No. 22 Group RAF

❧

Wikipedia

No. 22 Group RAF
Group badge
Active
  • 1918–1919
  • 1936
  • 1936–1940
  • 1943–1972
  • 2006–present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeGroup headquarters
RoleMilitary education and training
Size
  • 3,800 military & 1,900 civilian personnel
  • 53 locations
  • 420 aircraft
Part ofRAF Air Command
HeadquartersRAF High Wycombe
MottoSemper resurgens (Latin for 'Always rising again')[1]
WebsiteOfficial website
Commanders
Current
commander		Air Vice-Marshal Ian Townsend[2]

No. 22 Group Royal Air Force (22 Gp) is one of six groups currently active in the Royal Air Force (RAF), falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Training) Group. The group is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College and the RAF's training stations. As such, it is the direct successor to Training Group. 22 Group provides training to all three service branches of the British Armed Forces; namely the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, and the British Army.[2]

History

Although No. 22 Group was due to be formed on 1 April 1918, the same day as the Royal Air Force was established, it was not activated until 1 July 1918; 107 years ago, in the RAF's North Western Area. It was activated at RAF East Fortune, but moved its headquarters to the Station Hotel, Stirling.[3] The next month, on 8 August 1918, it received the designation 'Operations', making its full title No. 22 (Operations) Group.[4] It controlled No. 78 (Operations) Wing,[5] and stations at Auldbar, Chathill (airship station),[citation needed] Dundee, East Fortune,[4] Kirkwall / Orkney,[citation needed] Longside (airship station), Luce Bay,[4] RAF Machrihanish,[citation needed] Peterhead, and Strathberg. With the post First World War Royal Air Force force reductions, No. 22 Group was disbanded on 30 May 1919; 106 years ago.[4]

The next creation of No. 22 Group came on 12 April 1926; 99 years ago, when the group was re-formed from No. 7 Group within Inland Area. The group's designation was No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group, and its headquarters was at South Farnborough. On 17 February 1936, No. 22 Group was transferred from the control of Inland Area to that of the Air Defence of Great Britain. Later that same year, on 1 May, the group was raised to command status. However, only just over two months later, on 14 July, the newly created command was reduced back to group status,[3] becoming part of Fighter Command on the day of Fighter Command's creation. In 1938, the group comprised 26 Squadron at RAF Catterick; RAF Hawkinge with 2 Squadron; RAF Odiham and No. 50 (Army Cooperation) Wing, with 4, 13, and 53 Squadrons; RAF Old Sarum with the School of Army Co-operation and 16 and No. 59 Squadron RAFs; and group headquarters and No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at South Farnborough.[6]

On 24 June 1940, No. 22 Group was once again raised to command status and later that year, on 1 December, the new command was expanded to become RAF Army Cooperation Command.[7]

On 1 August 1943, the group was re-established as No. 22 (Technical Training) Group in Technical Training Command out of 20 and 72 Groups, with its HQ at Buntingsdale Hall, Market Drayton.[4] It was responsible for all training in ground trades, from electronics to cooking.[citation needed] The group continued in its training function for nearly thirty years, until it was disbanded 31 January 1972.[4]

Training Group Defence Agency

Training Group (TG) was formed on 1 April 1994 from the AOC Training Units with Personnel and Training Command its controlling formation. Prior to 1 April 2006 Training Group held British Government agency status, operating as the Training Group Defence Agency (TGDA). Upon the loss of its agency status, the formation became known simply as Training Group. The Group had seven areas of responsibility:

Current creation

The current creation of No. 22 Group was established on 30 October 2006, once again as No. 22 (Training) Group.[3] This creation was a renaming of Training Group which ceased to exist as No 22 Group was re-established.[2]

22 Group is responsible for:[2]

  • Youth engagement across the UK;
  • Recruiting, selection and basic training;
  • Defence technical training – communications & engineering;
  • UK Military Flying Training System;
  • RAF Force Development, adventurous training, survival and specialist training;
  • RAF-wide training assurance;
  • Accreditation and resettlement;
  • All RAF sport.[2]

Component units

As of November 2025, No. 22 Group comprises the following elements and units. Unless indicated otherwise, subordinate units are located at the same location as the unit they report to.

Directorate of Ground Training

The Directorate of Ground Training provides training and education policy, governance, assurance and support. It comprises the following elements:[8]

  • Adventure Training
  • Air Power Education
  • Force Development
  • Training Policy and Plans

Directorate of Flying Training

The Directorate of Flying Training delivers provides trained military aircrew, air traffic controllers and flight operations personnel to meet front line requirements.[8] Flying trying is provided by Ascent Flight Training though the UK Military Flying Training System. It comprises the following units:[9]

Directorate of RAF Sport

The Directorate of RAF Sport is based at RAF Halton and together with RAF sports associations supports the provision of sport to RAF personnel at an individual, unit, service and inter-service levels.[8][10]

Defence College of Technical Training

he Defence College of Technical Training provides technical training and education to around 20,000 members of the RAF, Royal Navy and British Army per annum. Training is delivered through four Defence schools focussed upon specialisations of aeronautical engineering, electronic and mechanical engineering, marine engineering, and communications and information systems engineering. It comprises the following elements:[8]

Royal Air Force Air Cadets

The RAF Air Cadets is a youth organisation and the world's largest youth air training organisation, supported by thousands of volunteer staff. It comprises the following elements:[8]

Headquarters RAF Cadets (RAF Cranwell)

Royal Air Force College

The Royal Air Force College, based at RAF Cranwell, provides recruit and officer training, and oversees University Air Squadrons.[8]

Other elements

Commanders

As of May 2023, No. 22 Group is led by Air Vice-Marshal Ian Townsend,[2] who is Chief of Staff Training RAF and Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group. Townsend is responsible to his superior commander, the Air Member for Personnel, who is also deputy commander-in-chief personnel in Air Command.

1918 to 1919

1926 to 1940

1943 to 1972

1992 to 2006

2006 onwards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 209. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "No 22 Group". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. n.d. Retrieved 26 August 2023. Air Officer Commanding: Air Vice-Marshal Ian 'Cab' Townsend CBE MA RAF
  3. 1 2 3 "Groups 20-29". RAFWeb.org. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 150.
  5. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 292.
  6. ↑ "Royal Air Force List 1938" (PDF). NLS.uk. p. 151.
  7. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 67.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "No 22 Group". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  9. ↑ administrator. "UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS)". Defence Equipment & Support. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "RAF Halton". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Senior Appointments 10th February 2020". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020. Air Commodore R C Maddison OBE to be promoted Air Vice-Marshal and to be Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in August 2020 in succession to Air Vice-Marshal W A W James CBE whose next appointment is yet to be announced.
  12. ↑ "Senior Appointments 5 May 2023". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023. Air Commodore I J Townsend CBE to be promoted Air Vice-Marshal and to be Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in May 2023 in succession to Air Marshal R C Maddison OBE whose appointment as Deputy Commander Capability, Headquarters Air Command and Air Member for Personnel and Capability has previously been announced.
  • Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.