No. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. First World Wa No. 13 Group RAF was first formed on 1 April 1918 within No. 3 Area. It was quickly transferred to Midland Area on 8 May of that year. On 18 October 1919 the Group's first existence came to an end when it was disbanded by folding it into No. 3 Group. Second World War Preparations for War As Fighter Command expanded prior to the Second World War, it was seen that a new Group was needed to command the air defences of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the north of England. 13 Group was duly reformed in September 1939. During the initial stages of World War II, No. 13 Group was Commanded by Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul. The Dowding System in 13 Group Like the other groups into which fighter command were divided, No. 13 Group operated the Dowding system of fighter control. The 13 Group HQ was at Kenton, near Newcastle upon Tyne with the Filter Room at nearby Blakelaw Quarry. The sector airfields were: RAF Acklington RAF Dyce RAF Inverness RAF Turnhouse RAF Usworth RAF Wick Stations Besides the sector airfields, between 1940 and 1944, No. 13 Group used the following assets in its operations. The letter A after a station name denotes an airfield, and a R denotes a radar site that fed information into the group headquarters. RAF Acklington A RAF Aldergrove A RAF Anstruther R RAF Ayr A RAF Bamburgh R RAF Blakelaw HQ RAF Castletown A RAF Catterick A RAF Church Fenton A RAF Cockburnspath R RAF Cresswell R RAF Dalcross HQ RAF Danby Beacon R RAF Doonies Hill R RAF Douglas Wood RAF Drem A RAF Drone Hill R RAF Dyce A RAF Fair Isle R RAF Grangemouth A RAF Hillhead R RAF Inverness HQ RAF Leconfield A RAF Leeming A RAF Netherbutton R RAF Ottercops Moss R RAF Ouston A RAF Prestwick A RAF Rosehearty R RAF St Cyrus R RAF Schoolhill R RAF Shotton R RAF Skeabrae A RAF Sumburgh A RAF Thrumster R RAF Turnhouse A RAF Usworth A RAF Wick A Battle of Britain As well as guarding the north during the Battle of Britain, 13 Group