| Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 2 January 1939 - 5 October 1956 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Operational Conversion Unit |
| Role | Flying boat training |
| Part of | RAF Coastal Command |
Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF is a former Squadron of the Royal Air Force which was operational between 1931 and 1956 through various names.
The Flying Boat Training Squadron was formed on 2 January 1939 at RAF Calshot. It operated Supermarine Stranraer I, a British biplane flying boat, Supermarine Scapa I, a British general reconnaissance flying boat, and Short Singapore III, a British multi-engined biplane flying boat, before being disbanded and merged with the Seaplane Training Squadron to become No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, on 16 March 1941. [1]
History of the Seaplane Training Squadron
The Seaplane Training Squadron formed on 1 October 1931 at RAF Calshot by redesignating the Seaplane Training Flight, which itself had been formed on 5 February 1923 at RAF Calshot by redesignating an element of the disbanding Seaplane Training School, that was equipped with Fairey IIID, Fairey IIIF, and Supermarine Southampton I & II. [2]
The Seaplane Training Squadron had a Floatplane Training Flight and in April 1938 this became independent of the squadron. The squadron operated a number of aircraft types and variants:
The Seaplane Training Squadron disbanded on 16 March 1941 at RAF Wig Bay and merged with the Flying Boat Training Squadron to become No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF. [2]
History of No. 4 OTU
No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF was formed on 16 March 1941. [3] Its role was to train flying boat aircrew for RAF Coastal Command and the unit was formed within No. 17 Group RAF at RAF Stranraer. The unit was initially equipped with Short Singapore III, a British multi-engined biplane flying boat and it later received Supermarine Stranraer flying boat, Consolidated Catalina, a flying boat and amphibious aircraft, and Saunders-Roe A.36 Lerwick, a British flying boat. No. 4 (C) OTU then moved onto RAF Invergordon in June 1941, and in the following December it received Short Sunderland, a British flying boat patrol bomber. [4] No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was equipped with numerous types and variants of aircraft: [3]
Flying boat aircrew training was split into two sections in February 1942. Operational training was done at RAF Invergordon, but initial flying boat training was relocated back at RAF Stranraer. However, with an expansion of RAF Invergordon completed, the latter element returned in November. The Consolidated Catalina were transferred to No. 131 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF in Autumn 1943, and from Autumn 1944 the units land based aircraft briefly used RAF Evanton and then moved to RAF Tain. In August 1946 No. 4 (C) OTU moved to RAF Pembroke Dock, [4] but just under twelve months later it disbanded, on 31 July 1947, to become No. 235 Operational Conversion Unit RAF. [3]
History of No. 235 OCU
No. 235 Operational Conversion Unit was formed at RAF Calshot, as a redesignation of No. 4 (C) OTU, on 31 July 1947. It operated Short Sunderland V flying boat, and Short Seaford, a British long range maritime patrol bomber flying boat. Between August 1947 and April 1951 it was assigned the squadron code TA but then from April 1951 until October 1953 it had the squadron code D. [5] The OCU disbanded on 17 October 1953 at RAF Calshot to become the Flying Boat Training Squadron. [6]
Reformation
The Flying Boat Training Squadron was reformed at RAF Pembroke Dock on 17 October 1953 as a redesignation of No. 235 OCU. It operated with Short Sunderland V flying boat, before being disbanded less than 3 years later, on 5 October 1956, still at RAF Pembroke Dock. [1]
The Saunders Roe A.27 London was a British military biplane flying boat built by the Saunders Roe company. Only 31 were built, entering service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1936. Although due for replacement by the outbreak of World War II, they saw some active service pending the introduction of the ultimately unsuccessful Lerwick.
The Supermarine Stranraer is a flying boat designed and built by the British Supermarine Aviation Works company at Woolston, Southampton. It was developed during the 1930s on behalf of its principal operator, the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was the RAF's last and fastest biplane flying boat.
No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational conversion unit.
Royal Air Force Calshot or more simply RAF Calshot was initially a seaplane and flying boat station, and latterly a Royal Air Force marine craft maintenance and training unit. It was located at the end of Calshot Spit in Southampton Water, Hampshire, England, at grid reference SU487024. It was the main seaplane/flying boat development and training unit in the UK, with the landing area sheltered by the mainland, to the west, north and east, and the Isle of Wight, a few miles away to the south on the other side of the Solent, where seaplanes and flying boats were mass-produced by Saunders-Roe. It closed in 1961. Much of the former base has been preserved, with most of the site now being occupied by the RNLI.
No. 228 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force active at various times between 1918 and 1964. It spent the greatest part of its existence flying over water, doing so in First, and Second World Wars and beyond, performing anti-submarine, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue tasks.
No. 236 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational Conversion Unit which was active between 1947 and 1992 and formed by re-numbering and merging different units.
No. 240 Operational Conversion Unit RAF is a former Royal Air Force Operational conversion unit which was formed by a series of mergers, it then became No. 27 Squadron RAF in 1993.
Royal Air Force Haverfordwest, or more simply RAF Haverfordwest, is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) north of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and 11 miles (18 km) south of Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Royal Air Force Carew Cheriton, or more simply RAF Carew Cheriton, is a former Royal Air Force station located near Carew, Pembrokeshire. It was situated 4.7 miles (7.6 km) north west of Tenby.
No. 240 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force flying boat and seaplane squadron during World War I, World War II and up to 1959. It was then reformed as a strategic missile squadron, serving thus till 1963.
No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF, was a training unit of the Royal Air Force, within No. 17 Group RAF, which was part of RAF Coastal Command. The unit was established during April 1940 by the redesignating of an existing RAF Coastal Command unit, and disbanded during October 1943.
No. 17 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which was operational in the last year of the First World War, and throughout the Second World War.
Royal Air Force Pembroke Dock, or more simply RAF Pembroke Dock, was a Royal Air Force Seaplane and Flying boat station located at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The Royal Navy contingent left in 1926 with the Royal Air Force occupying the site from 1 January 1930. During the initial stages of World War II, it became the home of two Dutch flying boats and their squadron personnel as well as hosting RAF, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and United States naval aircrews.
Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School RAF was a training unit of the Royal Air Force and part of RAF Coastal Command. The unit was established during April 1945 by the redesignating of an existing RAF Coastal Command unit. The unit had several different identities beforehand. It began as the short lived No. 7 Operational Training Unit which only existed during 1940, before reforming in 1942 as No. 7 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. It disbanded and was redesignated a few more times before becoming the Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School.
No. 111 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF, was a training unit of the Royal Air Force, within No. 17 Group RAF, which was part of RAF Coastal Command. The unit was established during August 1942 and disbanded during May 1946.
No. 131 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF, was a training unit of the Royal Air Force, initially within No. 15 Group RAF, then transferring to No. 17 Group RAF, both were part of RAF Coastal Command. The unit was established during July 1942 and disbanded during June 1945.
Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit RAF (ASWDU) was a research and development unit of the Royal Air Force, within RAF Coastal Command, it was operational from December 1940 and disbanded in April 1970.
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