No. 20 Group RAF (20 Gp) is a former Royal Air Force group which disbanded on 1 August 1943. It initially existed between 1918 and 1919, and then again between 1939 and 1943.
History
First World War
No. 20 Group formed on 1 April 1918 within No. 5 Area, in Edinburgh on 1 April 1918. On 8 May 1918, No. 5 Area was redesignated North-Western Area. It absorbed No. 21 Group on 1 July, and was then redesignated as No. 20 (Training) Group on 8 August. On 1 October 1919, No. 20 Group was absorbed into No. 17 Group.
Second World War
On 30 November 1939 No. 20 (Training) Group reformed at Buntingsdale Hall, Market Drayton, in Shropshire, within RAF Training Command. A number of various Technical Training Schools and Recruits Receiving Centres, were initially within No. 20 (Training) Group. On 27 May 1940, No. 20 Group was transferred into RAF Technical Training Command. On 1 August 1943, the group was absorbed into No. 22 Group RAF.
Structure
Schools and Centres
At formation, No. 20 Group was initially responsible for various Technical Training Schools and Recruits Receiving Centres:
Schools of Technical Training No. 3 School of Technical Training RAF No. 6 School of Technical Training RAF No. 8 School of Technical Training RAF No. 9 School of Technical Training RAF No. 10 School of Technical Training RAF
Recruits Receiving Centre No. 3 Recruit Receiving Centre RAF No. 4 Recruit Receiving Centre RAF No. 5 Recruit Receiving Centre RAF No. 6 Recruit Receiving Centre RAF No. 7 Recruit Receiving Centre RAF
Air Officer Commanding
Note: The ranks shown are the ranks held at the time of holding the appointment of Air Officer Commanding, No. 20 Group Royal Air Force.
+No. 20 Group commanding officers RanknamefromLieutenant colonelSir William Gore Sutherland MitchellApril 1918DisbandedSeptember 1919Air Vice-MarshalSir Lionel McKeanDecember 1939Air Vice-MarshalArthur John CapelMarch 1941Air Vice-MarshalSir Quintin BrandJuly 1941
References
Citations
Bibliography