13 Group Stations of the the Battle of Britain

The Group pages begin with a sector map explaining the Group's structure and how the chain of command worked. The stations are split into Sector stations, Fighter stations, Chain Home and Chain Home Low RDF sites. To see the details of each station, click on its name on the map, or scroll down the list, which is arranged alphabetically in categories.

Group Headquarters

13 Group Headquarters was based at RAF Newcastle, the administrative centre.

Sector Airfields

RAF Acklington.

RAF Acklington was home to the Acklington Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 72 Squadron from 6 June 1940

  • No 79 Squadron from 13 July 1940

  • No 32 Squadron from 28 August 1940

  • No 610 Squadron from 31 August 1940

RAF Dyce.

RAF Dyce was home to the Dyce Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 248 Squadron from 22 May 1940

  • No 141 Squadron from 22 August 1940

  • No 145 Squadron from 31 August 1940

  • No 1 Squadron from 9 October 1940

RAF Turnhouse.

RAF Turnhouse was home to the Turnhouse Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 603 Squadron from 5 May 1940

  • No 141 Squadron from 28 June 1940

  • No 253 Squadron from 21 July 1940

  • No 65 Squadron from 28 August 1940

  • No 141 Squadron from 30 August 1940

  • No 1 Squadron from 14 September 1940

  • No 607 Squadron from 10 October 1940

RAF Usworth.

RAF Usworth was home to the Usworth Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 607 Squadron from 5 June 1940

  • No 43 Squadron from 8 September 1940

RAF Wick.

RAF Wick was home to the Wick Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 1 Squadron from 23 May 1940

Fighter Airfields

RAF Catterick.

RAF Catterick was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 219 Squadron from 4 October 1939

  • No 41 Squadron from 8 June 1940

  • No 54 Squadron from 28 July 1940

  • No 41 Squadron from 8 August 1940

  • No 504 Squadron from 1 September 1940

  • No 54 Squadron from 3 September 1940

  • No 600 Squadron from 12 October 1940

RAF Drem.

RAF Drem was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 145 Squadron from 14 August 1940

  • No 263 Squadron from 2 September 1940

  • No 111 Squadron from 8 September 1940

  • No 141 Squadron from 15 October 1940

RAF Grangemouth.

RAF Grangemouth was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 263 Squadron from 28 June 1940

RAF Kirkwall.

RAF Kirkwall was used as a satellite and relief airfield for fighter and coastal operations over the Scottish Islands and naval bases there.

RAF Sumburgh.

RAF Sumburgh was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 248 Squadron from 20 July 1940

  • No 248 Squadron from 31 July 1940

Chain Home Stations

RAF Anstruther.

Anstruther provided long range early warning for raids approaching southern Scotland, Edinburgh and the Firth.

RAF Bamburgh.

Bamburgh provided long range early warning for raids approaching the north of England.

RAF Danby Beacon.

Danby Beacon provided long range early warning for raids approaching the north midlands and the industrial cities of the north of England.

RAF Doonies Hill.

Doonies Hill provided long range early warning for raids approaching central Scotland and Aberdeen.

RAF Drone Hill.

Drone Hill provided long range early warning for the southern Firth of Forth approaches and Edinburgh.

RAF Hillhead.

Hillhead provided long range early warning for north of Scotland.

RAF Nether Button.

Nether Button provided long range early warning for raids approaching the Orkney and Shetland Islands and the naval bases there.

RAF Ottercops Moss.

Ottercops Moss provided long range early warning for the industrial cities and shipbuilding yards of the central north of England.

RAF Shotton.

Shotton provided long range early warning for north of England in the Durham to Middlesbrough region.

RAF St Cyrus.

St Cyrus provided long range early warning for central Scotland and the approaches to Dundee.

RAF Thrumster.

Thrumster provided long range early warning for the extreme north of Scotland.

Chain Home Low Stations

RAF Cockburnspath.

Cockburnspath provided low level raid cover for the southern approaches to the Firth of Forth.

RAF Cresswell.

Cresswell provided low level raid cover for the north of England coast in the Newcastle region.

RAF Douglas Wood.

Douglas Wood provided low level raid cover in central Scotland and the approaches to Dundee.

RAF Fair Isle.

Fair Isle provided low level raid cover in the Shetland-Orkneys gap.

RAF Rosehearty.

Rosehearty provided low level raid cover for the east coast of northern Scotland.

RAF School Hill.

School Hill provided low level raid cover for the central east coast of Scotland and the approaches to Aberdeen.