3 Group was initially equipped with the ungainly Vickers Virginia and Handley Page Heyford, which was the RAF's last biplane heavy bomber.

Air Commodore A A B Thomson, Playfair's successor, was killed on 8 August 1939 while viewing the bombing up of a Vickers Wellington of No.

On 2 April 1940, two squadrons were temporarily transferred to RAF Coastal Command and advanced bases in Northern Scotland, and they had hardly settled in before the Germans invaded Denmark and Norway.

[6] The squadrons went into action immediately and on 11/12 April one of them (115 Sqn) became the first RAF unit to bomb deliberately a mainland target (Stavanger Airport, Sola) during the Second World War.

The group provided administrative support for all the Special Duties squadrons til the end of the war.

After the invasion of Normandy, Bomber Command joined in the campaign against German oil targets.

Most of the Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor, squadrons, made operational in the late 1950s, formed part of No.

The Group was reformed on 1 April 2000 to control Joint Force Harrier and maritime aircraft transferred from the former No.

Rear Admiral Iain Henderson was the first occupant of the post, who also had the NATO roles of COMAIREASTLANT and COMMARAIRNORTH.

[15] After a further reorganisation in 2003-4, the group became known as the Battle Management Group and controlled the Airborne Early Warning aircraft, ground-based radar installations, maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the search and rescue helicopters in the UK.

The group was based alongside Strike Command at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.