RAF History - Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

NO.2 GROUP & NO.100 GROUP HQ

Formed on March 20 1936, No.2 Group HQ was based at Abingdon until the following January when it was moved to Andover. In May 1938 the headquarters moved again, this time to Wyton where it remained until shortly after the outbreak of war. Like No.1 Group, No.2 was allocated mostly light bomber squadrons equipped with Hinds, eventually being chosen to be an all Blenheim group. At the outbreak of war, the group had seven squadrons at four stations with 80 aircraft.

In October 1939 headquarters moved from its airfield location at Wyton to a large house in nearby Huntingdon where it remained until May 1943, despite its operational airfields eventually all being located in north Norfolk.

When a move to a more central location was made - to Bylaugh Hall near East Dereham - the group and its squadrons were scheduled for transfer from Bomber Command to the Second Tactical Air Force, which was to be the RAF's commitment to the forthcoming cross-Channel invasion of the Continent. At the date of the transfer, No. 2 Group had 10 squadrons, two with Mosquitos, two with Bostons, three with Mitchells and three with Venturas. Aircraft total was 190 deployed on seven airfields.

No. 100 Group was a specialist organisation formed on November 11, 1943 to counter enemy defences against Bomber Command operations. When No. 2 Group moved its headquarters south to Mongewell Park House in Berkshire in January 1944, No. 100 Group HQ took over Bylaugh Hall. As No. 2 Group squadrons vacated airfields in north Norfolk these also came under No. 100 Group control as did several newly built airfields in the area. Eventually the group controlled eight airfields with 260 aircraft, 140 of which were various marks of Mosquito night fighter intruders and the remainder 80 Halifaxes, 20 Fortresses and 20 Liberators carrying electronic jamming equipment.

Date Last Updated : Wednesday, April 6, 2005 2:40 AM

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