No. 19 Group RAF

No. 19 Group was a group of the Royal Air Force, active from 1918, and then from 1941-1969.

History

It was formed in April 1918 as No. 19 (Equipment) Group in York, but disbanded in June.

Second World War

It was reformed in early 1941 as No. 19 (General Reconnaissance) Group, Coastal Command, at Mount Wise, Plymouth. Among its squadrons during the war was No. 461 Squadron RAAF.

Its units in February 1942 included:

No. 19 Group RAF (GR), under command of Air Commodore G.R. Bromet, CBE, DSO[1]
SquadronAircraftStation
No. 22 Squadron RAFBristol BeaufortRAF St Eval
No. 86 Squadron RAFBristol BeaufortRAF St Eval
No. 209 Squadron RAFConsolidated CatalinaRAF Pembroke Dock
No. 217 Squadron RAFBristol BeaufortRAF St Eval
No. 224 Squadron RAFLockheed HudsonRAF St Eval
No. 254 Squadron RAFBristol BlenheimRAF Carew Cheriton
No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF[2]Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyRAF St Eval
No. 10 Squadron RAAFShort SunderlandRAF Mount Batten
No. 1404 (Meteorological) Flight RAF[3]Lockheed HudsonRAF St Eval
No. 1417 (Leigh Light Trials) Flight RAF[4]Vickers WellingtonRAF Chivenor
No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAFBristol BlenheimRAF St Eval (B Flight)

Cold War

19 Group assets during October 1946:[5]

The group relocated to RAF Mount Batten in 1947.

In 1953, initial NATO documents instructing Admiral Creasey, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic Area (CINCEASTLANT), wrote that Air Vice Marshal Thomas Traill, CB, OBE, DFC, Royal Air Force, Air Officer Commanding No. 19 Group RAF, had been appointed as Air Commander North-East Atlantic Sub-Area.[6]

19 Group assets during July 1954:[7]

  • 42 Sqn, RAF St Eval, Shackleton MR.1 & MR.2
  • 206 Sqn, RAF St Eval, Shackleton MR.1 & MR.2
  • 220 Sqn, RAF St Eval, Shackleton MR.1 & MR.2
  • 228 Sqn, RAF St Eval, Shackleton MR.1 & MR.2
  • 201 Sqn, RAF Pembroke Dock, Sunderland GR.5
  • 230 Sqn, RAF Pembroke Dock, Sunderland GR.5
  • 36 Sqn, RAF Topcliffe, Neptune MR.1
  • 203 Sqn, RAF Topcliffe, Neptune MR.1
  • 210 Sqn, RAF Topcliffe, Neptune MR.1

Before it became HQ Southern Maritime Air Region in November 1969,[8] its last commander appears to have been Air Vice-Marshal Cresswell Clementi.

Air Officer Commanding No. 19 Group RAF

Air Officers Commanding of No. 19 Group:[9]

  • 1941–1942: Air Commodore G. H. Boyce
  • 1942–1943: Air Vice-Marshal G. R. Bromet
  • 1943–1944: Air Vice-Marshal B. E. Baker
  • 1944–1945: Air Vice-Marshal F. H. M. Maynard
  • 1945–1947: Air Vice-Marshal C. B. S. Spackman
  • 1947–1950: Air Vice-Marshal F. L. Hopps
  • 1950–1952: Air Vice-Marshal G. R. C. Spencer
  • 1952–1954: Air Vice-Marshal T. C. Traill
  • 1954–1956: Air Vice-Marshal G. W. Tuttle
  • 1956–1959: Air Vice-Marshal G. I. L. Save
  • 1959–1962: Air Vice-Marshal L. W. C. Bower
  • 1962–1964: Air Vice-Marshal S. W. R. Hughes
  • 1964–1967: Air Vice-Marshal J. Barraclough
  • 1967–1968: Air Vice-Marshal J. H. Lapsley
  • 1968–1969: Air Vice-Marshal C. M. Clementi

References

Citations
  1. Ashworth 1992, Appendix IV
  2. Lake 1999, p. 264.
  3. Lake 1999, p. 87.
  4. Lake 1999, pp. 87-88.
  5. Rawlings 1985, p. 217.
  6. http://archives.nato.int/uploads/r/null/1/2/123871/SGM-1204-53_ENG_PDP.pdf
  7. Rawlings 1985, p. 219.
  8. Barrass, M. B. (2015). "Groups 10-19". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  9. "Group No's 10 - 19". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.

Bibliography
  • Rawlings, J D R (1985). The History of the Royal Air Force. Feltham Middlesex, UK: Temple Press.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.