No. 3 Group RAF
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| No. 3 Group | |
|---|---|
 3 Group badge |
|
| Active | 1918-21, 1923-26, 1936-1967, 2000-2006 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Part of | RAF Bomber Command, RAF Strike Command |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Mildenhall (1936-38) |
| Motto | "Nothing without Labour" |
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.
Contents |
[edit] The 1930s and World War II
No. 3 Group was first formed on 10 May 1918 as part of South-Eastern Area. No. 13 Group RAF was merged into No. 3 Group on 18 October 1919. Group Captain U J D Bourke took command on 30 November 1919. The Group was disbanded on 31 August 1921. Following its World War I service, the Group was reformed at Andover, Wiltshire on 1 May 1936, under Air Vice Marshall Patrick Playfair.[1] Ten months later Group HQ moved to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, a direct result of the Air Ministry's decision to form two new bomber groups and reorganise its existing groups. No.3 Group was initially equipped with the ungainly Vickers Virginia and Handley Page Heyford, which was the RAF's last biplane heavy bomber.
With the arrival of the then revolutionary twin engined Vickers Wellington it was decided that No.3 Group would be tasked with introducing the type into front line service. The first squadron in Bomber Command to be equipped was No. 99 Squadron RAF based at Mildenhall, on 10 October 1938. Air Commodore A A B Thomson, Playfair's successor, was killed on August 8, 1939 while viewing the bombing up of a Vickers Wellington of No. 115 Squadron RAF.[2] While under the fuselage, he slipped and was struck on the head by the rotating airscrew. Air Vice-Marshal J E A Baldwin took over the Group on 29 August 1939. By September 1939 the entire group (totalling six front line squadrons and two reserve squadrons) was fully equipped with an all-Wellington force totalling over 100 aircraft located at five East Anglian airfields. No. 3 Group's first wartime operations were attacks against German warships at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel.
Group HQ moved to Exning, Suffolk, in March 1940. On 2 April 1940, two squadrons were temporarily transferred to RAF Coastal Command and advanced bases in Northern Scotland, and they had hardly settled in before the Germans invaded Denmark and Norway.[3] The squadrons went into action immediately and on 11/12 April one of them (No. 115) became the first RAF unit to bomb deliberately a mainland target (Stavanger Airport, Sola) in World War 2.
In March 1943 No. 3 Group consisted of:[4]
No. 3 Group Headquarters - Exning, Suffolk.
- No. 15 Squadron RAF, Bourn, Shorts Stirling
- No. 75 Squadron RAF, Newmarket, Stirling
- No. 90 Squadron RAF, RAF Ridgewell, Stirling
- No. 115 Squadron RAF, RAF East Wretham, Wellington & Lancaster
- 138 (Special Duties) Squadron, RAF Tempsford, Halifax
- No. 149 Squadron RAF, RAF Lakenheath, Stirling
- 161 (Special Duties) Squadron, RAF Tempsford, Lysander, Halifax Hudson Havoc Albemarle Hudson Cygnet
- 192 (Special Duties) Squadron, RAF Gransden Lodge, Halifax, Wellington Mk.X Mosquito Wellington Mk.IC
- No. 214 Squadron RAF, Chedburgh, Stirling
- No. 218 Squadron RAF, Downham Market, Stirling
[edit] Post War
The Group HQ moved back to Mildenhall in January 1947. In June 1948, No.3 Group consisted of 35, 115, 149, and 207 Squadrons operating Lancasters from RAF Stradishall, Nos 7, 49, 148, and 214 Squadrons operating Lancasters from RAF Upwood, and Nos 15, 44, 90, and 138 Squadrons operating Lincolns from RAF Wyton.[5] For a period in the early 1950s several squadrons flew Boeing Washingtons, the British name for B-29s lent to the UK until the English Electric Canberra could enter service. Most of the Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor, squadrons, made operational in the late 1950s, formed part of No.3 Group. During the Suez Crisis of 1956 Valiants of 138, 148, 207 and 214 Squadrons were deployed to RAF Luqa in Malta and the first Valiant attacks against Egyptian airfields began on 31 October 1956. However the attacks did not go very well, as the aircraft had only just entered service and the crews were only starting to adjust to them.
No.3 Group also operated the Thor ballistic missile between 1 September 1958 and August 1963, with ten squadrons (including Nos 77 at RAF Feltwell, 82 at RAF Shepherds Grove, 107 at Tudenham, 113 at RAF Mepal, 130, 144, 218, 220 at North Pickenham, 223, 254) each with three missiles, being equipped with the weapon.[6] On 1 November 1967 the Group was absorbed by No. 1 (Bomber) Group RAF.
The Group was reformed on 1 April 2000 to control Joint Force Harrier and maritime aircraft transferred from the former No. 11/18 Group RAF. It came under a Royal Navy officer, the Flag Officer Maritime Aviation. Rear Admiral Iain Henderson was the first occupant of the post, who also had the NATO roles of COMAIREASTLANT and COMMARAIRNORTH. AOC 3 Group/FOMA had two RAF subordinates, Air Commodore Harrier (for all the RAF Harriers and FAA Sea Harriers) and Air Commodore Maritime (for the Nimrods and SAR helicopters).[7] After a further reorganisation in 2003-4, the group became known as the Battle Management Group and controlled the Airborne Early Warning aircraft, ground based radar installations, maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the search and rescue helicopters in the UK. The group was based alongside Strike Command at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In 2006 the Group consisted of:
No. 3 Group Headquarters - RAF High Wycombe
- RAF Bentley Priory
- RAF Boulmer
- RAF Fylingdales
- RAF Neatishead
- No. 5 Squadron RAF, RAF Waddington
- No. 8 Squadron RAF, RAF Waddington
- A Flt No. 22 Squadron RAF & HQ, RMB Chivenor
- B Flt No. 22 Squadron RAF, RAF Wattisham
- C Flt No. 22 Squadron RAF, RAF Valley
- No. 23 Squadron RAF, RAF Waddington
- 42(R) Squadron, RAF Kinloss
- No. 51 Squadron RAF, RAF Waddington
- 120 Squadron, RAF Kinloss
- 201 Squadron, RAF Kinloss
- A Flt No. 202 Squadron RAF & HQ, RAF Boulmer
- D Flt No. 202 Squadron RAF, RAF Lossiemouth
- E Flt No. 202 Squadron RAF, RAF Leconfield
- SARF / 203(R) Squadron, RAF St. Mawgan
As from 1 April 2006, the stations and squadrons which were under the command of 3 Group RAF were brought under the command of No. 2 Group RAF.
 |
| Components |
|---|
| Royal Air Force |
| History |
| History of the Royal Air Force |
| Timeline of the Royal Air Force |
| Aircraft |
| List of RAF aircraft |
| Structure |
| Air Command |
| No. 1 Group |
| No. 2 Group |
| JFACHQ |
| No. 22 Group |
| List of stations |
| Personnel |
| Officer ranks |
| Other ranks |
[edit] Commanders
1919 to 1921
- 30 November 1919 Group Captain U J D Bourke
- 23 November 1920 Group Captain A M Longmore
1923 to 1926
- 16 April 1923 Air Commodore T I Webb-Bowen
- 7 March 1924 Air Commodore L E O Charlton
- 2 January 1925 Air Commodore R Gordon
- 1 October 1925 Air Commodore I M Bonham-Carter
1936 to 1967
- 1 May 1936 Air Vice-Marshal P H L Playfair
- 14 February 1938 Air Commodore A A B Thomson
- 29 August 1939 Air Vice-Marshal J E A Baldwin
- 14 September 1942 Air Vice-Marshal The Hon R A Cochrane
- 27 February 1943 Air Vice-Marshal R Harrison
- 28 February 1946 Air Vice-Marshal A C Collier
- Post vacant
- 9 July 1946 Air Vice-Marshal R M Foster
- 18 March 1947 Air Vice-Marshal L Darvall
- 14 December 1948 Air Vice-Marshal A Hesketh
- 15 September 1951 Air Vice-Marshal W A D Brook
- 1 September 1953 Air Vice-Marshal E C Hudleston
- 2 February 1956 Air Vice-Marshal K B B Cross
- 4 May 1959 Air Vice-Marshal M H Dwyer
- 9 October 1961 Air Vice-Marshal B K Burnett
- 5 August 1964 Air Vice-Marshal D F Spotswood
- 26 November 1965 Air Vice-Marshal D G Smallwood
The list of commanders from 2000 to 2006 have not yet been added.
[edit] References
- ^ An Introduction to Bomber Command No. 3 Group, accessed 30 May 2008
- ^ An Introduction to Bomber Command No. 3 Group, accessed 1 June 2008
- ^ Philip Moyes, 'Bomber Squadrons of the Royal Air Force,' MacDonald, London, 1964, p. 334, via Royal Air Force, Bomber Command 60th Anniversary: No. 3 Group, accessed 1 June 2008
- ^ Bomber Command Order of Battle March 1943
- ^ John D. Rawlings et al, 'The History of the Royal Air Force,' Temple Press Aerospace, 1984, p.187
- ^ Martin Powell, "The Douglas Thor in Royal Air Force Service", Rossendale Aviation Society - Article, accessed 2 June 2008
- ^ Richard Cobbold, 'My Jobs: Joint Force Harrier Commander,' RUSI Journal, Vol. 145, No.3, June 2000, pp.21-27
