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No. 19 Group was a group of the Royal Air Force, active from 1918, and then from 1941-1969.

History

It was formed in April 1918 as No. 19 (Equipment) Group in York, but disbanded in June.

Second World War

It was reformed in early 1941 as No. 19 (General Reconnaissance) Group, Coastal Command, at Mount Wise, Plymouth. Among its squadrons during the war was No. 461 Squadron RAAF.

Its units in February 1942 included:

No. 19 Group RAF (GR), under command of Air Commodore G.R. Bromet, CBE, DSO[1]

Squadron	Aircraft	Station
No. 22 Squadron RAF	Bristol Beaufort	RAF St Eval
No. 86 Squadron RAF	Bristol Beaufort	RAF St Eval
No. 209 Squadron RAF	Consolidated Catalina	RAF Pembroke Dock
No. 217 Squadron RAF	Bristol Beaufort	RAF St Eval
No. 224 Squadron RAF	Lockheed Hudson	RAF St Eval
No. 254 Squadron RAF	Bristol Blenheim	RAF Carew Cheriton
No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF[2]	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley	RAF St Eval
No. 10 Squadron RAAF	Short Sunderland	RAF Mount Batten
No. 1404 (Meteorological) Flight RAF[3]	Lockheed Hudson	RAF St Eval
No. 1417 (Leigh Light Trials) Flight RAF[4]	Vickers Wellington	RAF Chivenor
No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF	Bristol Blenheim	RAF St Eval (B Flight)

Cold War

19 Group assets during October 1946:[5]

The group relocated to RAF Mount Batten in 1947.

In 1953, initial NATO documents instructing Admiral Creasey, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic Area (CINCEASTLANT), wrote that Air Vice Marshal Thomas Traill, CB, OBE, DFC, Royal Air Force, Air Officer Commanding No. 19 Group RAF, had been appointed as Air Commander North-East Atlantic Sub-Area.[6]

19 Group assets during July 1954:[7]

Before it became HQ Southern Maritime Air Region in November 1969,[8] its last commander appears to have been Air Vice-Marshal Cresswell Clementi.

Air Officer Commanding No. 19 Group RAF

Air Officers Commanding of No. 19 Group:[9]

• 1941–1942: Air Commodore G. H. Boyce
• 1942–1943: Air Vice-Marshal G. R. Bromet
• 1943–1944: Air Vice-Marshal B. E. Baker
• 1944–1945: Air Vice-Marshal F. H. M. Maynard
• 1945–1947: Air Vice-Marshal C. B. S. Spackman
• 1947–1950: Air Vice-Marshal F. L. Hopps
• 1950–1952: Air Vice-Marshal G. R. C. Spencer
• 1952–1954: Air Vice-Marshal T. C. Traill
• 1954–1956: Air Vice-Marshal G. W. Tuttle
• 1956–1959: Air Vice-Marshal G. I. L. Save
• 1959–1962: Air Vice-Marshal L. W. C. Bower
• 1962–1964: Air Vice-Marshal S. W. R. Hughes
• 1964–1967: Air Vice-Marshal J. Barraclough
• 1967–1968: Air Vice-Marshal J. H. Lapsley
• 1968–1969: Air Vice-Marshal C. M. Clementi

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Rawlings, J D R (1985). The History of the Royal Air Force. Feltham Middlesex, UK: Temple Press.

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