No. 85 Group RAF
| No. 85 Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 17 December 1943-1 July 1946 1 December 1948-1 July 1950 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force |
| Type | Base Group |
| Role | Base construction and air defence |
| Size | Up to 8 flying and construction wings |
| Part of | RAF Second Tactical Air Force |
| Engagements |
Operation Overlord Operation Market Garden Defence of Antwerp |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Air Vice-Marshal John Cole-Hamilton Air Vice-Marshal Charles Steele Air Vice-Marshal Dermot Boyle |
No. 85 Group was a Group of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. It was responsible for airfield construction and the air defence of the beachhead bases during the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 (Operation Overlord) and the subsequent campaign.
No. 85 Group was formed on 17 December 1943 within 2nd Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF) from wings of the RAF Airfield Construction Service. It was renamed No. 85 (Base) Group under the command of Air Vice Marshal John Cole-Hamilton on 14 February 1944.
85 Group's role was to defend the vital beachhead and base area for 21st Army Group and 2nd TAF once the landings on D-Day had been achieved. Air superiority over the battlefield was vital and the landing area had been chosen partly because of the availability of suitable sites for airfields. Until these could be constructed, 2nd TAF aircraft had to operate from Southern England, which curtailed their time over the bridgehead. The Group's composition and chain of command was anomalous. Its Night-fighter force operated jointly with 11 Group in Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) and its single-engined fighters were under operational control of 2nd TAF, while airfield construction was under the control of Commander 21st Army Group Royal Engineers (CAGRE).
The composition of 85 Group from June to August 1944 was as follows (airfields given for 6 June):
For D-Day (6 June) itself, all the available day fighters of 2nd TAF and ADGB were given specific tasks. In 85 Group, the three squadrons of 150 Wing at Newchurch were part of the 'Pool of Readiness', a rapid reaction force in case the Luftwaffe intervened in the landing operations. Meanwhile, 91, 124 and 322 Sqns were tasked with preventing Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft from operating over the landing area.
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