No. 10 Group RAF

No. 10 Group RAF
Group Crest
Active	1918 - 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Group Headquarters
Role	Defence of London & South East England, Fighter Offensive
Part of	RAF Fighter Command
Garrison/HQ	RAF Box, Wiltshire, England
Motto	Challenge
Royal Air Force Ensign

No. 10 Group of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. On 8 May of the next year it was transferred to South-Western Area. In 1919 it was transferred to Coastal Area where it remained until it was disbanded on 18 January 1932.

The group was re-formed on 1 June 1940 within Fighter Command to enable neighbouring No. 11 Group to function more efficiently. Its area of operation was the south-western region of England. Commanded by Air Vice Marshal Sir Quintin Brand, 10 Group supported 11 Group in the Battle of Britain by rotating squadrons, providing additional fighter support when needed, and supplying additional pilots. The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of 11 Group, Air Vice Marshal Keith Park, had a far warmer relationship with Brand than with the AOC of 12 Group, Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, who regarded Park with jealousy.^[1]

As well as providing support for 11 Group, 10 Group also had some squadrons of aircraft that could not be risked in the Battle of Britain (Gloster Gladiator, Boulton Paul Defiant).

After the Battle of Britain, 10 Group also provided fighter cover missions for convoys approaching and leaving the British Isles. Pilots rotated into 10 Group from either 12 or 13 Group knew that soon they would go over to 11 Group, so the pilots took advantage of their comparatively safer area of operation to hone their skills.

No. 10 Group was reabsorbed into No. 11 Group on 2 May 1945.

Commanders

The following officers have been in command of 10 Group:^[2]

1918 to 1932

• 1 April 1918 Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) A W Bigsworth
• 1 August 1919 Group Captain H P Smyth Osbourne
• 27 July 1921 Group Captain J L Forbes
• 1 December 1924 Air Commodore E A D Masterman
• 6 April 1928 Air Commodore T C R Higgins
• 1 November 1929 Air Commodore A W Bigsworth
• 1 October 1931 Wing Commander L C Kemble (possibly a temporary appointment)
• 1 November 1931 Group Captain (later Air Commodore) N J Gill

1940 to 1945

• 15 June 1940 Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand
• 22 July 1941 Air Vice-Marshal A H Orlebar
• 4 November 1942 Air Vice-Marshal W F Dickson
• 5 May 1943 Air Vice-Marshal C R Steele
• 3 June 1944 Air Commodore A V Harvey
• 10 July 1944 Air Vice-Marshal J B Cole-Hamilton
• Nov 1944 Unknown

Notes and references

1. ^ Leigh Mallory disloyalty
2. ^ Rafweb.org

See also

• RAF Fighter Command
• Battle of Britain
• Battle of Britain Airfields
• Battle of Britain Squadrons