No. 21 Group RAF

No. 21 Group RAF (21 Gp) is a former Royal Air Force group that existed from April-July 1918; 1926-1934, a redesignation of No. 1 Group RAF; after which it was merged into Inland Area; and from 1938 to 1955.

History
First World War

No. 21 Group formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Montrose within No 5 Area, the following month, on 8 May, it transferred into the North-Western Area. Shortly after, on 1 July, the group disbanded into No. 20 Group RAF.

Interwar period

On 12 April 1926, it reformed as No. 21 (Training) Group, within Inland Area. The group HQ was at RAF West Drayton and it had the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment and Nos 15 and 22 Squadrons at RAF Martlesham Heath under its command. The group also had control over RAF stores, repair depots, and schools, however, it disbanded on 1 February 1934. It reformed at RAF Cranwell, within RAF Training Command, again designated No. 21 (Training) Group, on 1 December 1938.

Second World War

The group was transferred to RAF Flying Training Command on 27 May 1940, responsible for the RAF College and the Service Flying Training Schools from the Midlands northwards. The group HQ relocated to RAF Spitalgate on 28 July 1944.

Cold War

The group's headquarters moved to the former No. 5 Group's HQ, St Vincents Hall, in Grantham, on 7 March 1946 and the following year, on 1 May 1947, the Group absorbed No. 91 Group RAF, from RAF Bomber Command, taking over HQ for No. 91 Group, Morton Hall, Swinderby in Lincolnshire. On 24 June 1953 the Group absorbed No. 54 Group RAF, which had been reformed 22 months earlier within RAF Flying Training Command to control the Initial Training Wings and Grading Schools. No. 21 Group disbanded on 1 March 1955.

Structure
Orders of battle for No. 21 (Training) Group, at a given point in time, throughout its operational existence:

November 1939 HQ at RAF Cranwell


 * RAF Cranwell
 * RAF College
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 8 Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Grantham
 * No. 12 Flying Training School RAF


 * RAF Kinloss
 * No. 14 Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Lossiemouth
 * No. 15 Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Yatesbury
 * Radio Direction School

May 1941 HQ at RAF Cranwell


 * RAF Cranage
 * No. 2 School of Air Navigation RAF
 * RAF Cranwell
 * RAF College Flying Training School
 * No. 2 Central Flying School RAF
 * RAF Grantham
 * No. 12 Service Flying Training School RAF


 * RAF Hucknall
 * No. 1 (Polish) Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 8 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Shawbury
 * No. 11 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Ternhill
 * No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAF

April 1942 HQ at RAF Cranwell


 * RAF Cranage
 * No. 2 School of Air Navigation RAF
 * RAF Cranwell
 * RAF College Flying Training School
 * RAF Grantham
 * No. 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Hucknall
 * No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Leconfield
 * No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 8 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * No. 2 Flying Instructors School RAF


 * RAF Newton
 * No. 16 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Ossington
 * No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Shawbury
 * No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Ternhill
 * No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Watton
 * No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF

April 1943 HQ at RAF Cranwell


 * RAF Andover
 * No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Cranwell
 * RAF College Flying Training School
 * RAF Dalcross
 * No. 19 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Grantham
 * No. 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Hucknall
 * No. 25 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 2 Flying Instructors School RAF
 * RAF Newton
 * No. 1524 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF


 * RAF Ossington
 * No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Peterborough
 * No. 7 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Shawbury
 * No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Sherburn-in-Elmet
 * Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment
 * RAF Ternhill
 * No. 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Watton
 * No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF

July 1944 HQ at RAF Cranwell


 * RAF Banff
 * No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * No. 1511 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * No. 1542 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * RAF Calveley
 * No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Cranwell
 * No. 17 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Errol
 * No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Hucknall
 * No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 2 Flying Instructors School RAF
 * No. 1518 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * No. 1541 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * RAF Newton
 * No. 16 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * No. 1524 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF


 * RAF Shawbury
 * Central Navigation School RAF
 * No. 1534 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * RAF Sherburn-in-Elmet
 * Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment
 * RAF Spitalgate
 * No. 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * No. 1544 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * No. 1536 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * RAF Ternhill
 * No. 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Wheaton Aston
 * No. 21 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Bridleway Gate
 * No. 1511 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF

July 1945 HQ at RAF Spitalgate


 * RAF Cranwell
 * No. 19 Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Hucknall
 * No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Montrose
 * No. 1541 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
 * RAF Newton
 * No. 16 Service Flying Training School RAF


 * RAF Peterborough
 * No. 7 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Spitalgate
 * No. 17 Service Flying Training School RAF
 * RAF Ternhill
 * No. 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
 * RAF Wheaton Aston
 * No. 21 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF

April 1953 HQ at Morton Hall, Swinderby


 * RAF Bishops Court
 * No. 3 Air Navigation School RAF
 * RAF Hullavington
 * No. 1 Air Navigation School RAF
 * RAF Shawbury
 * Central Navigation and Control School RAF


 * RAF Swinderby
 * No. 201 Advanced Flying School RAF
 * RAF Thorney Island
 * No. 2 Air Navigation School RAF
 * RAF Lichfield
 * No. 6 Air Navigation School RAF

Headquarters
No. 21 Group had various headquarters across its three active periods:


 * RAF Montrose - during 1918
 * RAF West Drayton - reformed from April 1926 until 1934
 * RAF Cranwell - reformed from December 1938
 * RAF Spitalgate - from July 1944
 * St Vincents Hall, Grantham - from March 1946
 * Morton Hall, Swinderby - from May 1947

Air Officer Commanding

 * Note: The ranks shown are the ranks held at the time of holding the appointment of Air Officer Commanding, No. 21 Group Royal Air Force.