How did the RAF decide which units would be re-formed in the 1920s?

[Steve Brew]

Has anyone come across a source, perhaps a document preserved at the NA, that identifies how the RAF decided which units would be re-formed and when during the expansion of the RAF in the 1920s, please?

I am aware of the background to the expansion, and how it came about; I am instead interested in how the decision was made which units would be re-formed, and perhaps who, or even a document that lays out the order and chronology of re-formations, if indeed such a document exists.

For example, the following squadrons were re-formed:

On 1 April 1923, 12 (Bomber), 19 (Fighter), 29 (Fighter), 32 (Fighter) & 41 (Fighter)
On 1 June 1923, 7 (Bomber)
On 24 July 1923, 22 (TES)
On 1 October 1923, 111 (Fighter)
On 20 March 1924, 15 (TES)
On 1 April 1924, 9 (Bomber), 13 (Army Co-op), 16 (Army Co-op), 17 (Fighter), 58 (Bomber), & 99 (Bomber)
On 15 May 1925, 502 (Bomber)
On 1 July 1925, 23 (Fighter) & 43 (Fighter)
On 15 September 1925, 602 (Bomber)
On 14 October 1925, 600 (Bomber), 601 (Bomber) & 603 (Bomber)

I have omitted fleet flights from the list, but the principle is the same.

On face value, there's no rhyme or reason, but someone obviously decided which, when and where.

Has anyone come across a source document that might indicate how the decision was made? It's not a big deal, really, but I was wondering how 41 Sqn (amongst others) came to be one of the first to be re-formed after the expansion was announced. For clarity, I'm also not asking about the quantity of squadrons, just how the 'number plates' were chosen. Has a document survived or is there a contemporary resource that might help answer the question, please?

Thanks in advance
Steve

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Steve

There was an article on this subject in Journal 77 of the RAF Historical Society, very recently.

I'll scan it for you and put it in the usual place.

Malcolm

[Steve Brew]

Many thanks Malcolm