• Source: No. 23 Group RAF

      • No. 23 Group RAF (23 Gp) was a group of the Royal Air Force, first established in 1918. It disbanded the same year but reformed during 1926 and finally disbanded for the second time in 1975.


      History




      = First World War

      =
      On the 1 April 1918, at the Adelphi Hotel, located on the corner of Union Street and Argyle Street, in the Scottish city of Glasgow, No. 23 (Equipment) Group was formed. The group was initially within No. 5 Area, but this changed on 8 May to become North-Western Area. However, two days later, on 10 May 1918, the group disbanded.


      = Interwar period

      =
      The group was reformed as No. 23 (Training) Group in RAF Inland Area on 12 April 1926, at RAF Spitalgate, by re-numbering No. 3 Group RAF. Its stations were RAF Digby, RAF Eastchurch, RAF Flowerdown, RAF Manston, and RAF Sealand, while it commanded Nos. 1 (Netheravon), 2, and 5 FTSs; the Armament and Gunnery School RAF at RAF Eastchurch; the School of Technical Training (Airmen) at RAF Manston; the Central Flying School at RAF Upavon, and finally the Electrical and Wireless School at RAF Flowerdown.
      The Group was transferred to RAF Training Command on 1 May 1936. The RAF List for 1938 records that it comprised the Central Flying School RAF; Nos. 1-3 and Nos. 5-11 Flying Training Schools; the Packing Depot at RAF Sealand; the School of Air Navigation and No. 48 Squadron RAF at RAF Manston; the Station Flight and No. 24 MU at RAF Ternhill; and No. 27 MU at RAF Shawbury.


      = Second World War

      =
      In September 1939 it controlled Nos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 Service Flying Training Schools, the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at RAF Martlesham Heath, in Suffolk and the group communications flight, co-located with Group Headquarters, at RAF Spitalgate, in Lincolnshire.
      It was then transferred again, this time to RAF Flying Training Command on 27 May 1940. In December 1940, after his successful leadership of No. 11 Group RAF during the Battle of Britain, Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park was transferred into RAF Training Command. He become Air Officer Commanding of No. 23 Group on 27 December 1940.


      = Cold War

      =
      After 1 January 1957, No. 23 Group was responsible for Nos 1 - 5, No. 6 Flying Training School RAF (1957-68), No. 7 (from 1957-60) and No. 8 Flying Training School RAF (from 1957-64). The Group Headquarters moved to RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire during 1959, and then to RAF Dishforth in Yorkshire during 1962. It was reabsorbed into RAF Training Command in 1968; it disbanded at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, on 2 May 1975.
      RAF Training Command itself disbanded in 1977, and by 1982 flying training units were being directed by Air Officer Training and AOC Training Units at Headquarters RAF Support Command.


      Headquarters


      No. 23 Group had various Headquarters across its two active periods:

      Adelphi Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow - during 1918
      RAF Spitalgate - from April to August 1926
      St Vincents Hall, Grantham - from August 1926
      RAF Spitalgate - from October 1937
      RAF South Cerney - from October 1939
      Oxenden House, Plantation Road, Leighton Buzzard - from September 1946
      RAF Church Fenton - from September 1959
      RAF Dishforth - from March 1962
      RAF Linton-on-Ouse - July 1966


      Interbellum and World War II Air Officers Commanding


      Air Officer Commanding, No. 23 Group Royal Air Force, from reformation to the end of World War II.

      12 April 1926 - Air Commodore Ian Bonham-Carter
      15 December 1927 - Air Commodore B C H Drew
      15 December 1929 - Air Commodore Philip Joubert de la Ferté
      6 September 1930 - Air Commodore P F M Fellowes
      31 October 1932 - Air Commodore Patrick Playfair
      9 September 1933 - Air Commodore Hazelton Nicholl
      16 April 1934 - Air Commodore Charles Breese
      27 February 1937 - Air Vice-Marshal Lawrence Pattinson
      27 December 1940 - Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park
      28 January 1942 - Air Vice-Marshal Douglas Harries
      2 August 1943 - Air Vice-Marshal M Thomas
      8 March 1944 - Air Vice-Marshal C E W Lockyer


      Postwar Air Officers Commanding


      1945 (precise date unknown) - Air Vice-Marshal Frank Inglis
      3 February 1947 - Air Vice Marshal Arthur Ledger
      20 February 1950 - Air Vice Marshal Lawrence ('Johnny') Darvall MC
      September 1951 - Air Vice Marshal Allan Hesketh CB, CBE, DFC
      9 April 1952 - Air Vice Marshal Francis Long CB
      12 October 1953 - Air Vice Marshal George Harvey
      19 December 1955 - Air Vice Marshal Henry Graham DSO DFC
      1 December 1958 - Air Vice Marshal Colin Scragg CBE, AFC & bar
      15 December 1960 - Air Vice Marshal William Coles DSO, DFC & bar, AFC
      29 August 1963 - Air Vice Marshal Peter Philpott CBE
      23 August 1965 - Air Vice Marshal Michael Lyne, AFC & two bars
      15 December 1967 - Air Vice Marshal Harry Burton CBE, DSO
      6 February 1970 - Air Vice Marshal Harold Bird-Wilson, CBE, DSO, DFC & bar, AFC & bar
      3 March 1973 - Air Vice Marshal John Gingell CBE (listed in post as AOC 23 Group until 6 June 1975)


      References

    Kata Kunci Pencarian: