No. 9 (Fighter) Group RAF No. 9 (Operations) Group RAF
Royal Air Force Ensign
Active	1 April 1918 – 15 May 1919 9 August 1940 – 17 September 1944
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Royal Air Force group
Role	Fighter cover forNorth West England andNorthern Ireland
Part of	RAF Fighter Command
Garrison/HQ	RAF Barton Hall
Engagements	World War II European theatre of World War II Battle of Britain
Commanders
Notable commanders	Air Vice MarshalWilfred Ashton McClaughryCB, DSO, MC, DFC

No. 9 Group RAF (9 Gp) was agroup of theRoyal Air Force, which existed over two separate periods, initially at the end of theFirst World War, and latterly during theSecond World War when its role was air defence.

The group was first formed on 1 April 1918 inNo. 2 Area. The next month it was transferred toSouth-Western Area and then disbanded on 15 May 1919.

Its next incarnation was as part ofRAF Fighter Command. As 1940 wore on, the need for another Groupheadquarters to controlfighter operations became more and more apparent. No. 9 Group was formed in September 1940 to coverNorth West England andNorthern Ireland. It was based atRAF Barton Hall^[1] and initially only controlledNo. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron atRAF Speke,^[2]

On 1 January 1941 the group was only using theHawker Hurricane I fighter aircraft:^[3]

• No. 96 Squadron RAF atRAF Cranage
• No. 229 Squadron RAF atRAF Speke
• No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron atRAF Tern Hill
• No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron atRAF Baginton
• No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF atRAF Speke

No. 275 Squadron RAF was formed atRAF Valley on 15 October 1941^[4] as No. 9 Group'sAir Sea Rescue unit, to cover theIrish Sea.^[5]

9 Group also supplied the staff that were trained byRobert Watson-Watt, the inventor ofradar, to operate theChain Home early warning system. The staff being RAF females (they were neverWAAF members).

On 1 May 1942 it consisted of:^[6]

• No. 131 Squadron RAF atRAF Llanbedr with Spitfire
• No. 232 Squadron RAF atRAF Atcham with Spitfire
• No. 255 Squadron RAF atRAF High Ercall with Beaufighter
• No. 257 Squadron RAF atRAF Honiley with Hurricane & Spitfire
• No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron atRAF Woodvale with Spitfire

On 1 March 1943 it consisted of:^[7]

• No. 41 Squadron RAF atRAF High Ercall with Spitfire
• No. 96 Squadron RAF atRAF Honiley with Beaufighter
• No. 195 Squadron RAF atRAF Woodvale with Typhoon
• No. 219 Squadron RAF atRAF Scorton with Beaufighter
• No. 256 Squadron RAF atRAF Woodvale with Beaufighter
• No. 456 Squadron RAAF atRAF Valley with Beaufighter & Mosquito

No. 9 Group itself had a relative short lifespan. By 1944 it was predominantly a training formation.

On 6 June 1944 it comprised:

• two sector stations,RAF Honiley andRAF Woodvale,
• eight Operational Training Units:^[8]
  • No. 13 Operational Training Unit atRAF Bicester andRAF Finmere with Mosquito & Boston
  • No. 41 Operational Training Unit atRAF Hawarden andRAF Poulton with Mustang & Hurricane
  • No. 42 Operational Training Unit atRAF Ashbourne andRAF Darley Moor with Whitley, Oxford, Anson & Albemarle
  • No. 51 Operational Training Unit atRAF Cranfield andRAF Twinwood Farm with Mosquito
  • No. 53 Operational Training Unit RAF atRAF Kirton-in-Lindsey,RAF Hibaldstow andRAF Caistor with Spitfire
  • No. 54 Operational Training Unit atRAF Charterhall andRAF Winfield with Beaufighter
  • No. 57 Operational Training Unit atRAF Eshott andRAF Boulmer with Spitfire
  • No. 59 Operational Training Unit atRAF Boulmer with Hurricane & Typhoon
  • No. 60 Operational Training Unit atRAF High Ercall with Mosquito
  • No. 61 Operational Training Unit atRAF Rednal andRAF Montford Bridge with Spitfire
  • No. 62 Operational Training Unit atRAF Ouston with Anson & Wellington
• three Tactical Exercise Units:^[9]
  • No. 1 Tactical Exercise Unit atRAF Kinnell with Hurricane & Spitfire
  • No. 2 Tactical Exercise Unit atRAF Grangemouth andRAF Balado Bridge with Spitfire
  • No. 3 Tactical Exercise Unit atRAF Annan with Typhoon & Spitfire
• AI Conversion Unit
• Fighter Leaders School RAF
• No. 2 Aircraft Delivery Flight
• No. 58 Repair and Salvage Unit
• three other support/supply units
• 9 Group Communications Flight flyingHawker Hurricanes andAirspeed Oxfords from Samlesbury Aerodrome.

It was absorbed intoNo. 12 Group RAF on 15 September 1944.

The following officers had command of No. 9 Group:

• 1 April 1918Brigadier-General H D Briggs

• 16 September 1940Air Vice-MarshalW A McClaughry
• April 1942 Air Vice-MarshalL H Slatter
• 26 June 1942 Air Vice-MarshalW F Dickson
• 1942Air CommodoreC R Steele (Temporary appointment)
• 10 November 1942 Air Vice-MarshalJ W Jones
• 2 July 1943 Air Vice-MarshalL N Hollinghurst
• 6 November 1943 Air Commodore C A Stevens (Temporary appointment)
• 7 December 1943 Air Vice-Marshal D F Stevenson

• List of Royal Air Force groups

• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Group No's 1 - 9

• Royal Air Force groups
• Military units and formations established in 1918
• 1918 establishments in the United Kingdom

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from January 2017
• Use British English from January 2017