During the Battle of Britain, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within RAF Fighter Command into four Groups, each comprising several airfields and squadrons.
The groups involved, 10, 11, 12 and 13, saw very different levels of activity during the battle. No. 11 Group, responsible for the defence of London and the south-east saw the heaviest fighting, and pilots were often rotated among the groups to allow them to rest and recuperate after several weeks of fierce contact with the enemy. Each group was commanded by an Air Vice-Marshal, who served under the head of Fighter Command during the battle, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding.
Organisational structure Key: HQ = Group headquarters SS = Sector station SA = Satellite aerodrome
10 Group
10 Group defended Wales and the West Country and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand.
Station nameBoBroleGridreferenceStationopenedFlyingceasedRAF stationclosedCurrent useRAF BoxHQ1940N/A2000Decommissioned, in use by Defence Equipment & SupportRAF Middle WallopSS1940-1 September 19572 (Training) Regiment Army Air Corps and School of Army AviationRAF FiltonSS191620121960sBristol Filton AirportRAF Boscombe DownSA1939-MoD Boscombe DownRAF ColerneSA1940-21st Signal Regiment, Bristol University Air Squadron, 3 AEFRAF ExeterSA1937-Exeter International Airport, The Hunter Flying ClubRAF PembreySA1939-1957Pembrey Airport, Pembrey Sands AWR Support, Pembrey CircuitRAF RoboroughSA19312011Plymouth City AirportRAF St EvalSA193919596 March 1959RAF St Eval HIVE, MOD Ariel FieldRAF WarmwellSA19371945Crossways village
11 Group 11 Group covered the southeast of England and the critical approaches to London and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park.
Station nameBoBroleGridreferenceStationppenedFlyingceasedRAF stationclosedCurrent useRAF UxbridgeHQ1918N/A31 March 2010Battle of Britain Bunker remains open. Hillingdon House, the HQ of 11 Fighter Group, to be refurbished as restaurantRAF Biggin HillSS1916-1992London Biggin Hill Airport, Planned heritage site & conservation areaRAF DebdenSS1937196021 August 197433 Engineer Regt EOD, NATS Radar StationRAF HornchurchSS19151962July 1962Hornchurch Country Park, Housing Estate, Conservation AreaRAF KenleySS19171959 Housing and conservation areaRAF NortholtSS 1915--Current RAF Station, HQ Music Services, 63 Squadron, RAF Regt (QCS)RAF North WealdSS1916-1964North Weald AirfieldRAF TangmereSS191716 October 1970Tangmere Military Aviation MuseumRAF CroydonSA193930 September 19591946Business park, museumRAF DetlingSALight industry, agriculture RAF EastchurchSAHM Prison SwalesideRAF FordSAHM Prison FordRAF GosportSA, Rowner Housing EstateRAF GravesendSARiverview Housing Estate, Golf Course, Cascades Leisure CentreRAF HawkingeSAKent BoB Museum, HousingRAF HendonSA190819571987RAF Museum, Hendon Police College, Grahame Park Housing EstateRNAS Lee-on-SolentSA1917-29 March 1996HM Coastguard, Unlicensed Private Airfield, Maritime & Aviation IndustryRAF LympneSA191619841 January 1946Industrial ParkRAF ManstonSA1916-31 March 1999Kent International Airport, Defence Fire Training and Development CentreRAF Martlesham HeathSA19171963Major British Telecom site. Control Tower Museum – 14.00 to 16.45 each Sunday April until October, 3 Memorials at Barrack Square. see www.mhas.gov.uk or Facebook – Martlesham Heath Aviation Society and Control Tower Museum.RAF RochfordSA1939-1946Now London Southend AirportRAF Stapleford TawneySA Stapleford AerodromeRAF Thorney IslandSA1938RAF WesthampnettSAGoodwood CircuitRAF West MallingSA19301969Kings Hill a mixed development of (eventually) around 2,500 homes and 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of commercial space.
12 Group 12 Group defended the Midlands and East Anglia and was led by Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.
Station nameBoBroleGridreferenceStationopenedFlyingceasedRAF stationclosedCurrent useRAF WatnallHQ 1940 N/A Housing / industrial / Nature Reserve RAF Church FentonSS1 April 1937 19 December 2013 Leeds East AirportRAF DigbySS RAF DuxfordSS 1918 1961 Imperial War Museum DuxfordRAF Kirton in LindseySS RAF WitteringSS 1916 Expeditionary Engineering and Logistics. Flying training with elements of 3 Flying Training School and 6 Flying Training School.RAF CollywestonSA19161942Merged with the neighbouring RAF Wittering when a 2-mile long grass runway was built linking the two airfields in 1942RAF ColtishallSA HM Prison Bure, industrial use, solar farmRAF FowlmereSA 1918 Fowlmere AirfieldRAF LeconfieldSA Defence School of Transport (part of Defence College of Logistic, Policing, and Administration)RAF Tern HillSA
13 Group
13 Group covered the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul.
Station nameBoBroleGridreferenceStationppenedFlyingceasedRAF stationclosedCurrent useRAF NewcastleHQHousing EstateRAF AcklingtonSS19381972HMP AcklingtonRAF DyceSSAberdeen AirportRAF TurnhouseSS1916Edinburgh AirportRAF UsworthSS1916Factory for Nissan cars RAF WickSS19391978Wick AirportRAF CatterickSA1914Part of the Catterick Garrison complex.RAF DremSA19171946DecommissionedRAF GrangemouthSA19391945RAF KirkwallSARAF SumburghSASumburgh AirportRAF CastletownSA194019441945
See also List of Battle of Britain squadrons List of former Royal Air Force stations List of Royal Air Force stations Luftwaffe order of battle August 1940 RAF Fighter Command order of battle 1940
Notes
References
External links
Article about the Battle of Britain from North Weald Airfield History