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No. 38 Group RAF

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No. 38 Group RAF
No. 38 Group badge
Active6 November 1943 – 31 January 1951
1 January 1960 – 18 November 1983
31 October 1992 – 1 April 2000
1 July 2014 – 31 December 2020
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeRoyal Air Force group
Part ofRAF Transport Command
RAF Air Support Command
RAF Strike Command
RAF Air Command
Motto(s)Par Nobile Fratrum (Latin for 'A noble pair of brothers')[1]
Insignia
Group badge heraldryAn eagle's leg grasping a sword

No. 38 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which disbanded on 31 December 2020. It was formed on 6 November 1943 from the former 38 Wing with nine squadrons as part of RAF Transport Command. It was disbanded on 31 January 1951, but re-formed on 1 January 1960, became part of RAF Air Support Command in 1967 and then, in 1972, the air support group within RAF Strike Command. It was temporarily disbanded from 18 Nov 1983 to 31 Oct 1992 and from 1 April 2000 to 1 July 2014. It subsequently became part of RAF Air Command, bringing together the Royal Air Force’s Engineering, Logistics, Communications and Medical Operations units.[2] Air Officer Commanding No. 38 Group was also responsible for UK-based United States Visiting Forces (USVF) units and for RAF personnel attached to other global armed forces.[3]

History

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The predecessor of 38 Group was No. 38 Wing RAF, 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 Group on 11 October 1943. At that time four squadrons were equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Albemarles (295, 296, 297, 570), one with Handley Page Halifaxes (298) and four with Short 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.

In 1972, Headquarters 38 Group moved from RAF Odiham, Hants, where it had been since 1960, to RAF Benson, Oxon.[4] Also that year, on 1 July 1972, it became part of the new RAF Strike Command. No. 46 Group RAF was merged into 38 Group on 1 January 1976.[5] On 17 November 1983, 38 Group was subsumed within Headquarters No. 1 Group RAF at RAF Upavon in Wiltshire.[6]

38 Group was again active during the 1990s from 1 November 1992[7] to 2000.

From 2014, the reformed group had units at RAF Wittering, RAF Brize Norton, RAF High Wycombe and RAF Leeming. The reformed group now includes RAF A4 Force Elements (deployable engineering and logistic units), Tactical Medical Wing at Brize Norton, and Tactical Communications Wing RAF at RAF Leeming.[citation needed] On 1 April 2015 38 Group assumed responsibility for the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) with its three teams at RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Leeming and RAF Valley where it is co-located with the MRS Headquarters.

38 Group was disbanded on 31 December 2020, with the units under its command dispersed to other groups and areas of the RAF, including the newly formed integrated Support Force.[8]

Orders of battle

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1944

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Order of battle for No. 38 Group RAF, 6 June 1944[9]
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

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Order of battle for No. 38 Group RAF, July 1945[10]
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

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Order of battle for No. 38 Group RAF, April 1962[11]
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

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Order of battle for No. 38 Group RAF, January 1982[12]
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 125/Westland Whirlwind
de Havilland Devon
RAF Odiham 18
33 		Boeing Chinook
Westland Puma
RAF Wittering 1 Hawker Siddeley Harrier

2016

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Order of Battle for No. 38 Group RAF, December 2016

Formation Unit Sub-unit Role Location
RAF Wittering Operations Wing Aerodrome Management Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire
Support Wing Service Support
RAF A4 Force Elements[13] No 1 Air Mobility Wing Operations Squadron Movements RAF Brize Norton
Air Movements Squadron
UK Mobile Air Movements Squadron
No 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing No 71 (Inspection and Repair) Squadron Aircraft engineering RAF Wittering
No 93 (Expeditionary Armaments) Squadron Weapons engineering RAF Marham
No 5001 Squadron Ground engineering RAF Wittering
No. 5131 (Bomb Disposal) Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal RAF Wittering
No. 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing No 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron Supply RAF Wittering
No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron Transport RAF Wittering
No 3 Mobile Catering Squadron Catering and accommodation management RAF Wittering
No 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Logistics RAF Brize Norton
No 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Wittering
No 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Cosford
RAF Mountain Rescue Service RAF Valley; RAF Leeming; RAF Lossiemouth
Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron MOD Boscombe Down
No 4624 (County of Oxford) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Movements RAF Brize Norton
RAF Music Services[14] The Central Band of the Royal Air Force Ceremonial RAF Northolt
The Band of the RAF Regiment
The RAF Salon Orchestra
The Band of the Royal Air Force College RAF College Cranwell
The Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
RAF High Wycombe Support to collocated headquarters Buckinghamshire
No. 90 Signals Unit Tactical Communications Wing No 2 Field Communications Squadron Communications RAF Leeming
No 3 Field Communications Squadron
No 4 Field Communications Squadron
Operational Information Services Wing No 1 (Engineering Support) Squadron 
No 5 (Information Services) Squadron
Capability and Innovation Squadron
RAF Medical Operations RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine[15] Medical Support RAF Henlow
Tactical Medical Wing[16] Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Medical Support RAF Brize Norton
Operations Squadron
Capability and Sustainment Squadron
Training Squadron
No 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Air Transportable Surgical Leuchars Station
No 4626 (County of Wiltshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation RAF Brize Norton

Commanding officers

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38 Wing

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Commanding officers no. 38 Wing RAF[17]
Date Name
19 January 1942 Air Commodore Sir Nigel Norman (Killed on duty 19 May 1943)
29 April 1943 Air Commodore William H Primrose

38 Group

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Commanding officers no. 38 Group RAF[18]
Date Name
6 November 1943 Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Norman Hollinghurst
18 October 1944 Air Vice-Marshal James Rowland Scarlett-Streatfield
1 June 1945 Air Commodore Noel Christie Singer
1 August 1945 Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman
5 November 1946 Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Leonard Fiddament
17 January 1949 Air Vice-Marshal Alfred Charles Henry Sharp
25 January 1950 Air Vice-Marshal Edgar James Kingston-McClaughry
1 January 1960 Air Vice-Marshal Peter Wykeham
27 July 1962 Air Vice-Marshal T W Piper
1 January 1965 Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Mavor
1 March 1966 Air Vice-Marshal Peter C Fletcher
1 August 1967 Air Vice-Marshal Harold Brownlow Martin
24 June 1970 Air Vice-Marshal Denis Crowley-Milling
21 February 1972 Air Vice-Marshal Frederick S Hazlewood
2 November 1974 Air Vice-Marshal Peter G K Williamson
10 December 1977 Air Vice-Marshal Joseph A Gilbert
27 February 1980 Air Vice-Marshal Donald P Hall
1984–1985 Air Vice-Marshal David Parry-Evans
15 January 1993 Air Vice-Marshal J A G May
1994 Air Vice-Marshal David Cousins
21 April 1995 Air Vice-Marshal David A Hurrell
30 January 1998 Air Vice-Marshal Philip Sturley
2 July 2014 Air Vice-Marshal Tim Bishop [2]
16 June 2016 Air Vice-Marshal Susan C Gray[19]
December 2018 Air Vice-Marshal Simon D Ellard [20]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 166. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ a b RAF 38 Group Reforming Parade 2 July 14
  3. ^ About RAF 38 Group
  4. ^ Flight International 27 April 1972
  5. ^ Barrass, M. B. (2015). "Groups 30–48". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  6. ^ Horseman, Martin, ed. (January 1983). "RAF Groups HQ to Merge". Armed Forces. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 7. ISSN 0142-4696.
  7. ^ March 1993, p. 87.
  8. ^ "Royal Air Force Disbands Historical D-Day Group". Royal Air Force. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  9. ^ Operation Neptune Order of Battle
  10. ^ Delve 1994, p. 81.
  11. ^ Delve 1994, p. 88-89.
  12. ^ Delve 1994, p. 91.
  13. ^ here, RAF Details. "RAF - A4 Force". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  14. ^ here, RAF Details. "RAF - About us". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Centre for Aviation Medicine".
  16. ^ here, RAF Details. "RAF - Tactical Medical Wing". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  17. ^ "Air Officers Commanding No.38 Wing & No.38 Group". Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  18. ^ https://raf38group.org/air-officers-commanding-no-38-wing-no-38-group/ Officers Commanding RAF 38 Group until 1950.
  19. ^ "RAF - Senior Appointments". Archived from the original on 29 September 2014.
  20. ^ "Senior Appointments | Royal Air Force". Archived from the original on 22 April 2018.

Bibliography

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  • Delve, K. (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • March, P. (1993). Royal Air Force Yearbook 1993. Fairford, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
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