No. 22 Group RAF

No. 22 Group is one of five groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Training) Group. It is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College and the RAF's training stations. As such, it is the direct successor to Training Group.

No. 22 Group
Founded1 April 1918
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
Part ofAir Command
HeadquartersRAF High Wycombe
Motto(s)Semper resurgens Latin: Always rising again[1]
Commanders
Current
commander
Air Vice-Marshal Richard Maddison[2]

History

Although No. 22 Group was due to be formed on 1 April 1918, the same day as the RAF was established, it was not activated until 1 July 1918 in the RAF's North-Western Area. It was activated at East Fortune but moved its headquarters to the Station Hotel, Stirling.[3] The next month, on 8 August 1918, it received the designation 'Operations', or possibly 'Marine Operational', making its full title No. 22 (Operations) Group or possibly No. 22 (Marine Operational) Group. It controlled No. 78 Wing RAF, and stations at Auldbar, Chathill (airship station), Dundee, East Fortune, Kirkwall/Orkney, Longside (airship station), Luce Bay, RAF Machrihanish, Peterhead & Strathberg. With the post First World War RAF force reductions, No. 22 Group was disbanded on 30 May 1919.

The next creation of No 22 Group came on 12 April 1926 when the group was re-formed from No 7 Group within Inland Area. The group's designation was No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group and its headquarters was at South Farnborough. On 17 February 1936, No 22 Group was transferred from the control of Inland Area to that of the Air Defence of Great Britain. Later that same year, on 1 May, the group was raised to command status. However, only just over two months later, on 14 July, the newly created command was reduced back to group status,[3] becoming part of Fighter Command on the day of Fighter Command's creation. In 1938 the group comprised 26 Squadron at Catterick; RAF Hawkinge with 2 Squadron; RAF Odiham & No. 50 (Army Cooperation) Wing, with 4, 13, and 53 Squadrons; RAF Old Sarum with the School of Army Co-operation and 16 and No. 59 Squadron RAFs; and group headquarters and No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at South Farnborough.[4]

On 24 June 1940 No 22 Group was once again raised to command status and later that year, on 1 December, the new command was expanded to become RAF Army Cooperation Command.

On 1 August 1943, the group was re-established as No. 22 (Training) Group in Technical Training Command, responsible for all training in ground trades, from electronics to cooking. The group continued in its training function for nearly 30 years until it was disbanded 31 January 1972.

The current creation of No. 22 Group was established on 30 October 2006, once again as No. 22 (Training) Group.[3] This creation was a renaming of Training Group which ceased to exist as No 22 Group was re-established.

Organisation and responsibilities

The group is responsible for:

  • Youth engagement across the UK;
  • Recruiting, selection and basic training;
  • Defence technical training – communications & engineering;
  • UK Military Flying Training System;
  • RAF Force Development, Adventurous Training, survival and specialist training;
  • RAF-wide training assurance;
  • Accreditation and resettlement;
  • All RAF sport.

The areas of responsibility are:

Commanders

Currently, No 22 Group is led by Air Vice-Marshal Richard Maddison OBE, who is Chief of Staff Training and Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group. AVM Maddison is responsible to his superior commander, the Air Member for Personnel, who is also deputy commander-in-chief personnel in Air Command.

1918 to 1919

1926 to 1940

1943 to 1972

  • 1 August 1943 Air Vice-Marshal C E V Porter
  • 1946 to 1948 Air Vice-Marshal A C Stevens
  • 19 January 1948 Air Vice-Marshal P E Maitland
  • 15 June 1950 Air Vice-Marshal B V Reynolds
  • 25 August 1952 Air Vice-Marshal W H Merton
  • 1 December 1953 Air Vice-Marshal J L F Fuller-Good
  • 15 January 1957 Air Vice-Marshal R Faville
  • 12 September 1960 Air Vice-Marshal B A Chacksfield
  • 12 November 1962 Air Vice-Marshal A A Case
  • 15 January 1966 Air Vice-Marshal W V Crawford-Crompton
  • 1 July 1968 Air Vice-Marshal G R Magill
  • 1 January 1970 Air Vice-Marshal E Plumtree

2006 onwards

References

  1. Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 209. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. Mackie, Colin (1 November 2020). "Air Chief Marshals November 2020" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Retrieved 7 November 2020. Air Vice-Marshal Richard C. Maddison: AOC, No.22 (Training) Group, August 2020
  3. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation: Groups 20-29
  4. Royal Air Force List 1938, page 151.
  5. "Senior Appointments 10th February 2020". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020. Air Commodore R C Maddison OBE to be promoted Air Vice-Marshal and to be Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in August 2020 in succession to Air Vice-Marshal W A W James CBE whose next appointment is yet to be announced.
Preceded by
Training Group
22 (Training) Group
2006–
Succeeded by
Group extant
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