No. 12 Group RAF

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No. 12 Group RAF
12 Group RAF Crest.jpg
Active1 April 1918 - 1 November 1919
1 April 1937 - 1 April 1963
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
BranchEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg  Royal Air Force
Type Royal Air Force group
Role Fighter cover for the Midlands and East Anglia
Part of RAF Fighter Command
Garrison/HQ RAF Watnall, Nottinghamshire, England
Motto(s)We fight to defend [1]
Royal Air Force Ensign Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Engagements World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB , DSO & Bar

No. 12 Group RAF (12 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was a group, a military formation, that existed over two separate periods, namely the end of the First World War when it had a training function and from just prior to the Second World War until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.

Contents

History

RAF and WAAF servicemen and women of B Watch (Operations) at RAF Watnall Portraits of WAAF Servicewomen Based at RAF Watnall, Headquarters of No. 12 Group Royal Air Force Fighter Command during the Second World War HU91769.jpg
RAF and WAAF servicemen and women of B Watch (Operations) at RAF Watnall

First World War

No. 12 Group was first formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, within No. 3 Area. [2] It succeeded the Royal Navy's Central Depot and Training Establishment which had been training naval aviators at Cranwell since 1916. The first RAF General Officer Commanding was Brigadier-General Harold Douglas Briggs who received the appointment on promotion from Captain in the Royal Navy. On 8 May 1918 the group transferred to Midland Area, and then to Northern Area on 18 October 1919. On 1 November that year the Group ceased to exist when it became the RAF (Cadet) College.

Second World War

The group was reformed on 1 April 1937 in Fighter Command at RAF Uxbridge as No. 12 (Fighter) Group. [2] It was the group responsible for aerial defence of the Midlands, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and North Wales. Construction of a purpose built site at RAF Watnall, a non-flying station in Nottinghamshire, was not completed until late 1940, after which operations were relocated from nearby RAF Hucknall. During the Second World War this group was the second most important group of Fighter Command, and as such, it received its share of attacks from the German Luftwaffe throughout the war.

The commander of 12 Group during the Battle of Britain was Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, who was a rather ambitious man. Despite his length of service in the RAF, he was passed over for being named the Air Officer Commanding of the more vital 11 Group in favour of Air Vice Marshal Keith Park. Leigh-Mallory felt himself slighted over this and his relations with Park were poisoned thereafter.

As well as regional defence, 12 Group were also supposed to provide fighter cover for 11 Group airfields during the Battle of Britain, but several times, these fields were left undefended. When Park complained about it, Leigh-Mallory responded that in order to test his Big Wing theory (espoused by Squadron Leader Douglas Bader), more time was needed to get the necessary squadrons airborne.

Vj Day Parade and Service at RAF Watnall Vj Day Parade and Service at RAF Watnall MH7627.jpg
Vj Day Parade and Service at RAF Watnall

The Big Wings met with mixed success, enough for the Air Ministry to use it as an excuse to remove Park and Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding from their commands on the grounds that they had mismanaged the Battle of Britain.

A Supermarine Spitfire F.22 of No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAuxAF, at RAF Ringway in May 1949. 613 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 PK599 RAT-K 613 Sqn RWY 05.49.jpg
A Supermarine Spitfire F.22 of No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAuxAF, at RAF Ringway in May 1949.

After Park was ousted, Leigh-Mallory took over 11 Group. 12 Group still continued its assignment of defending the Midlands and supporting both 10 Group and 11 Group.

Post war

de Havilland Mosquito NF.30 MM790 of 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron RAuxAF at RAF Ringway DH.98 Mosquito NF.30 RAL-F 605 Sqn Ringway 24.04.48 edited-2.jpg
de Havilland Mosquito NF.30 MM790 of 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron RAuxAF at RAF Ringway

Group Headquarters moved to RAF Newton on 20 December 1946 [2] and the operations block at Watnall was closed on 12 December 1946. [3]

Order of Battle: 3 June 1950 [4]
AirfieldSquadron(s)Aircraft type
RAF Church Fenton

Yorkshire

No. 19 Gloster Meteor F.4
23 and 141 de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
41 de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Horsham St Faith,

Norfolk

74, 245, 257 and 263

(forming the Horsham Wing)

Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Lincolnshire

66 and 92 Gloster Meteor F.4
64 and 65de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Hooton Park 610 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
611 RAuxAFGloster Meteor F.4
RAF Acklington 264de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
RAF Leuchars

Fife

222 Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Wymeswold

Leicestershire

504 RAuxAFGloster Meteor F.4
RAF Aldergrove 502 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Abbotsinch 602 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Turnhouse 603 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Honiley 605 RAuxAF de Havilland Vampire FB.5
RAF Ouston 607 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Yeadon

West Riding of Yorkshire

609 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire LF.16
RAF Dyce

Aberdeenshire

612 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire LF.16e
RAF Middleton St George 608 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Finningley

Nottinghamshire/West Riding of Yorkshire

616 RAuxAF Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Ringway

Cheshire

613 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Watnall bunker entrance in 2007 RAF Fighter Command Group 12 Watnall Bunker (4).jpg
RAF Watnall bunker entrance in 2007

Group HQ then moved again on 14 August 1959 to RAF Horsham St Faith. [5]

Order of Battle: April 1962 [6]

It was disbanded on 1 April 1963 and replaced by No. 12 (East Anglian) Sector, it moved to RAF Neatishead, Norfolk on 29 May 1963. On 1 April 1968, 12 Group passed into history when No. 12 Sector became Sector North within No. 11 Group RAF. [7]

Commanders

The following were air officer commanding No. 12 Group: [8]

1918 to 1919

1937 to 1963

See also

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References

Citations

  1. Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.  263. ISBN   0-7100-9339-X.
  2. 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 150.
  3. "RAF Watnall : Fighter Command's 12 Group HQ". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. Ovens 2011, p. 5.
  5. "Groups 10-19". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. Delve 1994, p. 88.
  7. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 232.
  8. "No. 12 Group RAF". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  9. "Air Vice-Marshal R E Saul". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  10. "Air Vice Marshal T C Traill". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

Bibliography