Air Headquarters Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean (Air H.Q. Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean or AHQ Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean) was a sub-command of RAF Middle East Command

RAF Middle East Command

Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force formed on December 29, 1941 by renaming Headquarters RAF Middle East. During the early part of the Second World War the Command was one of the three major British service commands in the Middle East, the others being the British Army's...

 which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command

Mediterranean Air Command

The Mediterranean Air Command was the official Allied air force command organization in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations between February 18 and December 10, 1943. MAC was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder whose headquarters were established next to those...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Air H.Q. Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean was established on March 4, 1943 by renaming the RAF command known as AHQ Egypt. Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul

Richard Saul

Air Vice-Marshal Richard Ernest Saul CB, DFC, RAF was a pilot during World War I and a senior Royal Air Force commander during World War II.- Earlier Years :Saul was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1891...

 was the only commander of Air HQ Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean which was renamed Air HQ Eastern Mediterranean on February 1, 1944.

Order of battle

On July 10, 1943, when the Allied

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

 forces invaded Sicily (Operation Husky), Air H.Q. Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean consisted of four fighter groups.

Air HQ Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean
Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul
Commanders and Squadron Assignments

No. 209 (Fighter) Group Group Captain R.C.F. Lister	No. 210 (Fighter) Group Group Captain John Grandy John Grandy Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy GCB GCVO KBE DSO KStJ RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force...	No. 212 (Fighter) Group No. 211 Group RAF No 211 Group or No. 211 Group was a Group of the Royal Air Force formed on 10 December 1941 by renaming Nucleus Group Western Desert. The group was officially disbanded from 3 February 1942 to 12 March 1943, although some references refer to some of its original squadrons during this period as... Air Commodore Archibald Wann	No. 219 (Fighter) Group Group Captain Hon. Max Aitken Sir Max Aitken, 2nd Baronet Sir John William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 2nd Baronet, DSO, DFC , formerly 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, was a British Conservative politician and press baron, the son of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook....
No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...  Det., Beaufighter	No. 3 Squadron SAAF, Hurricane	No. 7 Squadron SAAF , Hurricane	No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :... , Beaufighter
No. 127 Squadron RAF No. 127 Squadron RAF No. 127 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.It was first formed as a day bomber unit in February 1918, but was disbanded on 4 July of that year without seeing service... , Hurricane/Spitfire	No. 33 Squadron RAF No. 33 Squadron RAF No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Puma HC.1 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.-Current role:The squadron is part of the RAF Support Helicopter force, which reports into the Joint Helicopter Command.... , Hurricane	No. 41 Squadron SAAF, Hurricane	No. 74 Squadron RAF No. 74 Squadron RAF No. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:... , Hurricane
	No. 89 Squadron RAF No. 89 Squadron RAF No. 89 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, mainly active in the fighter role during its existence.-Formation and World War I:No. 89 squadron was formed on 1 September 1917 as a training unit at Netheravon. The squadron was not used for operations and remained a training unit... , Beaufighter	No. 80 Squadron RAF No. 80 Squadron RAF No. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:... , Spitfire	No. 238 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
	No. 213 Squadron RAF No. 213 Squadron RAF No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service... , Hurricane	No. 94 Squadron RAF No. 94 Squadron RAF No. 94 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force that served during World War I & World War II. The squadron has been formed a total of four times.The squadron was formed at RAF Harling Road on 1 August 1917, as a training unit for the Sopwith Camel... , Hurricane	No. 335 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
	No. 274 Squadron RAF No. 274 Squadron RAF No. 274 Squadron RAF began to form as a patrol squadron, intended to fly Vickers Vimys, at Seaton Carew in November 1918 a few days before the end of World War I. The squadron formation was then cancelled. It was reformed on 15 June 1919 as a bomber squadron, flying Handley Page V/1500s, but... , Hurricane	No. 108 Squadron RAF No. 108 Squadron RAF Motto "Viribus contractis" .No. 108 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War I. The unit was formed at Stonehenge and it adopted an oak leaf as a badge being symbolic of strength and age...  Det., Beaufighter	No. 336 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
		No. 123 Squadron RAF, Hurricane	No. 451 Squadron RAAF No. 451 Squadron RAAF No. 451 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force army cooperation and fighter squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed at Bankstown in New South Wales on 12 February 1941 and began flying operations on 1 July that year as part of the North African Campaign in Egypt and Libya. In early... , Hurricane
		No. 134 Squadron RAF No. 134 Squadron RAF No. 134 Squadron RAF was a part of the Royal Air Force which was formed as a light bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter squadron in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No... , Hurricane
		No. 237 Squadron RAF No. 237 Squadron RAF No. 237 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. During the Second World War the unit was formed from No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesian Air Force for operations in North Africa.-History:... , Hurricane
		No. 1563 Met. Flight, Gladiator
		No. 1654 Met. Flight, Gladiator

Notes:

SAAF=South African Air Force; RAAF=Royal Australian Air Forces; Det.=Detachment; Met.=Meteorological.