Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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Operational Training Units

No 24 Operational Training Unit

Formed at Honeybourne on 15 March1942 as a ²/₃ status unit within No 7 Group, equipped with Whitleys and Ansons tasked with training night bomber crews. On 15 May 1942 it was transferred to No 93 Group, under whose control it remained until disbanding on 24 July 1945, having been raised to full status in September 1942.

Codes used: -

FB	Mar 1942 - Jul 1945
TY	Mar 1942 - Jul 1945
UF	xxx 1944 - Jul 1945

Aircraft & Markings

No 25 Operational Training Unit

Formed at Finningley on 1 March 1941 within No 7 Group, equipped with Hampdens and later Manchesters tasked with training night bomber crews. By April 1942 the Manchesters had been retired and on 11 May it was transferred to No 92 Group and then on 1 September, No 93 Group, also being reduced to ²/₃ status. Flying ended on 7 January 1943 and the unit disbanded on 1 February with its aircraft being passed onto No's 27 and 30 OTUs

Codes used: -

PP	Mar 1941 - Feb 1943
ZP	xxx 1942 - Feb 1943

Aircraft & Markings

No 26 Operational Training Unit

Planned as a Blenheim training unit at Cranfield, it was due to form in April 1941, but formation was cancelled. It eventually formed at Wing on 15 January1942 as a ²/₃ status unit within No 7 Group, equipped with Wellingtons to train night bomber crews. On 11 May it was transferred to No 92 Group, having expanded to full strength. It was reduced to ¾ strength in August 1944 but reverted to full strength in November. Transferring to No 91 Group on 15 June 1945, it disbanded on4 March 1946.

Codes used: -

EU	Jan 1942 - xxx 1944
PB	Dec 1941 - Mar 1946
WG	Jan 1942 - Mar 1946

Aircraft & Markings

No 27 Operational Training Unit

Formed in No 6 Group on 23 April 1941 at Lichfield, it was equipped with Wellington ICs to train night bomber crews. Transferring to No 91 Group on 11 May 1942, it trained large numbers of RAAF crews during its career. Control passed to No 93 Group on 1 September 1943 but back to No 91 Group on 14 February 1945 before disbanding on 22 June of the same year.

Codes used: -

BB	Apr 1941 - Jun 1945
EN	Apr 1941 - Jun 1945
UJ	xxx xxxx - Jun 1945
YL	xxx 1943 - Jun 1945

Aircraft & Markings

No 28 Operational Training Unit

Formed in No 92 Group on 16 May 1942 at Wymeswold, it was equipped with Wellington ICs to train night bomber crews. In June 1942, it was transferred to No 93 Group remaining under its control until disbanding. In June 1943 it moved its base of operations temporarily to Ossington, whilst runways were laid at Wymeswold and by 1944 it was operating Wellington III and Xs. It also used a wide variety of other types for support activities including Ansons, Defiants, Martinets , Oxfords and Tiger Moths. As the need for bomber crews diminished, the unit disbanded on 15 October 1944.

Codes used: -

LB	May 1942 - Oct 1944
QN	May 1942 - Oct 1944
WY	May 1942 - Oct 1944

Aircraft & Markings

No 29 Operational Training Unit

Formed at North Luffenham on 21 April 1941 within No 7 Group, it was intended to be equipped with Whitleys, but this was changed to Wellingtons. Transferring to No 92 Group on 11 May 1942, training began in June. Between 24 May and 1 June 1943 the unit moved to Bruntingthorpe and in November 1944 one flight was transferred to No 26 OTU, reducing it to ¾ strength until it disbanded on 27 May 1945.

Codes used: -

NT	Apr 1942 - May 1945
TF	Dec 1942 - May 1945

Aircraft & Markings

No 30 Operational Training Unit

Formed in No 93 Group on 28 June 1942 at Hixon, it was equipped with Wellingtons to train night bomber crews and by 1944 it was operating Wellington III and Xs. It also used a wide variety of other types for support activities including Defiants, Lysanders, Martinets, Oxfords, Masters, Hurricanes and Tomahawks. As the need for bomber crews diminished, the unit was reduced to three-quarter strength in October 1944, was transferred to No 91 Group and relocated to Gamston in February 1945, where it remained until disbanding on 12 June that year.

Codes used: -

BT	May 1942 - Feb1945
KD	May 1942 - Feb 1945
TN	May 1942 - Feb 1945

Aircraft & Markings

No 31 Operational Training Unit

Planned as No 80 OTU it was formed at Debert in Canada on 23 May 1941 as a Hudson equipped General Reconnaissance training unit. It also undertook anti-submarine patrols from Dartmouth over the Western Atlantic. In May 1944 it began to receive Mosquitoes and its role changed to that of training strike crews, but on 1 July 1944 it was disbanded by being redesignated No 7 OTU, RCAF.

Codes used: -

LR	May 1942 - Oct 1942

Aircraft & Markings

No 32 Operational Training Unit

Formed as a General Reconnaissance training unit at West Kirkby on 20 July 1941, it embarked for Canada on 21 July and arrived at Patricia Bay in British Columbia on 9 August. The following month it received Ansons and in October, Beauforts and following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, it adopted an operational role, carrying out patrols along the West coast of Canada. However, it was soon clear that the Japanese were not planning to attack that far north and the unit reverted to a training role. In May 1942 the Beauforts were replaced by Hampdens and from December 1943 it began to received Dakotas and Expeditors and on 21 February 1944 the Hampdens were transferred to the RCAF and the unit began training transport crews, moving to Comox on 26 May, being redesignated No 6 OTU RCAF on 1 June.

Codes used: -

DK	Sep 1941 - Oct 1942 (use not known)
OP	May - Oct 1942
RD	Sep 1941 - May 1942
HA	(use not known)
HM	(use not known)
LB	(use not known)

Aircraft & Markings

No 34 Operational Training Unit

Formed at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on 17 April 1942 when its personnel arrived from Britain. It took up residence at Pennfield Ridge as an Anson equipped General Reconnaissance training unit. in May and in June Venturas began to supplement the Ansons. Hudson were also used from August 1943 but the unit disbanded on 19 May 1944.

Codes used: -

FY	Jun 1942 - Oct 1942

Aircraft & Markings

No 35 Operational Training Unit

Was to be formed in Canada as a bomber OTU but not formed.

No 36 Operational Training Unit

Leaving England on 24 February 1942, it arrived at Greenwood, Nova Scotia, where it began training General Reconnaissance crews from 9 March using Ansons and Hudsons. In April 1943 its role was changed when it received Mosquitoes and these continued in use until it was disbanded by being redesignated No 8 OTU, RCAF on 30 June 1944.

Codes used: -

EF	May 1942 - Oct 1942

Aircraft & Markings

No 38 Operational Training Unit

Was to be formed in Canada as a bomber OTU but not formed.

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