No. 12 Group RAF

No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group RAF
12 Group RAF Crest.jpg
Group Crest
Active 1918 - 1968
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Type Group Headquarters
Role Defence of the Midlands and East Anglia
Part of RAF Fighter Command
Garrison/HQ RAF Watnall, Nottinghamshire, England
Royal Air Force Ensign Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg

No. 12 Group RAF was first formed in April 1918 at Cranwell, Lincolnshire, within No. 3 Area. On 8 May 1918 the group transferred to Midland Area, and then to Northern Area on 18 October 1919. On 1 November that year it became the RAF (Cadet) College.

The group was reformed on 1 April 1937 in Fighter Command. 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 was not completed until late 1940, after which operations were relocated from nearby RAF Hucknall. During World War II 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 fly 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.

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

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.

12 Group remained in being after the war. It was renamed No. 12 (East Anglian) Sector on 31 March 1963. On 30 April 1968, as the new Strike Command came into existence, 12 Group passed into history.

Contents

Commanders

The following officers had command of No. 12 Group:[1]

1918 to 1919

  • 1 April 1918 Brigadier-General H D Briggs
  • 1 May 1919 Brigadier-General F R Scarlett

1937 to 1963

  • 1 April 1937 Air Vice-Marshal J H S Tyssen
  • 4 December 1937 Air Vice-Marshal T L Leigh-Mallory
  • 17 December 1940 Air Vice-Marshal R E Saul[1]
  • 29 November 1942 Air Vice-Marshal J O Andrews
  • 1 June 1943 Air Vice-Marshal R M Hill
  • 22 November 1943 Air Vice-Marshal M Henderson
  • 1 January 1945 Air Vice-Marshal J W Baker
  • 5 May 1946 Air Vice-Marshal T C Traill[2]
  • 17 November 1948 Air Vice-Marshal G Harcourt-Smith
  • 1 June 1951 Air Vice-Marshal R L R Atcherley
  • 13 November 1953 Air Vice-Marshal W J Crisham
  • 25 June 1956 Air Vice-Marshal H P Fraser
  • 1 August 1958 Air Commodore C H Hartley (Chief of Staff as acting AOC)
  • 1 January 1959 Air Vice-Marshal J R A Embling
  • 20 July 1959 Air Vice-Marshal C H Hartley
  • 1 June 1961 Air Vice-Marshal R N Bateson

References

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • No. 4 Group RAF — Active 1 April 1918 24 March 1919 1 April 1937 2 February 1948 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 11 Group RAF — No. 11 Group badge depicting the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster surrounded by the astral crown Active 1 Apr 1918 – 17 May 1918 22 Aug 1918 – May 1920 1 May 1936 – 31 Dec 1960 1 Jan 1961 – 1 Apr 1963 1 Apr 1968 – …   Wikipedia

  • No. 2 Group RAF — No. 2 Group Official No. 2 Group Badge Active 1 April 1918 – 31 March 1920 20 March 1936 – 1 May 1947 1 December 1948 – 15 November 1958 1 April 1993 – 1 April 1996 7 January 2000 – present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 3 Group RAF — No. 3 Group No. 3 Group badge Active 1918 1921 1923 1926 1936 1967 2000 2006 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 1 Group RAF — No. 1 Group No. 1 Group badge Active 1918–1926, 1927–1939, 1940–present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 38 Group RAF — Active 1943 1951, 1960 1983, 1992 2000 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 13 Group RAF — Group Crest Active 1918 1961 Country United Kingdom Branch …   Wikipedia

  • No. 8 Group RAF — No. 8 Group Active 1918 1919 1 Sep 1941 28 Jan 1942 8 Jan 1943 15 Dec 1945 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 10 Group RAF — Group Crest Active 1918 1945 Country United Kingdom Branch …   Wikipedia

  • No. 18 Group RAF — Active 1918 1919 1938 1996 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”