No. 12 Group RAF


No. 12 Group RAF 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.

History

First World War

No. 12 Group was first formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, within No. 3 Area. 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 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 Group. 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 RAF|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, 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 remove 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.

Post war

Group Headquarters moved to RAF Newton on 20 December 1946 and the operations block at Watnall was closed on 12 December 1946.
AirfieldSquadronAircraft type
RAF Church Fenton
Yorkshire		No. 19Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Church Fenton
Yorkshire		23 and 141de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
RAF Church Fenton
Yorkshire		41de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Horsham St Faith,
Norfolk		74, 245, 257 and 263
Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Lincolnshire		66 and 92Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Lincolnshire		64 and 65de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Hooton Park610 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Hooton Park611 RAuxAFGloster Meteor F.4
RAF Acklington264de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
RAF Leuchars
Fife		222Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Wymeswold
Leicestershire		504 RAuxAFGloster Meteor F.4
RAF Aldergrove502 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Abbotsinch602 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Turnhouse603 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Honiley605 RAuxAFde Havilland Vampire FB.5
RAF Ouston607 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Yeadon
West Riding of Yorkshire		609 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire LF.16
RAF Dyce
Aberdeenshire		612 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire LF.16e
RAF Middleton St George608 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Finningley
Nottinghamshire/West Riding of Yorkshire		616 RAuxAFGloster Meteor F.4
RAF Ringway
Cheshire		613 RAuxAFSupermarine Spitfire F.22

Group HQ then moved again on 14 August 1959 to RAF Horsham St Faith.
Order of Battle: April 1962
It was disbanded on 1 April 1963 and replaced by No. 12 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.

Commanders

The following were air officer commanding No. 12 Group:

1918 to 1919

1937 to 1963