No. 60 Group RAF

No. 60 Group RAF was a wartime Royal Air Force formation established in 1940 to coordinate the electronic air-defence network supporting Britain’s air defence. It operated within RAF Fighter Command and was headquartered at Leighton Buzzard. Rather than being a consumer-facing brand or commercial enterprise, the group was an operational military organization whose remit covered the personnel, stations and technical infrastructure associated with the Chain Home radar system and related signals functions. The group was formally created within the RAF Directorate of Signals on 23 February 1940, during the period when Britain was expanding and institutionalizing the radar-based defence system that had become central to Fighter Command’s ability to detect and respond to hostile aircraft. Its responsibilities included the operation, maintenance and calibration of Chain Home radar stations, as well as the coordination of specialist wings, radar sites and technical units. The organization therefore connected military personnel with civilian technical staff and research establishments involved in sustaining the air-defence network. Its order of battle changed as the war progressed. In 1941 it controlled a broad group of numbered RAF wings, including Nos. 70 through 78 Wings. In 1942 and 1943, No. 79 Wing was also included among the formations under its control. By July 1944, the structure had been adjusted to focus on Nos. 70, 73, 75, 78 and 84 Wings. On the eve of the Normandy landings in June 1944, the group comprised several wings, radar stations—many of them located in Ireland—and specialist units. These included the RAF section of the Telecommunications Research Establishment at Malvern, reflecting the close relationship between operational radar work and communications research. The group’s work supported the wider British air-defence system during the Second World War, but its remit was not limited to a single station or equipment type. It coordinated a geographically distributed network and the technical activities needed to keep that network functional, accurate and integrated with Fighter Command. Calibration duties were particularly important because radar performance depended on the accuracy and reliability of the equipment and associated procedures. By January 1945, No. 60 Group remained part of Fighter Command. Its final commander was Air Vice-Marshal W. E. Theak. On 25 April 1946, after the end of the war, No. 60 Group was amalgamated with No. 26 Group RAF to form No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF. The amalgamation ended No. 60 Group as a distinct RAF formation. Its historical significance lies in its role within the institutional and technical structure that operated Britain’s radar-supported air-defence system, rather than in products, commercial services or public marketing.

No. 60 Group RAF was formed on 23 February 1940 within the Directorate of Signals and placed within RAF Fighter Command. Its headquarters was at Leighton Buzzard. The group was created to provide an organizational structure for the electronic air-defence network supporting Britain, especially the Chain Home radar stations and associated technical and personnel systems. The group’s duties covered the operation, upkeep and calibration of radar stations. This required coordination among RAF personnel, civilian workers, technical specialists and research organizations. Its remit extended across a distributed system rather than being confined to one airfield. The group controlled a changing collection of numbered RAF wings and specialist units as the Second World War developed. In May 1941, its order of battle included Nos. 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78 Wings RAF. By April 1942, No. 79 Wing had also joined the listed formation, and the same broad group of wings remained associated with No. 60 Group in April 1943. By July 1944, the listed structure had been reorganized around Nos. 70, 73, 75, 78 and 84 Wings. The group played an important coordinating role during the period surrounding the Normandy invasion. In June 1944, it included No. 70 Wing, which covered northern signals responsibilities and included No. 526 Squadron RAF at RAF Inverness for calibration work; Nos. 73, 75, 78 and 80 Wings; twelve separate radar stations, many in Ireland; and three specialist units. One of those specialist units was the RAF section of the Telecommunications Research Establishment at Malvern, linking operational air defence with advanced communications and radar research. No. 60 Group was still assigned to Fighter Command in January 1945. Its later wartime and immediate postwar organization reflected the RAF’s continuing need to manage signals, radar and communications capabilities even as the wartime system was being reorganized. The group’s final commander was Air Vice-Marshal W. E. Theak. On 25 April 1946, No. 60 Group was amalgamated with No. 26 Group RAF to create No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF. This postwar reorganization brought the group’s separate existence to an end. No. 60 Group is therefore best understood as a historical RAF formation and operational command, not as a commercial brand or independent corporate entity.

• 1946

  Amalgamation into No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF

  [1]No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  No. 60 Group was combined with No. 26 Group RAF on 25 April 1946 to form No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF.

• 1944

  Radar and signals support around D-Day

  [1]No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  In June 1944, the group coordinated multiple wings, twelve radar stations and specialist units, including the RAF section of the Telecommunications Research Establishment at Malvern.

• 1942

  No. 79 Wing added to the listed order of battle

  [1]No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  The group’s order of battle included Nos. 70 through 79 Wings, with the relevant numbered formations controlling radar and signals activities.

• 1941

  Expanded wartime wing structure

  [1]No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  The group’s listed order of battle included RAF Wings numbered 70 through 78, reflecting its broad responsibility for the radar and signals network.

• 1940

  Formation within the Directorate of Signals

  [1]No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  No. 60 Group RAF was formally established on 23 February 1940 and headquartered at Leighton Buzzard within RAF Fighter Command.

A specialist RAF operational formation responsible for the coordination, operation, maintenance and calibration of Britain’s wartime radar and electronic air-defence network.

• 1946

  Postwar signals reorganizationStrategy

  Background

  Following the Second World War, the RAF reorganized its signals-related formations and consolidated No. 60 Group with No. 26 Group.

  Action taken

  The two groups were amalgamated on 25 April 1946 to establish No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF.

  Aftermath

  No. 60 Group ceased to exist as a separate RAF formation.

  Source

1. 1No. 60 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org