Royal
Air Force 1
Koninklijke
Luchtmacht (KLu)
| Unit |
Location |
Peace
Strength |
War
Strength |
| Air Force Staff [a] |
Den
Haag |
?
|
? |
| Air Force Staff
Corps [b] |
Den
Haag |
?
|
? |
| 1 Air
Force Signal Group [c] |
Alphen
en Riel |
(±
120?) |
? |
| Netherlands
Administrative Corps SHAPE [d] |
Casteau
(BE) |
? |
? |
| Netherlands
Administrative Corps AFCENT [d] |
Brunssum |
? |
? |
| Netherlands
Administrative Corps NORTHAG/TWOATAF [d] |
Rheindahlen
(GE) |
? |
? |
| Air Force Staff
School |
Ypenburg |
? |
? |
| Royal
Military Academy [e] |
Breda |
? |
? |
| 564
Object Security Platoon [Royal Army] [f] |
– |
– |
1/4/33
(38) |
| 576
Object Security Platoon [Royal Army] [f] |
– |
– |
1/4/33
(38) |
| Mobilisation
Centre Nijmegen [g] |
(Nijmegen) |
– |
? |
| └ 586
Object Security Platoon [Royal Army] [h] |
– |
– |
1/4/33
(38) |
| └ 587
Object Security Platoon [Royal Army] [h] |
– |
– |
1/4/33
(38) |
Notes
| a. |
Headed by
Commander-in-Chief
of
the Air Force (Bevelhebber der Luchtstrijdkrachten, BDL) who was also Chief of
Staff of the Air Force (Chief of the Air Force Staff) (Chef
Luchtmachtstaf, CLS). BDL/CLS
and his staff were
responsible for the policies concerning (the preparation
for) combat operations and for the operational effectiveness
of
the units and installations of the Royal Air Force. The Air
Force
Staff (Luchtmachtstaf, LS) comprised the Staff Group, the Air
Force Staff Cabinet, the Staff Group Legal Affairs and, under the
Deputy Chief of Staff, eight divisions grouped under a
Subchief Operations (Souschef
Operatiën) and a Subchief
Plans (Souschef Plannen). 'Operations' comprised four
divisions: Operational Control; Intelligence and
Security; Flight and Operational Safety; Signals. 'Plans' also
comprised four divisions:
Plans; Operational Needs; Organisation; Command and Provision of
Information. Sub 'Operations' the Head of the Intelligence
and Security Division (Afdeling Inlichtingen en
Veiligheid) was also Head of the Air Force Intelligence
Service
(Luchtmacht Inlichtingendienst, LUID) which was part of the Air Force Staff administratively
but fell directly under the Minister of Defence.2
|
| b. |
Comprised
all military personnel working at the headquarters of the Air Force
Staff; at least this was the case in 1953 when the corps was
established. It appears that by 1985 the corps also provided
administrative and service support to the various staff elements.3 |
| c. |
Operated
a listening post at Kamp 'De Kiek' in Alphen-Riel, gathering signals
intelligence (SIGINT) through the interception, decoding and
analysis of high-frequency (HF) radio traffic from Warsaw Pact
countries. Providing early warning of an enemy attack
was an
important part of this. Personnel worked in shifts. Other tasks were
monitoring all Royal Air Force communications to ensure procedures were
observed and to improve communications security in general; and to
check communication equipment and computers for unintended signal
leakage. This task included periodically carrying out 'debugging'
sweeps
at locations where classified information was processed or discussed. The
group reported to the Air Force Intelligence Service (see note a),
under whose operational control they fell. In 1973 personnel strength
was 123 (77 military and 46 civilians).4 |
| d. |
See also
Royal Army, Part V. |
| e. |
See also
Royal Army, Part
III. |
| f. | Filled by mobilisable personnel from 16 Armoured Infantry Battalion
(RIM) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had
expired, up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.5 | | g. | Would be established on mobilisation and most likely disbanded once mobilisation would be completed. |
| h |
To be assigned further
after mobilisation.6 Filled by mobilisable personnel from 14 Armoured Infantry Battalion
(RIM) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had
expired, up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.5 |
_________________________________________________
| 1. |
|
Organisation: NL-HaNA
2.13.182, inv. nr. 663, Concept krijgsmachtdeelplan
Koninklijke Luchtmacht 1987-1996 d.d. 20 december 1985, 88-89. NIMH
430, inv. nr. 54 (Slagorde KL stand 1 juli 1985),
Blad S2. NIMH
723, inv. nr. 75, Organisatie en organisatieschema's m.b.t. de KLu d.d.
1 augustus 1984, 22. Ibid., two undated organisation charts (±
1970-1980). HTK 1983-1984,
kamerstuknr. 18169 ondernr. 2
(Defensienota 1984-1993), 114. Object security units: NL-HaNA 2.13.113, inv. nr. 814, Indeling LB/OB-eenheden d.d. 18 februari 1980, Bijlage A. NIMH 430, loc. cit. |
| 2. |
|
NL-HaNA
2.13.182, inv. nr. 663, op.cit., 85-86. NIMH
430, inv. nr. 54, loc. cit. NIMH
723, inv. nr. 75, Organisatie en organisatieschema's m.b.t. de KLu d.d.
1 augustus 1984, 23. Intelligence and Security Division of the
Air Force Staff and Air Force Intelligence Service: Kluiters, De Nederlandse,
225. There was a large overlap between the two, i.e. many personnel
worked for both organisations. Kluiters, loc. cit. The 1986-1987 intelligence reports of the LUID are explored in Van Bavel en Pronk, Een goede vlucht. |
| 3. |
|
NL-HaNA, Archiefinventaris 2.13.113,
passim. Officiële mededelingen van het Ministerie van Oorlog uit de
Legerorders, nr.9, in Militaire
Spectator nr. 3, 1953, 124.
An internet search shows the corps also acted as a printer and
publisher of both internal and external air force related
publications. |
| 4. |
|
Kluiters, De Nederlandse,
227. Van Loo, Crossing, 135-136.
Kwisthout, Van
Luisterdienst, 27. Debugging: scanning for hidden eavesdropping devices. |
| 5. | | NIMH 205A/10, Aflossing van mobilisabele eenheden en -aanvullingen d.d. 11 november 1983. |
| 6. |
|
NIMH 430, inv.
nr. 54, loc.cit. |
|