Former Royal Air Force Coastal Command Flying Boat Training Squadron
Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF No. 235 Operational Conversion Unit RAF No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF Seaplane Training Squadron RAF Seaplane Training Flight RAF
Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF is a former Squadron of the Royal Air Force which was operational between 1931 and 1956 through various names.
Structure
Short Singapore Mark III, K8565 Q, of No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit based at Stranraer, Ayrshire, in flight over the Irish Sea
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
Catalina Mark I, W8406, of No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit based at Stranraer, Ayrshire, on a training flight over the Irish Sea
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 maritimepatrol bomber flying boat. Between August 1947 and April 1951 it was assigned the squadron codeTA 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]
