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| No. 25 Group RAF | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | No. 25 Group RAF |
| Dates | 1918–1919; 1926–1938; 1938–1957; 1960–1961 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Training and command group |
| Role | Officer and aircrew training; support |
No. 25 Group RAF was a formation of the Royal Air Force responsible primarily for training and command functions across multiple periods between 1918 and 1961. The Group oversaw elementary and specialized flying schools, air gunnery and armament units, and supported fleet cooperation and pilot instruction during interwar rearmament, the Second World War, and the early Cold War reorganization of RAF training. Its history intersects with numerous RAF stations, training schools, and senior officers of the Royal Air Force.
No. 25 Group RAF traces origins to the late stages of the First World War and the peacetime restructuring of the Royal Air Force. During the 1920s and 1930s the Group administered flying training and naval cooperation schools linked to Fleet Air Arm operations and RAF coastal defence at bases such as RAF Manston, RAF Leuchars, and RAF Northolt. In the run-up to the Second World War, the Group expanded to manage Elementary Flying Training Schools and Air Observers Schools that fed personnel into operational commands including Bomber Command, Fighter Command, and Coastal Command. Postwar reductions and Cold War requirements led to further reorganizations involving Training Command (RAF), Flying Training Command (RAF), and eventual disbandment in the early 1960s.
The earliest incarnation formed during late 1918 amid the demobilization after the Armistice of 11 November 1918 and the Group was first disbanded in 1919 alongside many wartime formations. Reconstituted in 1926 to support expansion of RAF training, the Group administered Elementary Flying Training Schools, Station Flights, and signals training closely connected to institutions such as RAF College Cranwell, Central Flying School, and No. 1 Flying Training School RAF. The interwar era saw interaction with notable RAF leaders and organizations including Sir Hugh Trenchard, Sir John Salmond, Air Ministry (United Kingdom), and the Imperial Defence College.
With the onset of the Second World War the Group played a key role in scaling up pilot production via Elementary Flying Training Schools, Service Flying Training Schools, and Air Observers Schools. It coordinated with commands and establishments like No. 1 Group RAF, No. 6 Group RCAF, No. 51 Squadron RAF, and Air Ministry Directorate of Training to deliver aircrew to Bomber Command and Coastal Command. Stations under its control included RAF Hullavington, RAF Church Fenton, RAF Montrose, and RAF Lossiemouth, linking to aircraft types and training conversions involving the de Havilland Tiger Moth, Avro Anson, and Fairey Battle. The Group also interfaced with allied training initiatives such as the Empire Air Training Scheme and personnel exchanges with the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
After 1945 the Group was involved in reorganizing RAF training to meet peacetime and Cold War needs, including remits from RAF Flying Training Command and RAF Technical Training Command. It oversaw Satellite and Reserve Flying Schools, Air Armament Schools, and Fleet Co-operation training linked to navy units like the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and shore establishments including HMS Daedalus. Changes in doctrine, aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor, and the introduction of jet training prompted consolidations and transfers between commands including No. 25 Group RAF’s subordination changes and eventual disbandments and reformations up to its final cessation in 1961 amid wider RAF reductions and restructuring tied to the Sandys Defence White Paper era.
Units under the Group’s control encompassed a wide array of training schools: Elementary Flying Training Schools, Service Flying Training Schools, Air Observers Schools, Air Gunners Schools, Flying Instructors Schools, and Armament and Gunnery Schools. Notable stations associated with the Group include RAF Manston, RAF Leuchars, RAF Northolt, RAF Church Fenton, RAF Montrose, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Hullavington, RAF Ternhill, RAF Seaton Carew, RAF Cranwell, RAF Halton, RAF Gosport, RAF Halesworth, and RAF Abingdon. These units and stations interacted with squadrons and training elements from organizations such as No. 6 Group RCAF, No. 9 Group RAF, Empire Air Training Scheme, Air Training Corps, and allied air forces including the United States Army Air Forces.
Commanding officers and senior staff associated with the Group included prominent RAF figures who served in various training and operational leadership roles across the interwar and wartime periods. Senior leaders linked by appointment and career pathways included officers associated with Air Ministry (United Kingdom), RAF Flying Training Command, Sir Arthur Harris, Sir John Slessor, Sir Dermot Boyle, Sir Hugh Dowding, and staff who progressed through institutions like RAF College Cranwell and the Central Flying School.
The legacy of the Group lies in its contribution to aircrew training that supported RAF operational effectiveness during the Second World War and the Cold War. Its training establishments produced pilots, navigators, air gunners, and instructors who served in formations such as Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and Transport Command. Insignia and unit heraldry reflected RAF training traditions aligned with badges approved by the College of Arms and emblems used across stations including RAF Cranwell and RAF Halton. The Group’s history is preserved through squadron records, station museums at locations such as Imperial War Museum Duxford, Royal Air Force Museum, and local archives in Leicestershire, Yorkshire, and Scotland.
Category:Royal Air Force groups