No. 12 Group RAF (12 Gp) 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.

No. 12 Group RAF
Active1 April 1918 - 1 November 1919
1 April 1937 - 1 April 1963
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeRoyal Air Force group
RoleFighter cover for the Midlands and East Anglia
Part ofRAF Fighter Command
Garrison/HQRAF Watnall, Nottinghamshire, England
Motto(s)We fight to defend[1]
Royal Air Force Ensign
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar

History

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RAF and WAAF servicemen and women of B Watch (Operations) at RAF Watnall

First World War

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No. 12 Group was first formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, within No. 3 Area.[2] 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 Douglas 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

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The group was reformed on 1 April 1937 in Fighter Command at RAF Uxbridge as No. 12 (Fighter) Group.[2] 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 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 (espoused by Squadron Leader Douglas Bader), more time was needed to get the necessary squadrons airborne.

 
Vj Day Parade and Service at RAF Watnall

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.

 
A Supermarine Spitfire F.22 of No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAuxAF, at RAF Ringway in May 1949.

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

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de Havilland Mosquito NF.30 MM790 of 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron RAuxAF at RAF Ringway

Group Headquarters moved to RAF Newton on 20 December 1946[2] and the operations block at Watnall was closed on 12 December 1946.[3]

Order of Battle: 3 June 1950[4]
Airfield Squadron(s) Aircraft type
RAF Church Fenton

Yorkshire

No. 19 Gloster Meteor F.4
23 and 141 de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
41 de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Horsham St Faith,

Norfolk

74, 245, 257 and 263

(forming the Horsham Wing)

Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Lincolnshire

66 and 92 Gloster Meteor F.4
64 and 65 de Havilland Hornet F.3
RAF Hooton Park 610 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
611 RAuxAF Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Acklington 264 de Havilland Mosquito NF.36
RAF Leuchars

Fife

222 Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Wymeswold

Leicestershire

504 RAuxAF Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Aldergrove 502 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Abbotsinch 602 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Turnhouse 603 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Honiley 605 RAuxAF de Havilland Vampire FB.5
RAF Ouston 607 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Yeadon

West Riding of Yorkshire

609 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire LF.16
RAF Dyce

Aberdeenshire

612 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e
RAF Middleton St George 608 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
RAF Finningley

Nottinghamshire/West Riding of Yorkshire

616 RAuxAF Gloster Meteor F.4
RAF Ringway

Cheshire

613 RAuxAF Supermarine Spitfire F.22
 
RAF Watnall bunker entrance in 2007

Group HQ then moved again on 14 August 1959 to RAF Horsham St Faith.[5]

Order of Battle: April 1962[6]

It was disbanded on 1 April 1963 and replaced by No. 12 (East Anglian) 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.[7]

Commanders

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The following were air officer commanding No. 12 Group:[8]

1918 to 1919

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1937 to 1963

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See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 263. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ a b c Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 150.
  3. ^ "RAF Watnall : Fighter Command's 12 Group HQ". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. ^ Ovens 2011, p. 5.
  5. ^ "Groups 10-19". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. ^ Delve 1994, p. 88.
  7. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 232.
  8. ^ "No. 12 Group RAF". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Air Vice-Marshal R E Saul". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Air Vice Marshal T C Traill". RAF WEB - Air of Authority. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

Bibliography

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  • Delve, K. (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Ovens, C. (2011). Interceptor Force - Fighter Command 1950 - 1968. UK: Guideline Publications.
  • Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.