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No. 22 Group RAF

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No. 22 Group Royal Air Force (22 Gp) is one of six groups currently active in the Royal Air Force (RAF), falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Training) Group. The group is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College and the RAF's training stations. As such, it is the direct successor to Training Group. 22 Group provides training to all three service branches of the British Armed Forces; namely the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, and the British Army.[1]

No. 22 Group Royal Air Force
No. 22 Group badge
Active1 April 1918 – 30 May 1919
12 April – 1 May 1936
14 July 1936 – 23 June 1940
1 August 1943 – 31 January 1972
30 October 2006 – present
Country United Kingdom
AllegianceHM King Charles III
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeRoyal Air Force group
Rolemilitary training[1]
Sizepersonnel:
3,800 military, 1,900 civilian[1]
sites:
53[1]
aircraft:
420[1]
Part ofAir Command
HeadquartersRAF High Wycombe
Motto(s)Semper resurgens
Always rising again[2]
WebsiteNo. 22 Group RAF
Commanders
Current
commander		AVM Ian Townsend[1]

History

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Although No. 22 Group was due to be formed on 1 April 1918, the same day as the Royal Air Force was established, it was not activated until 1 July 1918; 106 years ago (1918-07-01), in the RAF's North-Western Area. It was activated at RAF East Fortune, but moved its headquarters to the Station Hotel, Stirling.[3] The next month, on 8 August 1918, it received the designation 'Operations', or possibly 'Marine Operational', making its full title No. 22 (Operations) Group, or possibly No. 22 (Marine Operational) Group. It controlled No. 78 Wing RAF, and stations at Auldbar, Chathill (airship station), Dundee, East Fortune, Kirkwall / Orkney, Longside (airship station), Luce Bay, RAF Machrihanish, Peterhead, and Strathberg. With the post First World War Royal Air Force force reductions, No. 22 Group was disbanded on 30 May 1919; 105 years ago (1919-05-30).

The next creation of No. 22 Group came on 12 April 1926; 98 years ago (1926-04-12), when the group was re-formed from No 7 Group within Inland Area. The group's designation was No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group, and its headquarters was at South Farnborough. On 17 February 1936, No. 22 Group was transferred from the control of Inland Area to that of the Air Defence of Great Britain. Later that same year, on 1 May, the group was raised to command status. However, only just over two months later, on 14 July, the newly created command was reduced back to group status,[3] becoming part of Fighter Command on the day of Fighter Command's creation. In 1938, the group comprised 26 Squadron at RAF Catterick; RAF Hawkinge with 2 Squadron; RAF Odiham and No. 50 (Army Cooperation) Wing, with 4, 13, and 53 Squadrons; RAF Old Sarum with the School of Army Co-operation and 16 and No. 59 Squadron RAFs; and group headquarters and No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at South Farnborough.[4]

On 24 June 1940, No. 22 Group was once again raised to command status and later that year, on 1 December, the new command was expanded to become RAF Army Cooperation Command.

On 1 August 1943, the group was re-established as No. 22 (Training) Group in Technical Training Command, responsible for all training in ground trades, from electronics to cooking. The group continued in its training function for nearly thirty years, until it was disbanded 31 January 1972.

Training Group Defence Agency

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Training Group (TG) was formed on 1 April 1994 from the AOC Training Units with Personnel and Training Command its controlling formation. Prior to 1 April 2006 Training Group held British Government agency status, operating as the Training Group Defence Agency (TGDA). Upon the loss of its agency status, the formation became known simply as Training Group. The Group had seven areas of responsibility:

Current creation

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The current creation of No. 22 Group was established on 30 October 2006, once again as No. 22 (Training) Group.[3] This creation was a renaming of Training Group which ceased to exist as No 22 Group was re-established.[1]

Organisation and responsibilities

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22 Group is responsible for:[1]

  • Youth engagement across the UK;
  • Recruiting, selection and basic training;
  • Defence technical training – communications & engineering;
  • UK Military Flying Training System;
  • RAF Force Development, adventurous training, survival and specialist training;
  • RAF-wide training assurance;
  • Accreditation and resettlement;
  • All RAF sport.[1]

The areas of responsibility are:[1]

22 Group elements

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Bases

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The following military bases are directly controlled by No. 22 Group:[1]

Squadrons

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The following aircraft squadrons are directly controlled by No. 22 Group:[1]

Commanders

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As of May 2023, No. 22 Group is led by Air Vice-Marshal Ian Townsend,[1] who is Chief of Staff Training RAF and Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group. Townsend is responsible to his superior commander, the Air Member for Personnel, who is also deputy commander-in-chief personnel in Air Command.

1918 to 1919

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1926 to 1940

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1943 to 1972

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1992 to 2006

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2006 onwards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "No 22 Group". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. n.d. Retrieved 26 August 2023. Air Officer Commanding: Air Vice-Marshal Ian 'Cab' Townsend CBE MA RAF
  2. ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 209. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  3. ^ a b c "Groups 20-29". RAFWeb.org. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.
  4. ^ "Royal Air Force List 1938" (PDF). NLS.uk. p. 151.
  5. ^ "Senior Appointments 10th February 2020". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020. Air Commodore R C Maddison OBE to be promoted Air Vice-Marshal and to be Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in August 2020 in succession to Air Vice-Marshal W A W James CBE whose next appointment is yet to be announced.
  6. ^ "Senior Appointments 5 May 2023". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023. Air Commodore I J Townsend CBE to be promoted Air Vice-Marshal and to be Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in May 2023 in succession to Air Marshal R C Maddison OBE whose appointment as Deputy Commander Capability, Headquarters Air Command and Air Member for Personnel and Capability has previously been announced.
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Preceded by 22 (Training) Group
2006– 		Succeeded by
Group extant
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