Dr Megan Wang (née Kelleher)

When you speak to veterans about their time in service, a topic of conversation that regularly appears relates to service family accommodation (SFA), also known as married quarters. Even today, these spaces to live with loved ones are a topic of conversation, ranging from the standards they are kept within to their locations.

Paul Francis has undertaken significant research into the architectural landscapes at British military airfields, and his research has highlighted that quarters in some form have been in existence since the formation of the RAF. Today, some of these early RAF stations had their living quarters split from the airfield and technical area.

During the interwar period, married quarters were redesigned to move away from the 1920s Army style, with married airmen’s quarters planned in blocks of four to six houses. Unlike the old designs, there were separate sitting rooms and kitchens, and separate bathrooms and toilets were provided. Married officers’ quarters were designed to fit in with the locality, with particular consideration of servants quarters where appropriate. A Ladies Committee, consisting of wives and service personnel, was formed which visited stations and held many meetings to make suggestions.  

There were a limited number of married quarters at bases, and so a “points” system was introduced. This included the number of children you had, in addition to how long you had been serving. Additionally, permission from a Squadron Commander was required to get married; this was often rejected if the service person was deemed as “too young.” The uncertainty of the duration of postings often left spouses unable to work, and officers’ wives in particular were expected not to work.

Quarters often featured outdated colour schemes, with later Cold War-era spouses recalling that red quarry tiles as flooring, yellow curtains and 1960s-tyle wallpaper. After some discussion, the Estates office agreed to provide a neutral carpet and magnolia colour scheme. Despite these interesting interior design choices, quarters were designed look the same – including the furniture that could be included as part of a quarter’s rent.

Today, many married quarters continue to have the magnolia colour scheme, although new colour palettes have been introduced. Nevertheless, the impact of these buildings provide a vital aspect of service life, enabling families to live together when not on deployments or exercise and support within the military community.

Further Reading

RAF Museum, X001-4923, Air Publication 3236, Works.

RAF Museum, X006-0262, ‘A Life for Men’ by EJ Williams. Memoir of a non-flying, non-commissioned Regular Airman, 1940-1953.

Alison Bairsto, Jill Black and Holly Jeffers (Eds), Living in the Slipstream (Sussex: Book Guild Publishing, 2014).

Paul Francis, British Military Airfield Architecture: From Airships to the Jet Age (Somerset: Haynes Publishing, 1996).