No. 38 Group RAF

No. 38 Group RAF
Unit name	No. 38 Group RAF
Dates	1943–1976
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Airborne transport and support
Command structure	RAF Transport Command, RAF Support Command

No. 38 Group RAF was a formation of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II to coordinate airborne and transport operations, later serving through the Cold War era. The group played a central role in major airborne operations and logistics missions linked to campaigns such as Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden, and the Berlin Airlift, working alongside formations from the British Army, United States Army Air Forces, and Royal Navy.

History

No. 38 Group RAF was established in 1943 amid the expansion of airborne forces for Operation Overlord and the broader Western Front preparations, coordinating units drawn from RAF Transport Command and tactical formations linked to British Airborne Forces, 1st Airborne Division, and 6th Airborne Division. The group supported operations across Normandy, the Netherlands, and the Rhine crossing as part of combined operations with the United States Army, Polish II Corps, and Canadian Forces. Postwar, the group was involved in the Berlin Airlift logistics surge, undertaking missions in coordination with RAF Transport Command and the Royal Australian Air Force. During the Suez Crisis the group provided support to Operation Musketeer logistics, and in the Cold War years contributed to NATO airbridge planning alongside the United States Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force. The unit was disbanded in 1976 as part of RAF reorganization under RAF Support Command restructuring.

Organisation and Structure

The group's structure integrated squadrons and wings with airborne, glider, and transport specializations drawn from units such as No. 297 Squadron RAF, No. 296 Squadron RAF, No. 295 Squadron RAF, No. 196 Squadron RAF, and No. 48 Squadron RAF. Command relationships tied into higher formations including RAF Transport Command, Second Tactical Air Force, and joint task forces during major operations with liaison to SHAEF and regional commands such as Air Ministry directorates. Operational control often coordinated with army formations including I Airborne Corps and corps headquarters like XXX Corps during Operation Market Garden, and with naval components including Admiralty planners for amphibious support. Administrative wings managed maintenance depots at stations affiliated with RAF Maintenance Command and supply chains connected to establishments like RAF Brize Norton and RAF Lyneham.

Operations and Engagements

No. 38 Group RAF provided airborne delivery for notable operations: towing gliders for Operation Tonga, dropping paratroops during D-Day landings, and supporting Operation Market Garden at Arnhem. Its squadrons executed resupply sorties during the Battle of the Bulge, airlanded reinforcements for Operation Varsity, and contributed to the Berlin Airlift alongside RAF Hendon detachments and RAF Northolt units. In the postwar era the group supported Operation Musketeer logistics for the Suez Crisis and undertook tactical airlift missions for NATO exercises like Operation Strikeback and Operation Mainbrace, often in concert with the United States Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. Humanitarian and evacuation missions included responses in Palestine (1947–49) unrest and airlift support during Malayan Emergency operations, coordinating with colonial and Commonwealth formations such as Royal New Zealand Air Force elements.

Aircraft and Equipment

Aircraft employed by the group's squadrons included the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle, Handley Page Halifax modified variants, the Short Stirling in transport roles, the Douglas Dakota for tactical airlift, and the Airspeed Horsa glider for airborne insertion. Later Cold War equipment encompassed the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, Short Belfast, and later types operated in associated squadrons such as the Handley Page Hastings. Airborne equipment and stores included glider harness systems used with Airspeed Horsa, containerized freight pallets similar to those used by RAF Brize Norton logistics, and radio-navigation aids like Rebecca/Eureka sets and Gee and Oboe navigation systems for precision drops. Maintenance and support used ground vehicles from depots modeled on MOD Lyneham practices and spare support elements coordinated with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers standards.

Commanders

Command of the group rotated among senior RAF officers with airborne or transport experience who had served in theatres such as North African Campaign and the Mediterranean Theatre. Notable commanders and senior staff included leaders who had previously commanded squadrons or wings engaged at El Alamein, Tunisia Campaign, and the Italian Campaign, drawing on experience from postings at RAF Middle East Command and RAF Mediterranean and Middle East Command.

Bases and Stations

Group-controlled squadrons operated from a range of British and continental airfields including RAF Netheravon, RAF Fairford, RAF Tarrant Rushton, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Folkingham, and forward advanced landing grounds in France and the Netherlands. During the Berlin Airlift elements staged from RAF Gatow and RAF Lubeck and coordinated with airfields used by Biggin Hill and RAF Northolt contingency wings. Cold War dispersal planning assigned units to RAF Lyneham and RAF Shawbury as maintenance and training hubs, while peacetime liaison used headquarters facilities in London and regional command nodes within Air Ministry infrastructure.

Legacy and Honours

The group's airborne achievements contributed to honours including campaign distinctions for North-West Europe (1944–45), theatre awards tied to Operation Market Garden, and unit citations reflecting participation in the Berlin Airlift. Its operational doctrines influenced subsequent RAF air mobility doctrine adopted by RAF Transport Command successors and NATO airlift planning, informing concepts used by later transport units in Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force practice. Memorials and museum exhibits at institutions like the Royal Air Force Museum and regional aviation museums commemorate squadrons that served within the group and connect to broader narratives including the history of Operation Overlord and airborne warfare evolution.

Category:Royal Air Force groups