No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (5 (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 was established during August 1941 and
disbanded during August 1945.
No. 5 (Coastal)
Operational Training Unit RAF formed on 1 August 1941 at RAF Chivenor, located
on the northern shore of the River Taw estuary, on the north coast of Devon,
England. Initially it was to have formed at RAF Turnberry and to be tasked with
training aircrew on Bristol Beaufort, a British twin-engined torpedo bomber,
but was forced to form at RAF Chivenor due to the time taken to complete RAF
Turnberry. The unit assumed the responsibility for the Bristol Beaufort
training from No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF, but was also
equipped with Airspeed Oxford, a British twin-engine monoplane trainer
aircraft, and Avro Anson, a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft.
On 3 May 1942, No 5
(Coastal) Operational Training Unit moved to RAF Turnberry, upon the airfields
eventual completion. The training unit ran its courses out of the air station
for the next eight months, before moving out on 29 December 1942. RAF Coastal
Command had took control of RAF Long Kesh, located at Maze, Lisburn, in
Northern Ireland, in December 1942, and by the end of the month No. 5 (C) OTU
had moved in. RAF Maghaberry, located north of Maghaberry, in County Antrim,
Northern Ireland, was used as a satellite station, between February and
September 1943. It added Handley Page Hampden, a British twin-engine medium
bomber, to its inventory, operating alongside the Bristol Beaufort and Avro
Anson. Its two primary tasks were to train aircrew in bombing and torpedo
attacks, along with a type conversion course. In February 1943, the Avro Anson
training flight was transferred to No. 10 Radio School RAF, and by the end of
the year the unit had then took on, and provided training for, Lockheed Hudson,
an American light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft, and Lockheed
Ventura, an American twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber. There was a
reduction over time for the need for Handley Page Hampden and Bristol Beaufort
aircrew training, and then in February 1944 the training unit moved out and
back to Scotland.
No 5 (Coastal)
Operational Training Unit arrived back at RAF Turnberry on 15 February 1944. On
15 May 1944, the Air Sea Rescue Training Unit RAF disbanded at RAF Thornaby,
but was absorbed by No. 5 (C) OTU, then on 22 May 1944, No. 1 Torpedo Training
Unit RAF, which was based at RAF Thornberry, disbanded and was also absorbed by
the OTU. At this point the unit was operating with Bristol Beaufighter, Lockheed
Ventura, Lockheed Hudson, Vickers Warwick, a British twin-engined multi-purpose
aircraft, Airspeed Oxford and Miles Martinet, a target tug aircraft, and later
on it also added Vickers Wellington, a British twin-engined, long-range medium
bomber, to its inventory. On 1 August 1945, No 5 (Coastal) Operational Training
Unit disbanded at RAF Turnberry, and the Vickers Warwick activity was
transferred to No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF.
No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit
was equipped with numerous types and variants of aircraft:
Avro
Anson I twin-engine, multi-role aircraft
Fairey
Battle V single-engine light bomber
Bristol
Blenheim IV twin-engine light bomber
Westland
Lysander II & TT.IIIA army co-operation and liaison aircraft
Handley
Page Hampden I twin-engine medium bomber
Handley
Page Hereford I twin-engine medium bomber
Lockheed
Hudson I & V light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft
Miles
Mentor single-engined three-seat monoplane training and communications aircraft
de
Havilland Moth Minor two-seat tourer/trainer aircraft
de
Havilland Tiger Moth II biplane primary trainer aircraft
Bristol
Beaufort I & II twin-engined torpedo bomber
Airspeed
Oxford I, II twin-engine monoplane trainer aircraft
Lockheed
Ventura I, II, V twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber
Bristol
Beaufighter VI twin-engine multi-role aircraft
Vickers
Warwick I twin-engine maritime reconnaissance, air-sea rescue and transport
aircraft
Hawker
Hurricane I & IIC single-seat fighter aircraft
Miles
Martinet I target tug aircraft
Vickers
Wellington XIII twin-engined, long-range medium bomber
No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit
used three Royal Air Force stations throughout its existence:
RAF
Chivenor from Aug 1941.
RAF
Turnberry from May 1942 until December 1942.
RAF Long
Kesh from December 1942 until February 1944.
RAF
Turnberry from February 1944 until August 1945
