No. 5 GROUP
No. 5 Group was another offspring of No. 3 Group HQ at Mildenhall,
officially formed on September 1, 1937 and taking up residence at
St Vincents, Grantham, a few weeks later. Allotted airfields in the
Lincolnshire area the first squadrons assigned had a mixture of types,
mainly Blenheims, Ansons, and Hinds, but the group was soon to receive
the new Hampden medium bomber on which its units would standardise.
By the outbreak of war it had eight Hampden squadrons and five assigned
airfields. The Manchester was to replace the Hampden and although
seven No. 5 Group squadrons received the type during 1941 and 1942,
these were withdrawn in favour of the Lancaster. By spring 1943, No.
5 had become the first all-Lancaster group with ten squadrons with
180 aircraft at eight airfields. The group's squadrons carried out
several special operations, including the famous raid on the German
dams. In November 1943 the group headquarters moved to more spacious
accommodation at Morton Hall, Swinderby, remaining in residence until
disbanded in December 1945. In May 1945 there were more than 300 Lancasters
on strength in 15 Squadrons at eleven airfields.
