| No. 6 Group RCAF | |
|---|---|
 Memorial to 6 Group RCAF squadrons near RAF Croft. The memorial text says "In memory of and to honour those who served at Croft during World War II. Dedicated by the members of 431 Iroquois and 434 Bluenose R.C.A.F Squadrons. 6 Group Bomber Command. 26 September 1987. | |
| Active | 25 Oct 1942–31 Aug 1945 |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Role | Strategic and tactical bombing |
| Size | 14 squadrons at peak strength |
| Part of | RAF Bomber Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Allerton Park, Yorkshire |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Sollertia et ingenium (Translation: "Initiative and skill")[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Air Vice-Marshal G.E. Brookes, Air Vice-Marshal C.M. McEwen |
| Insignia | |
| Group badge heraldry | A maple leaf superimposed on a York rose[1] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber |
Vickers Wellington Short Stirling Handley Page Halifax Avro Lancaster |
| Trainer |
British Aircraft Eagle Foster Wikner Wicko Airspeed Oxford |
No. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active in the RAF in 1918, from 1924 to 1926, and from 1936 to 1939.[2] Before the war, 6 Group was an RAF training group; at the beginning of the war, the group was non-operational.[3]
Formation[]
Canadian bomber squadrons began participating in the war effort in 1941 and were attached to RAF Bomber Command groups. Canada, however, wanted its own identifiable presence in Allied air operations overseas, and it did not want its air force to be merely a source of manpower for the Royal Air Force. To this end, 6 (RCAF) Group was formed on 25 October 1942[4] with eight squadrons. At the peak of its strength, 6 Group consisted of 14 squadrons.[5] Fifteen squadrons would eventually serve with the group, which was almost every RCAF heavy bomber squadron.[5][6] Headquarters for 6 Group was at Allerton Park near Knaresborough and Harrogate in North Yorkshire.
| Base | Squadron | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Croft | No. 420 Squadron RCAF No. 427 Squadron RCAF 1535 BATF |
Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington Airspeed Oxford |
Mk.III Mks.III, X |
| RAF Dishforth | No. 424 Squadron RCAF No. 425 Squadron RCAF No. 426 Squadron RCAF No. 428 Squadron RCAF No 1659 (Canadian) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF 1512 BATF |
Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington Handley Page Halifax Airspeed Oxford |
Mks.III, X Mks.III, X Mks.III, X Mks.III, X Mks.I, II |
| RAF Leeming | No. 420 Squadron RCAF | Handley Page Halifax | Mk.II |
| RAF Middleton St. George | No. 419 Squadron RCAF | Handley Page Halifax | Mk.II |
| RAF Skipton-on-Swale | No. 408 Squadron RCAF | Handley Page Halifax | Mk.II |
| RAF Topcliffe | Group Communications Flight (GCF) | British Aircraft Eagle Foster Wikner Wicko |
Operations[]
Aircrew and groundcrew of a No. 428 Squadron RCAF Lancaster bomber
Significant operations involving 6 Group included raids on U-boat bases in Lorient and Saint-Nazaire, France and night bombing raids on industrial complexes and urban centres in Germany.
No. 6 Group flew 40,822 operational sorties.[4] A total of 814 aircraft[4] and approximately 5,700 airmen did not return from operations and 4,203 [10] airmen lost their lives.
Bases[]
No. 6 Group was mainly formed from 4 Group, which was based primarily in Yorkshire. Once split, most of 6 group`s airfields were north of York and most of 4 Group`s were south and east of the city.[11] Like most other groups within RAF Bomber Command, the "base" system was used for station organization.[12] A base consisted of a main base station, or headquarters, and a number of sub-stations. No. 6 Group consisted of four bases which were made up of 11 stations. Late in 1943, Bomber Command bases were designated with a two-number identifier. The first number represented the group number, and the second number represented the base within that group. The first base within the group was the group's training base. No. 61 Base was therefore the training base for No. 6 Group. Each base was commanded by an Air Commodore and each station was commanded by a Group Captain.
| No. 61 Base | No. 62 (Beaver) Base[13] | No. 63 Base | No. 64 Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Topcliffe, Yorkshire (HQ) | RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire (HQ) | RAF Leeming, Yorkshire (HQ) | RAF Middleton St. George, County Durham (HQ) |
| RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire | RAF East Moor, Yorkshire | RAF Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire | RAF Croft, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Dalton, Yorkshire | RAF Tholthorpe, Yorkshire | ||
| RAF Wombleton, Yorkshire |
Operational squadrons[]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Moyes 1976, p. 344.
- ↑ "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation, Group No's 1 - 9." rafweb.org/Grp01. Retrieved: 19 February 2010.
- ↑ Dunmore 1991, p. 4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Moyes 1976, p. 346.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Millberry 1984, p. 166.
- ↑ Dunmore 1991, p. 375.
- ↑ Halley 1988, pp. 494–510.
- ↑ Delve 1994, p. 62.
- ↑ Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, pp. 97, 125–126.
- ↑ Bashow 2005, p. 458.
- ↑ Otter 1998, p. 15.
- ↑ "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Bomber Command Bases."rafweb.org/Grp01. Retrieved: 19 February 2010.
- ↑ Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 77.
Bibliography[]
- Bashow, David L. No Prouder Place: Canadians and the Bomber Command Experience 1939-1945. St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada: Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2005. ISBN 1-55125-098-5.
- Delve, Ken. The Sourcebook of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
- Dunmore, Spencer and William Carter. Reap the Whirlwind: The Untold Story of 6 Group, Canada's Bomber Force of World War II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: McLelland and Stewart Inc., 1991. ISBN 0-7710-2924-1.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Milberry, Larry, ed. Sixty Years - The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924 - 1984. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Canav Books, 1984. ISBN 0-9690703-4-9.
- Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London, UK: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (2nd edition 1976). ISBN 978-0-35401-027-6.
- Otter, Patrick. Yorkshire Airfields in the Second World War. Toronto:, Ontario, Canada: Hushion House, 1998. ISBN 1853065420.
- Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 978-0-85130-365-9.
External links[]
The original article can be found at No. 6 Group RCAF and the edit history here.