No. 15 Group (15 Gp) was a group of the Royal Air Force, which disbanded in 1945. It was operational in the last year of, and just after, the First World War, a reformation saw it active throughout the Second World War.
No. 15 Group was first formed on 1 April 1918 as No. 15 (Equipment) Group in the No. 3 Area, which became the Midland Area on 8 May 1918.[2] It was disbanded, and then reformed on 27 September 1918 as No. 15 (Aegean) Group to control 62 and 63 Wings, until finally disbanded on 1 September 1919.[1]
Flight Lieutenant A W Fraser and his crew, stand in front of their Consolidated Liberator Mark I, AM929 'H', of No. 120 Squadron RAF, at Reykjavik, Iceland, after sinking the German type IXD2 submarine U-200 on 24 June 1943
An aircrew sergeant of No. 209 Squadron RAF about to launch a carrier pigeon from the side hatch of a Saro Lerwick flying boat
On 4 April 1942, Air Vice-Marshal Douglas Colyer become the new Air Officer Commanding for No. 15 Group.[1] Around this time the Group Communications Flight continued at RAF Hooton Park. The Coastal Command Development Unit RAF, which was set up to undertook service trials of all radar equipment, was operating under No. 15 Group and the unit was working out of RAF Ballykelly, located in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. RAF Aldergrove was home to four of No. 15 Groups units: No. 206 Squadron, equipped with Lockheed Hudson, No. 143 Squadron, which operated with Bristol Beaufighter, No. 1402 (Meteorological) Flight, which used Supermarine Spitfire, Lockheed Hudson and Gloster Gladiator, and No. 1 Armament Practice Camp,[11] which had formed out of No. 15 Group Armament Practice Camp on 5 November 1941 and was equipped with various aircraft including Westland Lysander, an army co-operation and liaison aircraft.[12]
No. 224 Squadron, which operated with Lockheed Hudson, was based at RAF Limavady. No. 15 Group was now down to two Short Sunderland squadrons, No. 228 Squadron, based at RAF Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, in the Western Isles of Scotland, and No. 201 Squadron based in Northern Ireland, at RAF Lough Erne, which was also home to No. 240 Squadron, which was equipped with Consolidated Catalina. Also in Northern Ireland were Nos. 120 and 220 Squadrons, which operated from RAF Nutts Corner, in County Antrim and were equipped with Consolidated Liberator and Boeing Fortress, both types being American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft, respectively.[11]
A Royal Air Force Liberator Mark I (serial AM910) on the ground following conversion as an anti-submarine aircraft by Scottish Aviation Ltd, AM910 joined No. 120 Squadron at Nutts Corner, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (UK), as "OH-M"
Mid and later war
One year later, by April 1943, Air Vice-Marshal Leonard Slatter was in command of the group. The Group Communications Flight had by this time relocated to RAF Speke, located in Liverpool. No. 15 Group now controlled five squadrons of Short Sunderland flying boats. Three squadrons, 201, 228 and 423 operated out of RAF Castle Archdale (previously known as RAF Lough Erne). No. 246 Squadron which was based at RAF Port Ellen, and No. 330 Squadron which was at RAF Oban. Also at Oban was No. 422 Squadron which was controlled by No. 15 Group and equipped with Consolidated Catalina. No. 15 Group had two Boeing Fortress units, both were based at RAF Benbecula, on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, in Scotland, with Nos. 206 and 220 Squadrons. RAF Aldergrove was home to three units with No. 1 Armament Practice Camp, No. 1402 (Meteorological) Flight, equipped with Gloster Gladiator, Supermarine Spitfire and Handley Page Hampden, a medium bomber, and No. 120 Squadron, which operated with Consolidated Liberator. At RAF Ballykelly, No. 280 Squadron operated a detachment of Avro Anson.[13]
Castle Archdale (formerly Logh Erne) in Northern Ireland on 20 May 1943, as a seaplane tender passes a Sunderland of No 201 Squadron
Around July 1944, No. 15 Group had reduced down in size and now consisted nine units across five RAF stations, including the Group Communications Flight at RAF Speke. RAF Aldergrove was home to the meteorological flight, and No. 1 Armament Practice Camp. It was now back to just two Short Sunderland units which were based at RAF Castle Archdale, these were the RCAFs Nos 422 and 423 Squadrons. The group had two Consolidated Liberator squadrons, Nos 59 and 120, which were operating out of RAF Ballykelly. In Scotland, RAF Tiree on the island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides, was home to No. 518 Squadron which was equipped with Handley Page Halifax, a four-engined heavy bomber, and No. 281 Squadron which used Vickers Warwick, a maritime reconnaissance, air-sea rescue and transport aircraft.[14]
A convoy seen from 'X for X-Ray', a No 120 Squadron Liberator based at Aldergrove. The aircraft made contact after a flight of several hours at low-level to avoid icing conditions in the clouds. For a further three hours it patrolled out to the front and rear of the convoy, also keeping an eye on stragglers, but there was no sign of any U-boats
Air Commodore Norman Pritchett had been appointed Air Officer commanding for No. 15 Group, during June 1945[1] and by July it was in control of seven units across seven RAF stations. RAF Speke remained home to the Group Communications Flight. The group controlled No. 518 Squadron, equipped with Handley Page Halifax and based at RAF Tiree.[15] Also at Tiree was a detachment from No. 281 Squadron providing air sea rescue, using both Vickers Warwick, and Supermarine Sea Otter , an amphibious aircraft. The squadron also had a similar detachment at RAF Valley, on the island of Anglesey, Wales.[16] The remainder of the group’s assets were based within Northern Ireland. No. 1 Armament Practice Camp remained at RAF Aldergrove. The group controlled No. 1402 (Meteorological) Flight, which used Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane and operated out of RAF Ballyhalbert, situated in County Down, and No. 201 Squadron, equipped with Short Sunderland, at RAF Castle Archdale. No. 281 Squadron was based at RAF Limavady, providing air sea rescue like its detachments. Also at Limavady, as part of No. 15 Group, was the Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School RAF,[15] which had previously existed under different identities since 1940, and was equipped with Vickers Wellington VIII.[17]
de Havilland Dominie, Communications and transport aircraft, an example of the type used by 15 GCF
No. 15 Group Communications Flight RAF (15 GCF) formed at RAF Roborough located in Devon, on 13 June 1939,[10] it moved to RAF Hooton Park on 1 February 1941 [18] by April 1943, the Flight had relocated to RAF Speke.[19] It operated various types and marks of aircraft:[10]
Miles Mentor I, training and communications aircraft
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Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Jefford, C G (2001). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 - 2nd Edition. Shrewsbury UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN1-84037-141-2.
Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John; Halley, James. J (1997). Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN0-85130-252-1.
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