No. 70 Group (Army Co-Operation Training) RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force existing from November 1940 to July 1945. It was split from No. 22 Group RAF, Fighter Command, on 25 November 1940 to handle the increasing responsibility of training RAF units for army co-operation duties.
History
The Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment was initially placed under the command of HQ No. 70 Group circa 1942.
In June 1944 it was made up of 285, 286, 287, 288, 289 and 290 Squadrons; 291 (Hutton Cranswick, Yorks); 567 (RAF Detling, Kent), 577 (Castle Bromwich Aerodrome), 587 (RAF Culmhead, Somerset), 595 (RAF Aberporth, Ceredigion), 598 (RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire), 631, 639, 650, 667, 679, and 691 Squadrons; two separate flights, No. 43 Operational Training Unit RAF, which had been formed in October 1942 at RAF Larkhill to train army co-operation air observers for deployment on the Auster;Sturtivant 2007, pp. 198-206 the Pilotless Aircraft Unit, Nos 3505-3508 Servicing Units; four airfield care & maintenance parties, including at RAF Ramsbury and Castle Bromwich; the School of Army Co-operation at RAF Old Sarum, and No. 13 Armament Practice Camp.Dr Leo Niehorster, No. 70 Group, RAF, Allied Order of Battle, Operation Neptune, 6 June 1944, accessed September 2020.
It was transferred to the Air Defence of Great Britain on 1 June 1943, which was later retitled back to Fighter Command in October 1944. The group was disbanded, soon after the end of the war in Europe, on 17 July 1945.
Air Officer Commanding
Note: The ranks shown are the ranks held at the time of the appointment of Air Officer Commanding, No. 70 Group Royal Air Force. +No. 70 Group commanding officers RanknamefromAir CommodoreJohn Cole-Hamilton1 December 1940Air CommodoreCedric Ernest Victor Porter21 November 1941Group CaptainH R McL Reid (SASO/Acting AOC)1 December 1940Air CommodoreHerbert Bainbrigge Russell12 July 1943
References Citations
Bibliography Sturtivant, Ray and Hamlin, John. 2007. RAF Flying Training and Support Units. Air-Britain