No. 61 Group RAF

No. 61 Group RAF No. 61 (Southern Reserve) Group RAF No. 61 (Eastern) Group RAF No. 61 (Eastern Reserve) Group RAF
Active	6 July 1940 – 1 August 1940 2 May 1946 – 31 March 1959
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Group
Part of	RAF Home Command
Garrison/HQ	RAF Kenley

No. 61 Group RAF is former Royal Air Force group which was operational initially between July and August 1940 then between May 1946 and March 1959.

61 Group had three other groups amalgamated into it, these were: No. 62 Group RAF on 1 February 1957 and No. 65 Group RAF on 1 February 1951.

No. 61 Group RAF was formed on 1 July 1940 at Aldergrove before moving on 7 July 1940 to Dunlambert Hotel, Fort William Park, Belfast. It was redesignated to RAF NI on 1 August 1940. It was reformed on 2 May 1946 as No. 61 (Eastern Reserve) Group within Rickmansworth, moving to RAF Kenley on 1 August 1946. It was renamed to No. 61 (Eastern) Group on 1 August 1950, on 1 January 1957 it was renamed to No. 61 (Southern Reserve) Group and was disbanded on 31 March 1959.^[1]

During April 1953 the group controlled:^[2]

No. 62 (Southern Reserve) Group RAF was operational between 15 May 1946 and 31 and 1 February 1957. It was initially based within Exeter but moved to RAF Middle Wallop on 2 July 1946 then to RAF Rudloe Manor on 26 January 1948. Tt was renamed to No. 62 (Southern) Group RAF on 1 August 1950 then moved to RAF Pucklechurch on 16 June 1952 and was disbanded into No. 61 Group on 1 February 1957.^[1]

During April 1953 the group controlled:^[2]

No. 65 (London Reserve) Group was operational between 2 May 1946 and 1 February 1951. It was renamed to No. 65 (London) Group on 1 August 1950 and was disbanded into No. 61 Group on 1 February 1951.^[1]

• List of Royal Air Force groups

• Delve, K. (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.