| No. 38 Group RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1943–1951, 1960–1983, 1992–2000 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Group Headquarters |
| Role | Troop carrying |
| Part of |
RAF Fighter Command RAF Transport Command RAF Strike Command |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire, England |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Par Nobile Fratrum (Translation: "A noble pair of brothers") |
| Royal Air Force Ensign |
 |
| Insignia | |
| Group Badge heraldry | An eagle's leg grasping a sword |
No 38 Group RAF was formed on 6 November 1943 from nine squadrons as part of Fighter Command. It was finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.
History[]
The predecessor of 38 Group was 38 Wing, initially formed on 15 January 1942 from 296 and 297 Squadrons and based at RAF Netheravon in Wiltshire under Group Captain Sir Nigel Norman. 295 Squadron was additionally formed at Netheravon on 3 August 1942. To these were added 570, 298, 299, 190, 196, 620 Squadrons to form No. 38 (Airborne Force) Group on 11 October 1943. At that time four squadrons were equipped with Albemarles (295, 296, 297, 570), one with Halifaxes (298) and four with Stirlings (299, 190, 196, 620). A further Halifax unit, 644 Squadron, was added in February 1944.
During 1943, changes of all aircraft types and operational bases were made. Nevertheless 295, 296 and 297 Squadrons were heavily involved that year in operations Beggar, Ladbroke and Fustian, during the invasion of Sicily. From February 1944 many sorties were made over mainland Europe in support of Special Operations Executive and detachments of the Special Air Service.
But by 5 June 1944 the group’s updated resources had been fully redeployed between RAF Brize Norton, RAF Fairford, RAF Harwell, RAF Keevil and RAF Tarrant Rushton in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe. From then to 16 June the Group was fully involved in operations Tonga (the delivery of paratroop-filled gliders at the onset of Overlord) and Mallard (the delivery of the main airborne forces and their equipment by glider).
In September 1944 the group was called upon to ferry airborne troops for Operation Market Garden, the abortive attempt to capture the Rhine bridge at Arnhem. Following that operation there was further reorganisation; the Group Headquarters moved to Marks Hall, Essex in October 1944 and the squadrons were redeployed to RAF Earls Colne (296 and 297), RAF Rivenhall (295 and 570), RAF Great Dunmow (190 and 620), RAF Wethersfield (later to RAF Shepherds Grove) (196 and 299) and RAF Woodbridge (298 and 644). 190 Squadron remained temporarily at RAF Fairford. On 10 March 1945 161 Squadron at RAF Tempsford also came under 38 Group control.
On 24 March 1945 the squadrons were fully employed in delivering airborne troops to the far bank of the Rhine as part of Operation Varsity, an operation which proved costly in terms of aircrew lives lost.
After the war most 38 Group squadrons were either disbanded or relocated to the Far East and the HQ moved to RAF Upavon. 295 and 297 Squadrons merged and moved to Fairford. 38 Group became part of RAF Transport Command on 1 June 1945 and was twice temporarily disbanded (1 Feb 1951 – 31 Dec 1959) and (18 Nov 1983 – 31 Oct 1992) before being finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.
Orders of Battle[]
1944[]
| Station | Squadron | Aircraft | No Operational |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Brize Norton | 296 297 |
Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle |
37 36 |
| RAF Fairford | 190 620 |
Short Stirling Short Stirling |
33 30 |
| RAF Harwell | 295 570 |
Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle |
34 36 |
| RAF Keevil | 196 299 |
Short Stirling Short Stirling |
36 35 |
| RAF Tarrant Rushton | 298 644 |
Handley Page Halifax Handley-Page Halifax |
30 21 |
1945[]
| Station | Squadron | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| RAF Earls Colne | 296 297 |
Handley Page Halifax Handley-Page Halifax |
| RAF Great Dunmow | 190 620 |
Handley Page Halifax Handley-Page Halifax |
| RAF Rivenhall | 295 570 |
Short Stirling Short Stirling |
| RAF Shepherds Grove | 196 299 |
Short Stirling Short Stirling |
| RAF Tarrant Rushton | 298 644 |
Handley Page Halifax Handley-Page Halifax |
1962[]
| Station | Squadron | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| RAF Abingdon | 47 53 |
Blackburn Beverley Blackburn Beverley |
| RAF Aldergrove | 118 | Bristol Sycamore |
| RAF Colerne | 24 36 |
Handley Page Hastings Handley Page Hastings |
| RAF Odiham | 66 72 225 230 |
Bristol Belvedere Bristol Belvedere Bristol Sycamore/Westland Whirlwind Scottish Aviation Pioneer |
| RAF Waterbeach | 1 54 64 |
Hawker Hunter Hawker Hunter Gloster Javelin |
1982[]
| Station | Squadron | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| RAF Aldergrove | 72 | Westland Wessex |
| Ladyville, Belize | 1417 Flt. | Hawker Siddeley Harrier |
| RAF Brize Norton | 10 115 |
Vickers VC10 Hawker Siddeley Andover |
| RAF Coltishall | 6 41 54 |
SEPECAT Jaguar SEPECAT Jaguar SEPECAT Jaguar |
| RAF Lyneham | 24 30 47 70 |
Lockheed C-130 Hercules Lockheed C-130 Hercules Lockheed C-130 Hercules Lockheed C-130 Hercules |
| RAF Northolt | 32 207 |
Hawker Siddeley Andover/Westland Gazelle/British Aerospace BAe 125/Westland Whirlwind de Havilland Devon |
| RAF Odiham | 18 33 |
Boeing Chinook Westland Puma |
| RAF Wittering | 1 | Hawker Siddeley Harrier |
Commanding officers[]
38 Wing[]
| Date | Name |
|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1942 | Air Commodore Sir Nigel Norman (Killed on duty 19 May 1943) |
| May 1943 | Air Commodore William H Primrose |
| 6 Oct 1943 | Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Norman Hollinghurst |
38 Group[]
| Date | Name |
|---|---|
| 11 Oct 1943 | Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Norman Hollinghurst |
| 18 Oct 1944 | Air Vice-Marshal James Scarlett-Streatfield |
| 31 Jul 1945 | Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman |
| 1946–1948 | Air Vice-Marshal Arthur L Fiddament |
| 17 Jan 1948 | Air Vice-Marshal Alfred C H Sharp |
| 25 Jan 1950 | Air Vice-Marshal Edgar J Kingston-McClaughry |
| 1 Jan 1960 | Air Vice-Marshal Peter Wykeham |
| 27 Jul 1962 | Air Vice-Marshal Tim W Piper |
| 1 Jan 1965 | Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Mavor |
| 1 Mar 1966 | Air Vice-Marshal Peter C Fletcher |
| 1 Aug 1967 | Air Vice-Marshal Harold Brownlow Martin |
| 24 Jun 1970 | Air Vice-Marshal Denis Crowley-Milling |
| 21 Feb 1972 | Air Vice-Marshal Frederick S Hazlewood |
| 2 Nov 1974 | Air Vice-Marshal Peter G K Williamson |
| 10 Dec 1977 | Air Vice-Marshal Joseph A Gilbert |
| 27 Feb 1980 | Air Vice-Marshal Donald P Hall |
| 1984–1985 | Air Vice-Marshal David Parry-Evans |
| 15 Jan 1993 | Air Vice-Marshal J A G May |
| 1994 | Air Vice-Marshal David Cousins |
| 21 Apr 1995 | Air Vice-Marshal David A Hurrell |
| 30 Jan 1998 | Air Vice-Marshal Philip Sturley |
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
Bibliography[]
- Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
External links[]
- Group history on 38 Group website
- Arnhem forces
- No. 38 group on RAFWb's Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation
- Complete order of Battle No. 38 Group, 06-06-1944, including servicing echolons, OTUs, HCU, etc.
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The original article can be found at No. 38 Group RAF and the edit history here.