive research programme into aircraft system safety.

Now a freelance lecturer in both current aviation safety management and historical subjects, Steve’s main aviation interests centre on military aviation from the Second World War onwards; he is the author of many aviation books and magazine articles.  He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

In 2021, Dr Bond was elected as a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots – despite not being a pilot. He has qualified as “a person who, in the opinion of Court, has rendered outstanding service to the profession…”