No. 15 Group RAF

No. 15 Group RAF
Active	1918–1919 1939–1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Group Headquarters
Role	Defence of the Western Approaches
Part of	RAF Coastal Command
Motto(s)	Dion's Buail (Gaelic: "Protect and Attack")[1]

No. 15 Group was a group in the British Royal Air Force operational in the last year of World War I, and throughout World War II.

World War I

No. 15 Group was first formed on 1 April 1918 as No. 15 (Equipment) Group in the No. 3 Area, which became the Midland Area on 8 May 1918.^[2] It was disbanded, and then reformed on 27 September 1918 as No. 15 (Aegean) Group to control 62 and 63 Wings, until finally disbanded on 1 September 1919.^[1]

World War II

The unit was reformed on 15 March 1939 as No. 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group as part of RAF Coastal Command.^[1] It comprised RAF Squadrons with attached Naval Air Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm operating under RAF control. 15 Group was originally headquartered at Plymouth, with its squadrons flying patrols from bases in Cornwall, principally St Eval, until mid-1941. Its headquarters then transferred to Stranraer, with its squadrons flying from bases in Northern Ireland and western Scotland, to provide support and convoy escorts in the Western Approaches.^[3] It was disbanded on 1 August 1945.^[1]

Squadrons

The following squadrons served as part of 15 Group for some time during World War II:

No. 48 Squadron RAF No. 53 Squadron RAF No. 59 Squadron RAF No. 120 Squadron RAF No. 143 Squadron RAF No. 201 Squadron RAF No. 204 Squadron RAF No. 206 Squadron RAF No. 209 Squadron RAF No. 210 Squadron RAF No. 217 Squadron RAF No. 220 Squadron RAF No. 228 Squadron RAF

No. 236 Squadron RAF No. 240 Squadron RAF No. 246 Squadron RAF No. 281 Squadron RAF No. 321 (Dutch) Squadron RAF No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF No. 518 Squadron RAF No. 1402 (Meteorological) Flight RAF No. 10 Squadron RAAF No. 407 (Demon) Squadron RCAF No. 422 Squadron RCAF No. 423 Squadron RCAF

A number of Fleet Air Arm squadrons were also attached to 15 Group, usually on a short-term basis:^[3]

829 Naval Air Squadron 812 Naval Air Squadron 816 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron 890 Naval Air Squadron

811 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron 838 Naval Air Squadron 842 Naval Air Squadron

Commanding officers

• June 1939 – February 1941 : Air Commodore Rey Griffith Parry^[1]
• February 1941 – April 1942 : Air Vice-Marshal James Robb^[1]
• April 1942 – November 1942 : Air Vice-Marshal Douglas Colyer^[1]
• November 1942 – February 1943 : Air Vice-Marshal Thomas Langford-Sainsbury^[1]
• February 1943 – June 1945 : Air Vice-Marshal Leonard Slatter^[1]

References

1. Barrass, M. B. (2011). "A History of RAF Organisation : Groups 10–19". rafweb.org. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
2. Barrass, M. B. (2012). "Home Commands 1918–1920". rafweb.org. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
3. "Fleet Air Arm squadrons loaned to RAF Coastal Command 1939–1945". fleetairarmarchive.net. 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2012.