No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF

No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit
No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit
Active	27 November 1940 - 4 January 1944
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Operational Training Unit
Role	Aircrew Training
Part of	RAF Coastal Command ; *No. 17 Group RAF

Last updated December 11, 2023

No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (3 (C)OTU), 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.^[1]

History

No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF was formed at RAF Chivenor on 27 November 1940.^[1] It was tasked with training aircrew for Avro Anson, a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft, and Bristol Beaufort, a British twin-engined torpedo bomber aircraft, from No. 1 (C) OTU. Aircrew training for Bristol Beaufort aircraft had been intended for No. 5 (C) OTU, and No. 3 (C) OTU was initially designated for training aircrew for Vickers Wellington, a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber, and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a British medium bomber aircraft, however, slow progress with the construction of new airfields meant the Vickers Wellington and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircrew training went to RAF Kinloss, and later RAF Silloth, with the Bristol Beaufort aircrew training remaining at RAF Chivenor.^[2]

On 29 July 1941 the aircrew training for the Whitley and Wellington aircraft moved to RAF Cranwell as a lodger unit, and the Bristol Beaufort aircrew training section became No. 5 Operational Training Unit RAF (5 OTU), when it re-formed at RAF Chivenor on 1 August 1941.^[2]

No. 3 (C) OTU was the first unit to be officially based at RAF Haverfordwest. Initially, on the 30 November 1942, four of its Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft, along with ground crew, moved in from RAF Cranwell. Its role was to provide aircrew with reconnaissance training and by June 1943 its full complement of aircraft had arrived.^[3] Around the end of April 1943, aircrew training for Armstrong Whitworth Whitley had ended and the unit reorganised its Flights. The Vickers Wellington conversion training was designated ‘A’ Flight, with the two Operational Training flights ‘B’ Flight and ‘D’ Flight. ‘C’ Flight was for the Avro Anson aircrew training.^[2]

No 3 (C) OTU's Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft were all eventually withdrawn, being replaced with more Vickers Wellington aircraft. Lack of space at RAF Haverfordwest, meant 'O' Flight operated out of RAF Haverfordwest’s satellite airfield, RAF Templeton.^[4] 'O' Flight of was equipped with fourteen Avro Anson I aircraft,^[5] and was tasked with the training of aircrew for general reconnaissance and particularly the use of Leigh Lights. This was successfully used against Kriegsmarine submarines by RAF Coastal Command.^[6] The flight left RAF Templeton in December 1943, moving to RAF St Athan where it was renamed No. 12 Radio School RAF.^[5]

The unit was disbanded on 4 January 1944 at RAF Haverfordwest and absorbed by No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF (6 OTU).^[7]

Aircraft operated

No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was equipped with numerous types and variants of aircraft:^[8]

Bristol Blenheim I, IV
Westland Lysander I, II, III, IIIA
Avro Anson I
Fairey Battle
Airspeed Oxford II
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V, VII
Bristol Beaufort I
de Havilland Tiger Moth II
Miles Magister
Handley Page Hampden I
Bristol Beaufighter I
Vickers Wellington I, IA, IC, III, VIII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV
Miles Martinet I

Officer Commanding

Note: The ranks shown are the ranks held at the time of holding the appointment of commanding officer, No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF.^[2]

No. 3 (C) OTU commanding officers
Rank	name	from
Wing Commander	J B M Wallis	30 July 1941
Wing Commander	T B Cooper	17 February 1942
Wing Commander	M G L Foster (reverted to Chief Instructor on move to RAF Haverfordwest)	29 May 1942
Group Captain	W M M Hurley (also Officer Commanding, RAF Haverfordwest)	30 June 1943

Airfields used

The main airfield for the unit was RAF Chivenor however a number of different airfields were also used.

Related Research Articles

Royal Air Force Chivenor, or more simply 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.

Royal Air Force Bircham Newton or more simply RAF Bircham Newton is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) south east of Docking, Norfolk and 13.4 miles (21.6 km) north east of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England.

Royal Air Force Elgin or RAF Elgin, also known as Bogs of Mayne, is a former airfield operated by the Royal Air Force and located approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) south west of Elgin in Moray, Scotland. It opened in 1940 as a satellite airfield of RAF Lossiemouth and was used throughout the Second World War, predominantly by bomber aircraft of No. 20 Operational Training Unit. Towards the end of the war it was used by No. 46 Maintenance Unit, before it closed in 1947. The site was returned to agricultural use, although several airfield buildings and a memorial remain.

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 Talbenny, or more simply RAF Talbenny, is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.6 miles (9.0 km) north west of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) south west of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

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Royal Naval Air Station Dale is a former Royal Naval Air Station, located 10 miles (16 km) South West of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was operational between 1942 and 1948, being used by both the Royal Air Force (1942–1943) and the Royal Navy (1943–1948).

Royal Air Force Templeton, or more simply RAF Templeton, is a former Royal Air Force station located 9.75 miles (15.69 km) south east of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and 10 miles (16 km) north east of Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Royal Air Force Honeybourne, or more simply RAF Honeybourne, was a Royal Air Force station located 0.6 miles (0.97 km) south of Honeybourne, Worcestershire, England and 4.6 miles (7.4 km) east of Evesham, Worcestershire, England

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.

Royal Air Force Bitteswell or more simply RAF Bitteswell is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Lutterworth, Leicestershire and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) north of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

Royal Air Force Silloth, or more simply RAF Silloth, is a former Royal Air Force station one mile (1.6 km) north-east of Silloth, Cumbria, England, and 6.7 miles (10.8 km) south-west of Kirkbride, Cumbria. The station was used by RAF Coastal Command.

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. 2 (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 during early 1944.

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.

Ferry Training Unit is a former Royal Air Force unit which operated between 1952 and 1958 to train ferry flight pilots. The unit was formed by a series of replacements, disbandments and mergers dating back to 1939.

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.

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.

References

Citations

1 2 Lake 1999, p. 144.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "OTUs 1 - 23". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
↑ Phillips 2006, p. 86 & 87.
↑ Phillips 2006, p. 87.
1 2 Phillips 2006, p. 238.
↑ Jones 2007, p. 47.
↑ Lake 1999, p. 145.
↑ Lake 1999, p. 144-145.
↑ "RAF Templeton". Control Towers. Retrieved 17 May 2012.

Bibliography

Jones, Ivor (2007). Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales: West. Stroud, Gloucestershire UK: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-4418-5.
Lake, Alan (1999). Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewsbury UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
Phillips, Alan (2006). Military Airfields of Wales. Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough Wales UK: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-84494-019-5.

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[FOOTNOTELake1999144-1] 1 2 Lake 1999, p. 144.

[authority-Operational_Training_Units-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "OTUs 1 - 23". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 3 September 2023.

[FOOTNOTEPhillips200686_&_87-3] Phillips 2006, p. 86 & 87.

[FOOTNOTEPhillips200687-4] Phillips 2006, p. 87.

[FOOTNOTEPhillips2006238-5] 1 2 Phillips 2006, p. 238.

[FOOTNOTEJones200747-6] Jones 2007, p. 47.

[FOOTNOTELake1999145-7] Lake 1999, p. 145.

[FOOTNOTELake1999144-145-8] Lake 1999, p. 144-145.

[CT-9] "RAF Templeton". Control Towers. Retrieved 17 May 2012.

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