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 RAF Barton Hall and initially only controlled No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron at RAF Speke, On 1 January 1941 the group was only using the Hurricane I: No. 96 Squadron RAF at RAF Cranage No. 229 Squadron RAF at RAF Speke No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron at RAF Tern Hill No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron at RAF Baginton No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF at RAF Speke No. 275 Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Valley on 15 October 1941 as No. 9 Group's Air Sea Rescue unit, to cover the Irish Sea. 9 Group also supplied the staff that were trained by Robert Watson-Watt, the inventor of radar, to operate the Chain Home early warning system. The staff being RAF females (they were never WAAF members). On 1 May 1942 it consisted of: No. 131 Squadron RAF at RAF Llanbedr with Spitfire No. 232 Squadron RAF at RAF Atcham with Spitfire No. 255 Squadron RAF at RAF High Ercall with Beaufighter No. 257 Squadron RAF at RAF Honiley with Hurricane & Spitfire No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron at RAF Woodvale with Spitfire On 1 March 1943 it consisted of: No. 41 Squadron RAF at RAF High Ercall with Spitfire No. 96 Squadron RAF at RAF Honiley with Beaufighter No. 195 Squadron RAF at RAF Woodvale with Typhoon No. 219 Squadron RAF at RAF Scorton with Beaufighter No. 256 Squadron RAF at RAF Woodvale with Beaufighter No. 456 Squadron RAAF at RAF Valley with Beaufighter & Mosquito No. 9 Group itself had a relative short lifespan. By 1944 it was predominantly a training formation. On 6 June 1944 it comprised: two sector stations, RAF Honiley and RAF Woodvale, eight Operational Training Units: No. 13 Operational Training Unit at RAF Bicester and RAF Finmere with Mosquito & Boston No. 41 Operational Training Unit at RAF Hawarden and RAF Poulton with Mustang &