‘First In, Last Out: Royal Air Force Expeditionary Logistics Capability during the Second World War

The Second World War Military Operations Research Group is pleased to announce the publication of the second in its series of occasional research papers. As part of its process of active engagement these papers are available to download here on the website.

The paper was written by Trevor Stone, a PhD candidate at the University of Exeter, and is on the subject of ‘First In, Last Out: Royal Air Force Expeditionary Logistics Capability during the Second World War’. Here is the abstract of the paper:


The main title of this paper was the unofficial motto of the former United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron. In considering how the Royal Air Force evolved its expeditionary logistics capability during the Second World War, the expression ‘first in, last out’ sums up the lengthy commitment of the broader range of organizations that evolved before and during the war years. Logistics was critical to the successful employment of air power during the Second World War, especially in an expeditionary context. This paper focuses on two key organizations that made an enormous difference in this respect; the Air Stores Parks and the RAF Beach Units.



This paper is a developed version that was originally delivered to the British Commission for Military History Summer Conference, ‘War in the Air in the Twentieth Century’ at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in August 2011.


Citation: Trevor Stone, ‘First In, Last Out: Royal Air Force Expeditionary Logistics Capability during the Second World War’, The Second World War Military Operations Research Papers, No. 2 (2013)


The Second World War Military Operations Research Papers – First In, Last Out: Royal Air Force Expeditionary Logistics Capability during the Second World War | The Second World War Military Operations Research Group


Ross

 

Thanks for the heads-up I hope to get to read it over the next few days.

I am also passing the link on to others who have an interest in Logistics Capability / Air Movement Operations

 

No problem Dave. I hope you find it interesting.

Ross