No. 236 Operational Conversion Unit RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939-1992 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Maritime Reconnaissance training |
| Last station | RAF Kinloss |
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.
The conversion unit was formed at RAF Kinloss on 31 July 1947 and operated a variety of aircraft including Avro Lancasters, Airspeed Oxfords and Bristol Beaufighters until 30 September 1956 when it was disbanded for the first time to become the Maritime Operational Training Unit on 30 September 1956.
The MOTU was formed by the merger of No. 236 OCU and No. 1 Maritime Reconnaissance School at Kinloss and operated Avro Shackletons and Nimrods until 1 July 1970 at St Mawgan. [1]
236 OCU reformed at RAF St Mawgan on 1 July 1970 operating Hawker Siddeley Nimrods borrowed from No. 42 Squadron RAF until the unit was disbanded on 30 September 1992 at Kinloss to become No. 42 (Reserve) Squadron, the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit [2]
History of No. 1 Maritime Reconnaissance School (1 MRS)
The school was formed on 1 June 1951 at St Mawgan as the School of Maritime Reconnaissance and later renamed to 1 MRS operating Airspeed Oxfords, Lancasters and Avro Ansons until 30 September 1956 at St Mawgan. [3]
The unit was initially No. 11 Group Pool which was formed on 14 August 1939 just before the start of the Second World War at RAF Andover operating Hawker Hurricanes, Miles Mentors and Airspeed Oxfords until 6 March 1940 when at RAF Sutton Bridge it was disbanded and became No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF. [4]
The OTU operated Gloster Gladiators, Miles Masters and Fairey Battles until 1 November 1940 when the unit became No. 56 OTU.
However No. 6 OTU was reformed at Andover on 1 June 1941 by redesignating No. 2 School of Army Co-operation operating Bristol Blenheims for a short time until 18 July 1941 when the unit became No. 42 OTU.
No. 6 OTU reformed for the last time on 19 July 1941 at RAF Thornaby again operating a wide variety of aircraft including Lockheed Hudsons, de Havilland Tiger Moths and Bristol Buckmasters until 31 July 1947 when at Kinloss the unit was disbanded and became No. 236 OCU. [5]
The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired maritime patrol aircraft developed and operated by the United Kingdom. It was an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first operational jet airliner. It was originally designed by de Havilland's successor firm, Hawker Siddeley; further development and maintenance work was undertaken by Hawker Siddeley's own successor companies, British Aerospace and, later, BAE Systems.
The Avro Shackleton is a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) which was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF). It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber, which itself had been a development of the famous wartime Avro Lancaster bomber.
Royal Air Force Kinloss, or more simply RAF Kinloss, is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland, UK.
Number 42 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served during the First World War as an army co-operation squadron and during the Second World War in various roles. Between 1992 and 2010, it was the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, until the Nimrod MR.2's retirement in March 2010. No. 42 Squadron disbanded on 26 May 2011.
Royal Air Force St Mawgan or more simply RAF St Mawgan is a Royal Air Force station near St Mawgan and Newquay in Cornwall, England. In 2008 the runway part of the site was handed over to Newquay Airport. The remainder of the station continues to operate under the command of the RAF. RAF St Mawgan used to have the widest military runway in the UK (300 ft) and was the home of the Cornwall Air Ambulance service and more recently 505 (Wessex) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF).
No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational conversion unit that disbanded during April 1993. It was active twice, initially between March 1947 and December 1949, before reforming in December 1951.
No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.
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.
No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit RAF is a former Royal Air Force Operational conversion unit which operated between 16 April 1951 and 1 July 1992 when the unit became No. 57 Squadron RAF.
No. 18 Group of the Royal Air Force was a group active from 1918 to 1919, and from 1938 to 1996.
Royal Air Force Haverfordwest or more commonly 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. 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. 3 (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 started operating from late 1940 and disbanded at the start of 1944, being absorbed into No. 6 OTU.
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.
Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF is a former Squadron of the Royal Air Force which was operational between 1931 and 1956 through various names.
No. 55 Operational Training Unit RAF(55 OTU) was an Operational Training Unit of the Royal Air Force, formed in November 1940 at RAF Aston Down to train fighter pilots.
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.
No. 5 (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 1941 and disbanded during August 1945.
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