Here follows the Order of Battle for September 1939, and it shows the state of readiness for Bomber Command at the start of the war.As can be seen, with the exception of the Fairey Battle squadrons of 6 Group and the Advanced Air Striking Force, all of the squadrons were operating twin-engined medium bombers of the Blenheim, Wellington, Whitley, and Hampden varieties. Compare this Order to that of April 1945, which is both considerably bigger, and with the exception of the Mosquito suadrons, composed entirely of the four-engined "heavies." The codes in the last two columns can be translated thus:-
"S.E." - The nominal amount of aircraft allocated to that squadron by HQ Bomber Command
"A.E." - The actual number of aircraft held on
charge by that squadron.
Advanced Air Striking Force, France.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED SQN STATUS 71 WING 15 Betheniville Battle Operational 40 Betheniville Battle Operational 72 WING 105 Rheims-Champagne Battle Operational 226 Rheims-Champagne Battle Operational 74 WING 103 Challerange Battle Operational 150 Challerange Battle Operational 75 WING 88 Auberive-sur-Suippes Battle Operational 218 Auberive-sur-Suippes Battle Operational 76 WING 12 Berry-au-Bac Battle Operational 142 Berry-au-Bac Battle Operational
2 Group. Headquarters - Castlewood House, Huntingdon,
Cambrideshire.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED SQN STATUS 79 WING 21 Watton Blenheim Operational 82 Watton Blenheim Operational 101 West Raynham Blenheim Operational 82 WING 114 Wyton Blenheim Operational 139 Wyton Blenheim Operational 83 WING 107 Wattisham Blenheim Operational 110 Wattisham Blenheim Operational SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED SQN STATUS 9 Honington Wellington Operational 37 Feltwell Wellington Operational 38 Marham Wellington Operational 99 Mildenhall Wellington Operational 115 Marham Wellington Operational 149 Mildenhall Wellington Operational 214 Feltwell Wellington Reserve 215 Bassingbourn Wellington Reserve
3 Group. Headquarters - Mildenhall, Suffolk.
4 Group. Headquarters - Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED SQN STATUS 10 Dishforth Whitley Operational 51 Linton-on-Ouse Whitley Operational 58 Linton-on-Ouse Whitley Operational 77 Driffield Whitley Operational 78 Dishforth Whitley Reserve 102 Driffield Whitley Operational
5 Group. Headquarters - St. Vincents, Grantham,
Nottinghamshire.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED SQN STATUS` 44 Waddington Hampden Operational 49 Scampton Hampden Operational 50 Waddington Hampden Operational 61 Hemswell Hampden Operational 83 Scampton Hampden Operational 106 Cottesmore Hampden Reserve 144 Hemswell Hampden Operational 185 Cottesmore Hampden Reserve
6 (Training) Group. Headquarters - Abingdon,
Berkshire.
Not to be confused with 6 (RCAF) Group, which came into being on October the 25th 1942, the 6 Group of 1939 was the training Group of Bomber Command, and as such all of its squadrons were organised into a "pool" structure. In early 1940 these squadrons would become the "Operational Training Units" (OTUs), which took fully trained aircrew from the training schools and prepared them for battle conditions. 6 (Training) Group became 91 (OTU) Group on May the 11th, 1942.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED 7 Upper Heyford Hampden 35 Cranfield Battle 52 Benson Battle 63 Benson Battle 75 Harwell Wellington 76 Upper Heyford Hampden 90 Upwood Blenheim 97 Abingdon Whitley 98* Hucknall Battle 104 Bicester Blenheim 108 Bicester Blenheim 148 Harwell Wellington 166 Abingdon Whitley 207 Cranfield Battle
*98 Sqn were detached to Fighter Command at the time of this Order
of Battle, although were still provisionally attached to 6 (Training)
Group as a reserve squadron.
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