No. 22 Group RAF

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 (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 (1919-05-30).

The next creation of No. 22 Group came on 12 April 1926 (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.

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]

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]

• Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC)
• RAF College Cranwell and Directorate of Recruiting & Individual Training
• The Directorate of Flying Training (DFT)
• The Directorate of Ground Training (DGT)
• The Defence College of Technical Training (DCTT) consisting of:
  • The Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (DSAE)
  • The Defence College of Communications and Information Systems (DSCIS)
  • The Defence College of Electro-Mechanical Engineering (DSEME) at MoD Lyneham
  • The Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE) at HMS Sultan, Gosport
• The Directorate of RAF Sport (DRS).

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.

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