[tcolvin]

Thank you, Mark.

From what you have kindly provided, we have three bases of calculating groundcrew and support crew, as follows;
1 using the ratio of groundcrew to aircraft (17:1) in 1940 for 50 Squadron
2 using the ratio of groundcrew to squadrons (301:1) in 1940 for 50 Sqdn
3 using your figure of 1,800 to 2,200 staff per station

June 1943: 1189 aircraft, in 64 squadrons, on 51 stations
April 1945: 2,709 aircraft, in 96 squadrons, on 62 stations.

1.
June 1943: 1,189 aircraft x 17 groundcrew = 20,213
April 1945: 2,709 aircraft x 17 groundcrew = 46,053

2.
June 1943: 64 squadrons x 301 = 19,264
April 1945: 96 squadrons x 301 = 28,896

3.
June 1943: 51 stations x 2,200 less 8,323 aircrew = 103,877
April 1945: 62 stations x 2,200 less 18,963 aircrew = 117,437

Total RAF manpower according to the Central Statistical Office:
June 1943: 967,000
April 1945: 970,000

Total civilian manpower devoted to the manufacture of equipment and supplies for the Ministry of Aircraft Production according to the CSO:
June 1943: 1,573,800
March 1945: 1,303,000

So here are tentative ballpark figures for 1944; about 1 million civilians were building and equipping bombers, 120,000 were doing the necessary on the airfields to keep them flying, 19,000 were flying and dying in them, and an unknown number were supplying them and repairing them when they were damaged beyond the capabilities of airfield maintenance.

Any comments?
Tony