No. 12 Group RAF

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No. 12 Group RAF was first formed in April 1918 at Cranwell, within No. 3 Area. On May 8, 1918 the Group transferred to Midland Area, and then to Northern Area on 18 October 1919. On 1 November that year it became the RAF (Cadet) College.

The Group was reformed on 1 April 1937 in Fighter Command. It was the group responsible for aerial defence of the Midlands of England. During World War Two this group was the second most important Group of Fighter Command, and as such, it received its share of attacks from the German Luftwaffe throughout the war.

The commander of 12 Group during the Battle of Britain was Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, who was a rather ambitious man. Despite his length of service in the RAF, he was passed over for being named the Air Officer Commanding of the more vital 11 Group in favour of Air Vice Marshal Keith Park. Leigh-Mallory felt himself slighted over this and his relations with Park were poisoned thereafter.

As well as regional defence, 12 Group were also supposed to fly cover for 11 Group airfields during the Battle of Britain, but several times, these fields were left undefended. When Park complained about it, Leigh-Mallory responded that in order to test his Big Wing theory (espoused by Squadron Leader Douglas Bader), more time was needed to get the necessary squadrons airborne.

The Big Wings met with mixed success, enough for the Air Ministry to use it as an excuse to oust Park and Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding from their commands on the grounds that they had mismanaged the Battle of Britain.

After Park was ousted, Leigh-Mallory took over 11 Group. 12 Group still continued its assignment of defending the midlands and supporting both 10 Group and 11 Group.

12 Group remained in being after the war. It was renamed No. 12 (East Anglian) Sector on 31 March 1963. On 30 April 1968, as the new Strike Command came into existence, 12 Group passed into history.