No. 21 Group RAF

Last updated
No. 21 (Training) Group RAF
No. 21 Group RAF
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Active1 April – 1 July 1918
12 April 1926 – 1 February 1934
1 December 1938 – 1 March 1955
Disbanded1 March 1955
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg  Royal Air Force
Type Royal Air Force group
Role Military aviation training
Part of RAF Training Command (December 1938 - May 1940)
RAF Flying Training Command (May 1940 - March 1955)
Motto(s) Latin: Ad Suam Quisque Operam
("To each his own work") [1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Air Vice Marshal Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny CB , MC , DFC

No. 21 Group RAF (21 Gp) is a former Royal Air Force group that existed from April-July 1918; 1926-1934, a redesignation of No. 1 Group RAF; after which it was merged into Inland Area; and from 1938 to 1955. [2]

Contents

History

First World War

No. 21 Group formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Montrose within No 5 Area, the following month, on 8 May, it transferred into the North-Western Area. Shortly after, on 1 July, the group disbanded into No. 20 Group RAF. [3]

Interwar period

On 12 April 1926, it reformed as No. 21 (Training) Group, within Inland Area. The group HQ was at RAF West Drayton and it had the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment and Nos 15 and 22 Squadrons at RAF Martlesham Heath under its command. The group also had control over RAF stores, repair depots, and schools, however, it disbanded on 1 February 1934. It reformed at RAF Cranwell, within RAF Training Command, again designated No. 21 (Training) Group, on 1 December 1938. [3]

Second World War

The group was transferred to RAF Flying Training Command on 27 May 1940, responsible for the RAF College and the Service Flying Training Schools from the Midlands northwards. The group HQ relocated to RAF Spitalgate on 28 July 1944. [3]

Cold War

The group's headquarters moved to the former No. 5 Group's HQ, St Vincents Hall, in Grantham, on 7 March 1946 and the following year, on 1 May 1947, the Group absorbed No. 91 Group RAF, from RAF Bomber Command, taking over HQ for No. 91 Group, Morton Hall, Swinderby in Lincolnshire. On 24 June 1953 the Group absorbed No. 54 Group RAF, which had been reformed 22 months earlier within RAF Flying Training Command to control the Initial Training Wings and Grading Schools. No. 21 Group disbanded on 1 March 1955. [2]

Structure

Orders of battle for No. 21 (Training) Group, at a given point in time, throughout its operational existence:

November 1939 [4] HQ at RAF Cranwell

May 1941 [5] HQ at RAF Cranwell

April 1942 [6] HQ at RAF Cranwell

April 1943 [7] HQ at RAF Cranwell

July 1944 [8] HQ at RAF Cranwell

July 1945 [9] HQ at RAF Spitalgate

April 1953 [10] HQ at Morton Hall, Swinderby

Headquarters

No. 21 Group had various headquarters across its three active periods: [3]

Air Officer Commanding

Note: The ranks shown are the ranks held at the time of holding the appointment of Air Officer Commanding, No. 21 Group Royal Air Force. [3]
No. 21 Group commanding officers
Ranknamefrom
unknownApril 1918
DisbandedJuly 1918
Group Captain Andrew George Board August 1926
unknown1927
Group CaptainA B BurdettFebruary 1928
Group Captain Lionel Rees VC December 1929
Group Captain Charles Edmonds August 1931
Group CaptainG P GrenfellJanuary 1932
DisbandedFebruary 1934
Air Vice-Marshal Jack Baldwin December 1938
Air Vice-Marshal Bertine Sutton July 1939
Air Commodore Hugh Champion de Crespigny August 1939
Air Vice-Marshal Robert Willock June 1940
Air Vice-MarshalHugh Champion de CrespignyOctober 1943
Air CommodoreJohn Gosset Hawtrey [11] July 1945
Air Commodore Gordon Herbert Vasse 1946 - 47
Air Vice-Marshal Francis Mellersh 1947 - 48
Air Vice-Marshal Cecil Bouchier 1948 - 49
Air Vice-MarshalG G BantingMarch 1949
Air Vice-Marshal John Denis Breakey March 1951
Air Vice-Marshal Andrew McKee July 1951
Air Vice-Marshal Gilbert Nicholetts November 1953

See also

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References

Citations

  1. "RAF Badges - Groups". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 Air of Authority, Group nos 21 -29, accessed June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Group No's 20 - 29". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  4. Delve 1994, p. 51.
  5. Delve 1994, p. 54.
  6. Delve 1994, p. 59.
  7. Delve 1994, p. 65.
  8. Delve 1994, p. 73.
  9. Delve 1994, p. 80.
  10. Delve 1994, p. 85.
  11. "J G Hawtrey_P".

Bibliography