No. 10 Operational Training Unit RAF

Last updated

No. 10 Operational Training Unit
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Armstrong Whitworth Aw.38 Whitley. CH1216.jpg
A Whitley taxiing at Abingdon.
Active8 April 1940 – 10 September 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Role Training

No. 10 Operational Training Unit RAF or more simply No. 10 OTU was a training unit operated by the Royal Air Force.

Contents

History

The unit was formed at RAF Abingdon on 8 April 1940 with No. 97 Squadron RAF (97 Sqn) and No. 166 Squadron RAF (166 Sqn) flying Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys to train night bomber crews. [1]

During 1942 10 OTU took control of an anti-submarine flight detached to St Eval and 10 OTU was transferred to No. 91 Group RAF. [1]

On June 20, 1943, in the Bay of Biscay, one of a pair of Whitleys operated by 10 OTU from St. Eval was shot down while attacking a submarine believed to be the Barbarigo, of the Italian navy. All of the Whitley's crew were killed. [2]

Between March and November 1944 the unit moved to RAF Stanton Harcourt whilst runways were laid at Abingdon with Vickers Wellingtons arriving from June. During September the last Whitley left and later in the year, during December, it gained the control of the Polish Flight from No. 18 Operational Training Unit RAF (18 OTU), until June 1945 when the flight disbanded. [1]

10 OTU disbanded on 10 September 1946 back at Abingdon. [3]

Airfields used

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Cottesmore</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England

Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. On 15 December 2009, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced that the station would close in 2013 as part of defence spending cuts, along with the retirement of the Harrier GR9 and the disbandment of Joint Force Harrier. The formal closing ceremony took place on 31 March 2011, and the airfield became a satellite of RAF Wittering until March 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Kinloss</span>

Royal Air Force Kinloss or RAF Kinloss is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Abingdon</span>

Royal Air Force Abingdon or more simply RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Dishforth</span> Former Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Dishforth or more simply RAF Dishforth is a former Royal Air Force station near to Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1936, the base was used as a bomber airfield during the Second World War with both British and Canadian squadrons flying missions from the airfield. After the war, the base was used by various squadrons and training units before being disposed of in 1992 and handed over to the Army Air Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Chivenor</span>

Royal Air Force Chivenor or RAF Chivenor was a Royal Air Force station located on the northern shore of the River Taw estuary, on the north coast of Devon, England. The nearest towns are Barnstaple and Braunton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Finningley</span> Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Finningley or RAF Finningley was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The station straddled the historic county boundaries of both Nottinghamshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFB Greenwood</span> Air force base in Canada

Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located 1.5 nautical miles east of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus anti-submarine/maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 14 Wing, commonly referred to as 14 Wing Greenwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Ouston</span>

Royal Air Force Ouston, or more simply RAF Ouston, is a former Royal Air Force station that was located near the village of Stamfordham and the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall on Hadrian's Wall near Newcastle upon Tyne. It was built as a Second World War aerodrome and is today used by the British Army. Just north of the airfield is Richmond Hill, Northumberland, in the parish of Stamfordham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF St Eval</span> Former RAF base in Cornwall, England

Royal Air Force St. Eval or RAF St. Eval was a Royal Air Force station for the RAF Coastal Command, southwest of Padstow in Cornwall, England, UK. St Eval's primary role was to provide anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast. Aircraft from the airfield were also used for photographic reconnaissance missions, meteorological flights, convoy patrols, air-sea rescue missions and protection of the airfield from the Luftwaffe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Jurby</span> Former RAF station on the Isle of Man

Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby is a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, RAF. During the Second World War the station was used for training as No. 5 Armament Training Station, No. 5 Air Observer School, No. 5 Bombing & Gunnery School and the No. 5 Air Navigation & Bombing School. In addition RAF Jurby also played host to a variety of operational squadrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Chilbolton</span>

Royal Air Force Chilbolton or RAF Chilbolton was a Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield was located in Chilbolton approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southeast of Andover, about 62 miles (100 km) southwest of London

Royal Air Force Grangemouth or more simply RAF Grangemouth is a former Royal Air Force station located 3 mi (4.8 km) north east of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

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.

Number 58 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.

RAF Wymeswold is a former Royal Air Force station located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-east of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. The airfield is situated between Hoton, Wymeswold and Burton on the Wolds, lying in the current district of Charnwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Thorney Island</span>

Royal Air Force Thorney Island or more simply RAF Thorney Island is a former Royal Air Force station located on Thorney Island, West Sussex, England, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) west of Chichester and 7.1 miles (11.4 km) east of Portsmouth, Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 166 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 166 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that formed just after the end of World War I. It was the first and one of only three to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 heavy bomber.

No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit (OTU), Tactical Weapon Unit (TWU) and part of No. 4 Flying Training School RAF until finally disbanded in 1994.

Royal Air Force Stanton Harcourt or more simply RAF Stanton Harcourt is a former Royal Air Force station located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) southeast of Witney, Oxfordshire and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) west of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 "No 10 Operational Training Unit". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 9 February 2016.
  2. Dave O'Malley, "The Memory that Would Not Die: the Story of Olive Bingham's Memorial Cross," Vintage Wings of Canada, April 17, 2020. http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/626/The-Memory-that-Would-Not-Die.aspx
  3. Lake 1999, p. 146.
  4. "Abingdon". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT). Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  5. "Stanton Harcourt". ABCT. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  6. "St. Eval". ABCT. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

Bibliography