RAF High Wycombe

RAF High Wycombe
Near Walters Ash, Buckinghamshire in England
Latin: Non sibi ("Not for ourselves")
RAF High Wycombe Shown within Buckinghamshire
Coordinates	51°40′53″N 000°48′07″W / 51.68139°N 0.80194°W / 51.68139; -0.80194Coordinates: 51°40′53″N 000°48′07″W / 51.68139°N 0.80194°W / 51.68139; -0.80194
Type	Royal Air Force station - HQ RAF Air Command
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1938 (1938)
In use	1938-Present
Garrison information
Current commander	Group Captain P T G Lester

RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. It houses Headquarters Air Command, and was originally designed to house RAF Bomber Command in the late 1930s. The station is also the headquarters of the European Air Group.

The location of the station was originally suggested by Wing Commander Alan Oakeshott when the Air Ministry was seeking a new, secure, site for Bomber Command away from London. Wing Commander Oakeshott was killed in combat in 1942 and is commemorated on the Naphill war memorial and in the name of the station's welfare centre, opened in 2011.

The motto of RAF High Wycombe in Latin is 'Non Sibi', which translates as 'not for ourselves'.

Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, the Air Ministry sought a safe location for RAF Bomber Command away from London. The wooded area near Naphill, Walters Ash and Lacey Green was suggested by Wing Commander Alan Oakeshott as ideal for this purpose, since the trees could provide natural camouflage from the air.

Buildings were designed to resemble other uses, such as the Officers' Mess which was built to look like a manor house. The fire station was built with a tower to resemble a village church. Trees were preserved as much as possible to maintain the camouflage they provided. Roads were laid out so as to avoid most trees. The building work was carried out by John Laing and Son, with 400 workmen and 80 specialists involved. Tunnels were dug to connect each block on the station, linked to an Operations Block built 55 feet (17 m) below ground.

To preserve secrecy, the station was known as "Southdown" in March 1940, as part of a directive by the Air Ministry. The site's postal address was given as "GPO High Wycombe.