By the outbreak of war Group Headquarters were at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire and composed of the following squadrons and Wings; Nos.

110 and 107, were placed on temporary detachment to RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, from where they could attack shipping and the German held airfield at Stavanger in southern Norway.

The Group carried out intensive operations against the advancing Germans in the Battle of France following their breakthrough of 10 May 1940, suffering heavy losses.

A severe flak barrage split the formation up, allowing Messerschmitt Bf 109s to attack.

During the summer the light bomber force also supported defensive operations during the Battle of Britain, bombing German invasion barges being concentrated in the Channel ports.

As Bomber Command commenced on its night offensive against Germany, 2 Group was set aside to engage in daylight raids on shipping, coastal ports and other targets across the channel in Occupied Europe.

Operations continued unabated under Air Vice-Marshal D. F. Stevenson, a man who was infamous throughout the RAF at the time for his ruthless aggression, his ambition and his lack of concern for the losses suffered by his crews.

Even Churchill was greatly disturbed by the losses on the attacks Stevenson was ordering his crews to fly.

2 Group carried out a low-level attack on Bremen on 2 July 1941 in which the leader, Wing Commander Hughie Edwards of No.

On 6 December 1942 James Pelly-Fry led 2 Group's Operation Oyster daylight raid on the Philips electrical works at Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Eight of 2 Group's squadrons were committed to the raid, which was complicated by the need to use three types of bomber aircraft to get an adequate bomb load to the target.

The raid involved the use of de Havilland Mosquitos, Douglas Bostons and Lockheed Venturas.

The raid wrought great destruction the Philips works, which did not return to production of radio tubes and other electronic equipment for six months.

Casualties suffered by the Dutch workers and civilian population, though substantial, were significantly less than what would have occurred if the mission had been attempted by the heavy bombers in a night raid.

2 Group consisted of four wings of Douglas Bostons, North American Mitchells, and Mosquito light and medium bombers.

It was reformed on 7 January 2000 to take control of air transport, air-to-air refuelling and airborne early warning within the RAF.