No. 23 Group RAF

Former Royal Air Force flying training group
No. 23 (Training) Group RAF
No. 23 (Equipment) Group RAF
Active1 April 1918 - 10 May 1918
12 April 1926 – 2 May 1975
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeRoyal Air Force group
RoleMilitary aviation training
Part ofRAF Training Command (May 1936 - May 1940, June 1968 - May 1975)
RAF Flying Training Command (May 1940 - June 1968)
HeadquartersGlasgow; Spitalgate; South Cerney; Leighton Buzzard; Church Fenton; Dishforth; Linton-on-Ouse[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC
Military unit

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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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;[1] it disbanded at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, on 2 May 1975.[1]

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.[6]

Headquarters

No. 23 Group had various Headquarters across its two active periods:[1]

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.[1]

Postwar Air Officers Commanding

  • 1945 (precise date unknown) - Air Vice-Marshal Frank Inglis[1]
  • 3 February 1947 - Air Vice Marshal Arthur Ledger
  • 20 February 1950 - Air Vice Marshal Lawrence ('Johnny') Darvall MC
  • September 1951[7] - 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)[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rafweb.org, Groups nos 20 - 29, accessed June 2020.
  2. ^ Ian Philpott (2005). The Royal Air Force: The Trenchard Years, 1918–1929. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 9781783409686. (no page number visible), drawing upon Air Ministry Weekly Order 354/1926.
  3. ^ Royal Air Force List 1938, page 152.
  4. ^ Leo Niehorster, No. 23 (Training) Group, Training Command, Royal Air Force, 3 September 1939, accessed June 2020.
  5. ^ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park
  6. ^ Keith Ansell, "RAF Support Command," Armed Forces, September 1982.
  7. ^ "Senior RAF appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ^ "J Gingell". www.rafweb.org.
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