No. 4 Group RAF

No. 4 Group RAF (4Gp) was a Royal Air Force group, originally formed in the First World War, and reformed in the wake of the Second World War, mostly part of RAF Bomber Command, but ending its days in RAF Transport Command.

No. 4 Group RAF
Active1 April 1918 – 24 March 1919
1 April 1937 – 2 February 1948
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeRoyal Air Force group
RoleStrategic and tactical bombing (1937 - 1945)
Military transport (1945 - 1948)
Part ofRAF Bomber Command
(April 1937 – May 1945)
RAF Transport Command
(May 1945 – February 1948)
Group HeadquartersRAF Linton-on-Ouse
(April 1937 – January 1940)
Heslington Hall
(January 1940 – February 1948)
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur "Bomber" Harris

History

Formation in the First World War

No. 4 Group was originally formed in October 1918 at the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe just before the end of the First World War and disbanded a year later in 1919. In its first incarnation, No. 4 Group was created by augmenting the former Royal Naval Air Service group at RNAS Great Yarmouth which had been responsible for anti-submarine and anti-Zeppelin operations over the North Sea. The former RNAS group was designated as No. 73 Wing within the new No. 4 Group. The commanding officer of No. 4 Group was Colonel C R Samson.[1] With the 1918–1919 postwar demobilization of the RAF, No. 4 Group was disbanded on 24 March 1919.

Reformation in the Second World War

A Handley Page Heyford

With the buildup of the RAF prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, No. 4 Group was reformed on 1 April 1937 as part of RAF Bomber Command based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk under A/Cdre Arthur Harris (later Air Vice-Marshal "Bomber" Harris). On 29 June 1937 the headquarters were relocated at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire when 4 Group took over a number of stations and squadrons from No. 3 Group RAF. 4 Group was primarily based in Yorkshire for the duration of the war. Its airfields became further concentrated south and east of York when 6 Group was formed (1 March 1943) using airfields north of the city.[2] The flying units of those were these, mainly flying with the Handley Page Heyford biplane bomber:

A Vickers Virginia
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, 29 June 1937, data from[3][4]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF DishforthNo. 10 Squadron RAF

No. 78 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Heyford
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Handley Page Heyford
Mks.IA, III
Mk.I
Mks.II, III
RAF DriffieldNo. 77 Squadron RAF
No. 102 Squadron RAF
Hawker Audax
Handley Page Heyford

Mks.II, III
RAF FinningleyNo. 7 Squadron RAF

No. 76 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Heyford
Vickers Wellesley
Vickers Wellesley
Mks.II, III
Mk.I
Mk.I
RAF LeconfieldNo. 166 Squadron RAFHandley Page HeyfordMk.III
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
(Previously at RAF Boscombe Down)
No. 51 Squadron RAF

No. 58 Squadron RAF
Vickers Virginia
Avro Anson
Vickers Virginia
Avro Anson
Mk.X
Mk.I
Mk.X
Mk.I

The group's first operation was on the night of 3 September 1939 when ten Whitley Mk.IIIs of Nos. 51 and 58 Squadrons took off to drop leaflets in the Ruhr and over Hamburg and Bremen. By this time the group had shrunk to six squadrons and the equipment had been standardised to the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. RAF Finningley had gone over to No. 5 Group RAF and RAF Leconfield was "Under care and Maintenance" by No. 4 Group.

An Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, 26 September 1939, data from[3][4][5]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF DishforthNo. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 78 Squadron RAF
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mks.I, IV
Mks.I, IV
RAF DriffieldNo. 77 Squadron RAF
No. 102 Squadron RAF
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mks.III, V
Mk.III
RAF Linton-on-OuseNo. 51 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mks.II, III
Mks.I, II, III

The first land bombing mission was by 26 out of 30 Whitleys from Nos. 10, 102, 77 and 51 Squadrons detailed to attack the seaplane base at Hornum on 20 March 1940. In April 1940 the group moved its headquarters to Heslington Hall, near York. In August/September 1940 No. 4 Group took part in eight attacks on Berlin, oil targets and ports. On 1 April 1941 104 Squadron was formed at RAF Driffield as part of No. 4 Group, equipped with the Vickers Wellington and carried out night bombing operations from May 1941 until February 1942.

On 24 July 1941, 4 Group dropped 2,000 lb bombs on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and helped to keep these battle-cruisers locked in Brest until 12 February 1942. By January 1942 the Group had grown considerably and was made out of the following flying units, which were in full conversion from the Whitley to the Vickers Wellington medium and Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber:

A Vickers Wellington
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, 9 January 1942, data from[6]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF DishforthNo. 51 Squadron RAFArmstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V
RAF DriffieldNo. 104 Squadron RAFVickers WellingtonMk.II
RAF LeemingNo. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 77 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mk.II
Mk.V
RAF LeconfieldNo. 98 Squadron RAFArmstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V (non-operational)
RAF Linton-on-OuseNo. 35 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mks.I, II
Mk.V
RAF Middleton St. GeorgeNo. 76 Squadron RAF
No. 78 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mks.I, II
Mk.V
RAF PocklingtonNo. 405 Squadron RCAFVickers WellingtonMk.II
RAF StradishallNo. 138 Squadron RAFArmstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V
RAF TopcliffeNo. 102 Squadron RAFHandley Page Halifax
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Mk.II
Mk.V (operational on Whitleys)

On 30/31 May 1942 No. 4 Group played its part in the 1000 bomber raid on Cologne, providing 154 aircraft and the follow-up raid on Essen, providing 142 aircraft. In early 1943 No. 4 Group made a substantial contribution in the Battle of the Ruhr, which lasted until July. Losses were heavy but the results worthwhile. By March 1943 the group was made out of these flying units, conversion to the Halifax and Wellington was almost finished (some squadrons having still one or two Whitleys at hand):

A Halifax B.Mk.II of 78 Squadron, one of the squadrons of No. 4 Group.
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, 4 March 1943, data from[7]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF BurnNo. 431 Squadron RCAFVickers WellingtonMk.X
RAF East MoorNo. 429 Squadron RCAFVickers WellingtonMks.III, X
RAF ElvingtonNo. 77 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMks.II, V
RAF LeconfieldNo. 196 Squadron RAF
No. 466 Squadron RAAF
Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
Mk.X
Mk.X
RAF Linton-on-OuseNo. 76 Squadron RAF
No. 78 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
Mks.II, V
Mk.II
RAF MelbourneNo. 10 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.II
RAF PocklingtonNo. 102 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.II
RAF RufforthNo. 158 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.II
RAF SnaithNo. 51 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.II
No. 4 Group controlled the following bases at various times between March 1943 and September 1945[8]
No. 41 BaseNo. 42 BaseNo. 43 BaseNo. 44 Base
RAF Marston Moor (HQ)RAF Pocklington (HQ)RAF Driffield (HQ)RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor (HQ)
RAF Acaster MalbisRAF ElvingtonRAF LeconfieldRAF Breighton
RAF RiccallRAF MelbourneRAF LissettRAF Melbourne
RAF RufforthRAF Pocklington
RAF Full Sutton

In May/June 1944, 4 Group welcomed two French heavy-bomber squadrons - Nos. 346 and 347 Squadrons - to RAF Elvington. On that station a gradual changeover from RAF to French Air Force personnel was effected, so that by September 1944, the station was almost exclusively French and commanded by an officer of the French Air Force. In July 1944 the group looked like this, having pretty much standardised on the Halifax B.Mk.III:

A Halifax B.Mk.III
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, July 1944, data from[9]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF BreightonNo. 78 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF BurnNo. 578 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF DriffieldNo. 466 Squadron RAAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF ElvingtonNo. 346 Squadron RAF
No. 347 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
Mk.III
Mks.III, V
RAF Full SuttonNo. 77 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF Holme-on-Spalding MoorNo. 76 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF LeconfieldNo. 640 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF LissettNo. 158 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF MelbourneNo. 10 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF PocklingtonNo. 102 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMks.III, IIIa
RAF SnaithNo. 51 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III

Prior to the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 intense attacks began on French marshalling yards and gun emplacements on the French coast, troop concentrations and V-weapon sites, reaching a peak in August when 3,629 sorties were flown. In addition No. 4 Group undertook urgent transport work and in little more than one week ferried 432,840 gallons of petrol to the British Second Army during Operation Market Garden.

In 1945, 4 Group attacked targets at Hanover, Magdeburg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Munster and Osnabrück plus the Sterkrade, Wanne-Eickel, Bottrop and many other synthetic-oil centres, bombing by day and night. Its attention later transferred to bombing railway centres in preparation for the crossing of the Rhine.

During the war 61,577 operational sorties were flown, the group trained many Bomber Command crews and helped to create two other bomber groups. On 7 May 1945 No. 4 Group was transferred to Transport Command, and by July 1945 the group consisted of the following flying units:

A Douglas Dakota in RAF colours.
Order of battle for no. 4 Group RAF, July 1945, data from[10][11]
BaseSquadronAircraftVersion
RAF BramcoteNo. 105 (Transport) Operational Training UnitVickers Wellington
Douglas Dakota
Mks.Ic, X
Mks.III, IV
RAF BreightonNo. 78 Squadron RAFHandley Page Halifax
Douglas Dakota
Mk.VI
Mk.IV
RAF Crosby-on-EdenNo. 109 Operational Training Unit RAFDouglas DakotaMks.III, IV
RAF DriffieldNo. 426 Squadron RCAFConsolidated LiberatorMks.VI, VIII
RAF ElvingtonNo. 346 Squadron RAF
No. 347 Squadron RAF
Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
Mk.VI
Mk.VI
RAF Full SuttonNo. 77 Squadron RAFHandley Page Halifax
Douglas Dakota
Mk.VI
Mks.III, IV
RAF Holme-on-Spalding MoorNo. 76 Squadron RAFHandley Page Halifax
Douglas Dakota
Mk.VI
Mk.IV
RAF LeconfieldNo. 51 Squadron RAFShort StirlingMk.V
RAF LissettNo. 158 Squadron RAFHandley Page Halifax
Short Stirling
Mk.VI
Mk.V
RAF MelbourneNo. 10 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMk.III
RAF PocklingtonNo. 102 Squadron RAFHandley Page HalifaxMks.III, IIIa, VI
RAF WymeswoldNo. 108 OTUDouglas DakotaMks.I, III, IV

Commanders

See also

References

Citations

  1. Shepherd, E.C. (2004). "Samson, Charles Rumney". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  2. Otter 1998, p. 15.
  3. Halley 1988, pp. 38–235.
  4. Jefford 2001, pp. 30–67.
  5. Moyes 1976, p. 301.
  6. Moyes 1976, pp. 302–303.
  7. Moyes 1976, p. 304.
  8. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 77.
  9. Delve 1994, p. 69
  10. Delve 1994, p. 81.
  11. Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 206.

Bibliography

  • Donnelly, G.L. "Larry", DFM. The Whitley Boys: The Story of No. 4 (Bomber) Group's Operations in the first year of WWII. New Malden, Surrey: Air Research Publications, 1991. ISBN 1-871187-11-7.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • Otter, Patrick. Yorkshire Airfields in the Second World War. Hushion House. 1998. ISBN 1853065420.
  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.
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