No. 9 Group RAF

No. 9 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force.

History
The group was first formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. The next month it was transferred to South-Western Area and then disbanded on 15 May 1919.

Its next incarnation was as part of RAF Fighter Command. As 1940 wore on, the need for another Group headquarters to control fighter operations became more and more apparent. No. 9 Group was formed in September 1940 to cover north-west England and Northern Ireland. It was based at Samlesbury Aerodrome, Lancashire, which eventually had three runways, and was the site of an English Electric factory building Handley Page Hampden and Handley Page Halifax bombers.

No. 9 Group itself had a relative short lifespan. By 1944 it was predominantly a training formation. On 6 June 1944, with its headquarters at RAF Barton Hall, Preston, Lancashire, it comprised two sector stations, RAF Honiley and RAF Woodvale, eight Operational Training Units, three Tactical Exercise Units, the AI Conversion Unit, the Fighter Leaders' School, No. 2 Aircraft Delivery Flight, No. 58 Repair and Salvage Unit, three other support/supply units, and the 9 Group Communications Flight flying Hawker Hurricanes and Airspeed Oxfords from Samlesbury Aerodrome.

It was absorbed into No. 12 Group RAF on 15 September 1944.

Commanders
The following officers had command of No. 9 Group:

1918 to 1919

 * 1 April 1918 Brigadier-General H D Briggs

1940 to 1944

 * 16 September 1940 Air Vice-Marshal W A McClaughry
 * April 1942 Air Vice-Marshal L H Slatter
 * 26 June 1942 Air Vice-Marshal W F Dickson
 * 1942 Air Commodore C R Steele (Temporary appointment)
 * 10 November 1942 Air Vice-Marshal J W Jones
 * 2 July 1943 Air Vice-Marshal L N Hollinghurst
 * 6 November 1943 Air Commodore C A Stevens (Temporary appointment)
 * 7 December 1943 Air Vice-Marshal D F Stevenson