No. 17 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which was operational in the last year of the First World War, and throughout the Second World War.
History
First World War
During the First World War, No. 17 Group was formed at the start of April 1918, within No. 4 Area. It was transferred to North-Eastern Area on 8 May 1918, with Training being added to the name on 8 August 1918. On 1 October 1919, No. 20 Group was absorbed into No. 17 Group, but just over two weeks later the group was disbanded, on 18 October 1919.
Second World War
It reformed on 1 December 1936 as No. 17 (Training) Group within RAF Coastal Command, at Wykeham Hall, Lee-on-Solent. The group was responsible for all the training units allocated to RAF Coastal Command. The HQ remained at Wykeham Hall for one year before moving to RAF Lee-on-Solent on 1 December 1937. Just over twelve months later the HQ moved again, and on 24 February 1939 it relocated to Fort Grange, one of the Palmerston Forts, in Gosport. Then on 5 February 1942 HQ moved north to Scotland, relocating to the Mackenzie Hotel, in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. Following the end of the Second World War it disbanded on 1 September 1945, and all No. 17 Group RAF units were transferred over to No. 18 Group RAF.
Structure and units
The following training units served as part of No. 17 Group for some time during the Second World War. RAF Coastal Command - Listed as Order of Battle on specific dates during the Second World War:
The Seaplane Training Squadron had formed on 1 October 1931 at RAF Calshot by redesignating the Seaplane Training Flight, and the Torpedo Training Unit had formed out of 'A' Torpedo Training Flight during February 1936 at RAF Gosport. During February 1937, No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit was formed by the merging of No. 1 Gunnery Co-operation Flight and 'A' Flight School of Naval Co-operation. The School of General Reconnaissance was formed during April 1938 at RAF Thorney Island. In June 1939 the Torpedo Development Unit was formed at RAF Gosport by redesignating the Torpedo Development Unit of the Torpedo Development Section with RAF Gosport.
Around the beginning of the Second World War, No. 17 Group was made up of a handful of units across a small number of bases.
Structure in Autumn 1939 No. 17 Group RAF (T), Air Officer Commanding: Air Commodore T.E.B. Howe, CBE, AFC Group Headquarters: Fort Grange located in Gosport RAF Gosport Torpedo Training Unit RAF operated with various aircraft. Torpedo Development Unit RAF operated with various aircraft. No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF operated with various aircraft. RAF Calshot Seaplane Training Squadron RAF operated with various aircraft. RAF Silloth School of General Reconnaissance RAF operated with Avro Anson multi-role aircraft. Coastal Command Landplane Pilots School RAF operated with various aircraft.
On 1 June 1937 No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Unit had formed at RAF Gosport by redesignating the Coast Artillery Co-operation Flight. Initially in No. 16 Group, by May 1941 the unit had been transferred into No. 17 Group.
The School of General Reconnaissance was redesignated No. 1 School of General Reconnaissance from 19 June 1940 at RAF Hooton Park, but around six months later the school was disbanded on 30 September at RAF Squires Gate. However, in December 1940, No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance formed at RAF Squires Gate, by redesignating an element of the existing No. 2 School of General Reconnaissance. Its primary aircraft operated was the Blackburn Botha, a British four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber.
Between April 1940 and March 1941, No. 17 Group had four Operational Training Units formed, each with (Coastal) in their title, to provide aircrew training, with each unit having a specific focus such as landplane aircraft, twin engine types, flying boat, or for a specific aircraft type. Formed on 1 April 1940, at RAF Silloth, by redesignating the Coastal Command Landplane Pilots School, No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit initially specifically trained aircrews for RAF Coastal Command landplanes. This was followed by No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, which was formed on 1 October 1940 at RAF Catfoss. Its role was training strike and twin-engined fighter aircrew and for this it was initially equipped with Bristol Blenheim, a British light bomber aircraft and Avro Anson a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Almost two months afterwards No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was formed at RAF Chivenor on 27 November 1940. It was initially tasked with training aircrew for Avro Anson, from No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. The Flying Boat Training Squadron was formed on 2 January 1939 at RAF Calshot. It operated Supermarine Stranraer I, a British biplane flying boat, Supermarine Scapa I, a British general reconnaissance flying boat, and Short Singapore III, a British multi-engined biplane flying boat. It was disbanded and then merged with the Seaplane Training Squadron to become No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, on 16 March 1941. Its role was to train flying boat aircrew for RAF Coastal Command.
Around eighteen months of Britain into the Second World War and No. 17 Group had expanded to around ten units across nine Royal Air Force stations.
Structure in Spring 1941 No. 17 Group RAF (T), Air Officer Commanding: Air Commodore T.E.B. Howe, CBE, AFC Group Headquarters Fort Grange located in Gosport RAF Abbotsinch Torpedo Training Unit RAF operated with Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber RAF Catfoss No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF aircrew training for Bristol Blenheim light bomber and used Avro Anson multi-role aircraft RAF Chivenor No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF aircrew training for twin engine aircraft with various aircraft RAF Detling No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Unit RAF operated with Bristol Blenheim light bomber RAF Gosport Torpedo Development Unit RAF operated with various aircraft No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF operated with various aircraft RAF Greenock Maintenance Unit for Flying Boats RAF Silloth No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated with various aircraft RAF Squires Gate No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance RAF operated with Blackburn Botha reconnaissance and torpedo bomber RAF Stranraer No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated with various aircraft
During 1941 Air Commodore A.W. Mylne took command of No. 17 Group,Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Commodore A W Mylne with Air Commodore T.E.B. Howe retiring.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Commodore T E B Howe Then on 17 November 1941, Air Commodore H. G. Smart, CBE, DFC, AFC, was appointed Air Officer Commanding of No. 17 Group.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice-Marshal H G Smart Air Commodore Mylne moved to HQ Balloon Command.
No. 6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit reformed, in No 17 Group, during July 1941 but was now located at RAF Thornaby. Initially equipped with Lockheed Hudson, an American light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft, the units task was to provide aircrew training in general reconnaissance. Then on 29 July 1941, the aircrew training provided by No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit for Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a British medium bomber aircraft, and Vickers Wellington, a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber aircraft, moved to RAF Cranwell, as a lodger unit there. No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit reformed at RAF Chivenor on 1 August 1941, also within No. 17 Group, taking over the Bristol Beaufort aircrew training section from No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. Along with Bristol Beaufort, the unit also operated with Avro Anson and Airspeed Oxford, a British twin-engine monoplane trainer aircraft. January 1942 saw the formation of No. 1441 (Combined Operations Development) Flight at RAF Abbotsinch, under No. 17 Group, equipped with various aircraft types.
On 5 February 1942 No. 17 Group HQ moved north to Scotland, relocating from Gosport to Edinburgh, it was situated at the Mackenzie Hotel, and by late spring in 1942, the group used nine Royal Air Force stations and operated with eleven units.
Structure in Spring 1942 No. 17 Group RAF (T), Air Officer Commanding: Air Commodore H. G. Smart, CBE, DFC, AFC, Group Headquarters Mackenzie Hotel located in Edinburgh RAF Abbotsinch Torpedo Training Unit RAF operated with Bristol Beaufighter multi-role aircraft No. 1441 (Combined Operations Development) Flight RAF operated with Westland Lysander army co-operation and liaison aircraft and Avro Anson multi-role aircraft RAF Catfoss No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF aircrew training for Bristol Blenheim light bomber and Bristol Beaufighter multi-role aircraft RAF Chivenor No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF aircrew training for Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber, operated with various aircraft RAF Cranwell No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF aircrew training for twin engine aircraft with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley medium bomber and Vickers Wellington long-range medium bomber RAF Gosport Torpedo Development Unit RAF operated with various aircraft. No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF operated with various aircraft RAF Invergordon No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated with various flying boat and amphibious aircraft. RAF Silloth No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF RAF Coastal Command landplane aircrew training with various aircraft RAF Squires Gate No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance RAF operated with Blackburn Botha reconnaissance and torpedo bomber RAF Thornaby No. 6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated with Lockheed Hudson light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft
The Torpedo Training Unit remained at RAF Abbotsinch until November 1942, when it then moved to RAF Turnberry, and was shortly afterwards redesignated as No. 1 Torpedo Training Unit, from 1 January 1943. A second training unit for the use of torpedo bomber aircraft was established when No. 2 Torpedo Training Unit was formed within No. 17 Group, on 19 December 1942 at RAF Castle Kennedy.
Consolidated pilot training in photographic reconnaissance was needed within RAF Coastal Command and No 8 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was formed at RAF Fraserburgh on 18 May 1942, within No 17 Group, by merging 'K' (Photographic Reconnaissance Advanced Training) Flight of No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF and the Photographic Reconnaissance Conversion Flight of No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance, it was tasked with training Supermarine Spitfire pilots in Photographic Reconnaissance. The unit then moved to RAF Dyce in early 1943, relocating from RAF Fraserburgh, and as well as Supermarine Spitfire aircraft, it also operated de Havilland Mosquito, a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, and various other aircraft types, in photographic reconnaissance instruction. No. 9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF was formed in June 1942 at RAF Aldergrove, and its role was to train up long range fighter aircrew. It was initially equipped with Bristol Beaufighter, a British multi-role aircraft, Bristol Beaufort, a British twin-engined torpedo bomber, and Airspeed Oxford, a twin-engine monoplane trainer aircraft. The training unit relocated to RAF Crosby-on-Eden in September 1942.