No. 17 Group RAF

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No. 17 (Training) Group RAF
No. 17 Group RAF
Active1918–1919
1936–1945
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofRAF Coastal Command
EngagementsFirst World War
Second World War

No. 17 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which was operational during both the First and Second World Wars.

During the First World War, the Group was formed during April 1918 in No. 4 Area, it was transferred to North-Eastern Area on 8 May 1918 with Training being added to the name on 8 August 1918 and was disbanded on 18 October 1919.

Second World War[]

The group was reformed on 1 Dec 1936 as No. 17 (Training) Group in RAF Coastal Command.

Units 3 September 1939[]

No. 17 Group RAF (T), under command of Air Commodore T.E.B. Howe, CBE, AFC[1][2]
Squadron Type of aircraft Station
[3] various RAF Gosport
No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF[4] various RAF Gosport
[5] Avro Anson RAF Thorney Island
Seaplane Training Squadron RAF[6] various RAF Calshot

Units 1 November 1940[]

No. 17 Group RAF (T), under command of Air Commodore T.E.B. Howe, CBE, AFC[7]
Squadron Type of aircraft Station
[3] Bristol Beaufort RAF Abbotsinch
No. 2 Operational Training Unit Bristol Blenheim/Avro Anson RAF Catfoss
No. 3 Operational Training Unit various RAF Chivenor
[8] Bristol Blenheim RAF Detling
No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF[4] various RAF Gosport
No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF various RAF Silloth
[5] Blackburn Botha RAF Squires Gate
No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF Supermarine Stranraer RAF Calshot

The Flying Boat Training Squadron was formed on 2 January 1939 at RAF Calshot flying Supermarine Stranraers and Supermarine Scapas. It was disbanded and merged with the Seaplane Training Squadron to form No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit on 16 March 1941.[9]

By 12 February 1942 the group had come under the command of Air Commodore H.G. Smart, CBE, DFC, AFC.[10]

No. 131 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit formed in July 1942 at RAF Killadeas as part of No. 15 Group to train crews on the Consolidated Catalina.[11] Two years later it had shifted into No. 17 Group.

Units 6 June 1944[]

The following units were under its control:

  • No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (Shorts Sunderland flying boats)[12]
  • [12]
  • No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF[12]
  • No. 7 Operational Training Unit RAF[12]
  • [12]
  • No. 131 Operational Training Unit RAF, RAF Killadeas (Catalina flying boats)[12]
  • No. 132 Operational Training Unit RAF, RAF East Fortune[12] - formed in November 1942 as part of No. 17 Group to train long-range fighter and strike training using the Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufighter, and later, de Havilland Mosquito.[11]
  • No. 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF, RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland[12]
  • No. 17 Group Communication Flight RAF - formed August 1938 at Gosport and was disbanded on 18 September 1945 at RAF Turnhouse.[13]

The group disbanded on 1 September 1945.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Ashworth 1992, Appendix II
  2. ^ Delve 1994, p. 51.
  3. ^ a b Lake 1999, p. 282.
  4. ^ a b Lake 1999, pp. 29-30.
  5. ^ a b Lake 1999, p. 182.
  6. ^ Lake 1999, p. 183.
  7. ^ Ashworth 1992, Appendix III
  8. ^ Lake 1999, p. 48.
  9. ^ Lake 1999, p. 102.
  10. ^ Ashworth 1992, Appendix IV
  11. ^ a b Sturtivant 2007, pp. 198-206
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "No. 17 Group, RAF, 6 June 1944". Orders of Battle. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  13. ^ Lake 1999, p. 121, 122.

References[]

  • Ashworth, Chris. RAF Coastal Command: 1936–1969. Patrick Stephens Ltd. 1992. ISBN 1-85260-345-3
  • Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

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