-
Military flying units in the south
west Midlands
Please
help us find photographs of aircraft of these
units, in the Midlands
First World War
flying units in the south Midlands
Between the
wars flying units in the south Midlands
Second
World War RAF Squadrons in the south Midlands
Second
World War other RAF units, including Operational
Training Units in the South Midlands
World War 1
1914-1918
Training
(Reserve)
and Home Defence squadrons were established at Castle
Bromwich and Lilbourne in Warwickshire. Aircraft
Parks received the newly built aircraft from the
factories, at Castle Bromwich and also at Radford and
later Whitley in Coventry.
Names of the people
believed to have served in Warwickshire in the
First World War and 1920s
First world war RFC and RAF squadrons and other
units in the south west Midlands
Flying
unit
|
Main
aircraft
flown
|
Midlands
airfields
used
|
From
|
Until
|
Comments
|
1 Aircraft
Acceptance Park
|
RE8, SE5A
|
Radford (Coventry)
|
1915
|
1919
|
Received newly
built aircraft from factories in Coventry and
Birmingham, prepared them and despatched them. Personnel list.
|
14 Aircraft
Acceptance Park
|
0/400, SE5A
|
Castle Bromwich |
4/1918
|
4/1920
|
Received newly
built aircraft from factories in Birmingham,
prepared them and despatched them |
5 Reserve/ Training
Squadron
|
Maurice Farman
Shorthorns and Longhorns
|
Castle Bromwich
|
11/5/1915
|
12/12/1917
|
Initial training
unit
|
10 Training
Squadron
|
Avro 504, Camel
|
Lilbourne
|
7/4/1918
|
25/6/1918
|
|
19 Squadron
|
Avro 504, Maurice
Farman Shorthorns and Longhorns |
Castle Bromwich |
1/9/1915
|
1/1916
|
Formed from 5
Reserve Squadron
|
28 Reserve/
Training Squadron
|
Avro 504, Pup, SE5A
|
Castle Bromwich
|
1/6/1916
|
1/7/1918
|
|
34 Squadron
|
BE2c, BE2e
|
Castle Bromwich,
Lilbourne |
7/1/1916
|
10/7/1916
|
Formed from 19
Squadron
|
34 Reserve/
Training Squadron
|
Avro 504, 1½
Strutter
|
Castle Bromwich
|
1/11/1916
|
13/11/1916
|
|
38 Squadron
|
BE2, BE12
|
Castle Bromwich |
14/7/1916
|
1/10/1916
|
Formed as a Home
Defence squadron
|
| 44 Reserve/
Training Squadron |
Avro 504, DH4, RE7
|
Lilbourne
|
2/11/1916
|
13/11/1916
|
Formed from 55
Squadron at Lilbourne
|
49th Aero Squadron
|
Any? See
comments
|
Castle Bromwich
|
1/2/1918
|
24/6/1918
|
American unit,
initially A and D flights only and personnel
attached to the British units for training; entire
squadron present from 5/4/18
|
54 Squadron
|
Avro 504, BE2c, Pup
|
Castle Bromwich |
15/5/1916
|
22/12/1916
|
Formed as a fighter
squadron
|
| 54 Reserve/
Training Squadron |
Avro 504, Camel,
Pup, SE5A |
Castle Bromwich |
12/12/1917
|
6/7/1918
|
|
55 Squadron
|
Avro 504, BE2, DH4,
FK8
|
Castle Bromwich,
Lilbourne |
27/4/1916
|
6/3/1917
|
Formed as a
training unit before taking DH4s to France
|
| 55 Training
Squadron |
Avro 504, Camel,
Pup, SE5A |
Castle Bromwich,
Lilbourne
|
15/1/1918
|
7/1918
|
Reformed out of 28
Training Squadron
|
| 67 Reserve/
Training Squadron |
Camel, Pup
|
Castle Bromwich |
3/6/1917
|
11/6/1917
|
Formed out of 28
Training Squadron |
71 Squadron
|
Avro 504, 1½
Strutter |
Castle Bromwich |
27/3/1917
|
18/12/1917
|
Formed as
Australian squadron; renamed 4 Squadron Australian
Flying Corps in France, January 1918
|
73 Squadron
|
Camel
|
Lilbourne
|
10/7/1917
|
9/1/1918
|
Formed as a fighter
squadron and trained/ worked up before moving to
France
|
| 74 Reserve/
Training Squadron |
Avro 504, Camel,
SE5A |
Castle Bromwich |
1/12/1917
|
27/6/1918
|
|
84 Squadron
|
Avro 504, Camel,
Pup |
Lilbourne
|
23/3/1917
|
23/9/1917
|
Formed as a fighter
squadron and trained/ worked up before moving to
France |
115 Squadron
|
0/400
|
Castle Bromwich |
17/7/1918
|
1/9/1918
|
Received Handley
Page 0/400 bombers and trained/ worked up before
moving to France
|
Please
help us find photographs of aircraft of these
units, in the Midlands
Between the wars
1919-1939
The
First
World War airfields were joined by a few municipal
airports and, during the Expansion Period, new
military airfields were built at Bramcote and Ansty in
Warwickshire.
Armstrong-Whitworth at Whitley and later Baginton
built and test flew their own aircraft. Austin
at Longbridge also test flew from their own
airfield.
Flying
unit
|
Main
aircraft
flown
|
Midlands
airfields
used
|
From
|
Until
|
Comments
|
605 Squadron
|
DH9A, Wapiti, Hart,
Hind, Gladiator
|
Castle Bromwich
|
5/10/1926
|
27/8/1939
|
Auxiliary Air
Force, recruiting in Birmingham; later became a
fighter squadron, distinguished in the Battle of
Britain; codes HE-
|
4 Civilian Air
Navigation School
|
Anson
|
Ansty
|
9/1938
|
10/1939
|
Became 4 Air
Observer Navigation School
|
| 3 Elementary and
Reserve Flying Training School |
DH9J
|
Whitley
|
31/7/1923
|
1/4/1931
|
Known as the
Armstrong Whitworth Reserve School; training of
RAF pilots, under contract from the Air Ministry;
moved to Hamble
|
9 Elementary and
Reserve Flying Training School
|
Hart, Hind, Moth,
Cloud, Anson
|
Ansty
|
6/1/1936
|
3/9/1939
|
Operated by Air
Services Training at Hamble, under contract from
the Air Ministry; re-designated 9 EFTS when war
broke out
|
| 14 Elementary and
Reserve Flying Training School |
Hart, Hind, Tiger
Moth
|
Castle Bromwich
|
1/7/1937
|
3/9/1939
|
Operated by Airwork
Ltd, under contract from the Air Ministry;
disbanded into 14 EFTS when war broke out |
| 44 Elementary and
Reserve Flying Training School |
Hind
|
Elmdon
|
1/5/1939
|
3/9/1939
|
Operated by Airwork
Ltd, under contract from the Air Ministry;
re-designated 14 EFTS when war broke out |
The names of the
people believed to have served in Warwickshire
in the First World War and 1920s can be accessed
by clicking the links below
- Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.
Please
contact us
if you are related to somebody on the list, or know of
a photograph of them. If original photographs or
papers are still in the family, we can help to caption
photographs and explain the codes and nicknames that
were used at the time. We appreciate the opportunity
to copy original material for the museum's archive.
RFC & RAF officers A-E
RFC &
RAF officers F-L
RFC &
RAF officers M-R
RFC &
RAF officers S-Z
RFC & RAF
other ranks A-E
RFC & RAF
other ranks F-L
RFC & RAF
other ranks M-R
RFC & RAF
other ranks S-Z
Personnel
at Radford Aerodrome (1 Aircraft Acceptance Park)
World War 2 1939-1945
The
Midlands
was considered to be far enough away from enemy action
to be used for training. The need to defend
Birmingham and Coventry at night and the involvement
of the bomber operational training units in live raids
led to a mixture of operational and non-operational
flying. The skies of Warwickshire and
Worcestershire were often crowded with Tiger Moths and
Oxfords of Training Command, Hurricanes and
Beaufighers of Fighter Command and Whitleys and
Wellingtons of Bomber Command. The Bomber
Command activity was on a mammoth scale, with flying
round the clock from the numerous operational training
units based locally.
Midlands
based aircraft lost on operations
Please help us find
photographs of aircraft of these units, in the
Midlands
Second
world war RAF squadrons in the south west Midlands,
excluding brief visitors: principal
units shown with green background
Squadron
|
Main
aircraft
flown
|
Midlands
airfields
used
|
From
|
Until
|
Comments
|
32 Squadron
|
Hurricane II
|
Honiley, Baginton
|
9/9/1942
|
25/11/1942
|
Non-operational,
training for invasion of North Africa, to where it
went; codes GZ-
|
56 Squadron
|
Typhoon I
|
Honiley
|
3/1942
|
3/1942 ?
|
Non-operational
detachment under Hugh Dundas working up on new
Typhoons; codes US-
|
79 Squadron
|
Hurricane II
|
Baginton
|
27/12/1941
|
4/3/1942
|
Preparing for a
move to the Far East, to where it went; codes NV-
|
91 Squadron
|
Spitfire V and XII
|
Honiley
|
20/4/1943
|
9/5/1943
|
Non-operational,
converting to Spitfire XII; codes DL-
|
96
Squadron
|
Beaufighter
II and VI
|
Honiley
|
6/9/1942
|
4/8/1943
|
Initially
A Flight, then full squadron from 20 October 1942,
for night defence of the Midlands; used Ford as
advanced base for intruder operations when enemy
activity was low; codes ZJ-
|
116 Squadron
|
Various, mainly
Tiger Moth
|
Honiley
|
|
|
Anti-aircraft
calibration flights; codes II-
|
130 Squadron
|
Spitfire V
|
Honiley
|
5/7/1943
|
4/8/1943
|
Working alongside
234 Sqn; codes PJ-
|
135 Squadron
|
Hurricane II
|
Baginton, Honiley
|
15/8/1941
|
10/11/1941
|
Formed, using
Hurricane IIAs from 605 Squadron as that unit
converted to Hurricane IIBs; moved to Far East;
codes WK-
|
151
Squadron
|
Defiant
I, Hurricane I
|
Bramcote
|
28/11/1940
|
6/12/1940
|
First
effective night defence of the Midlands, continued
from Wittering; codes DZ-
|
215 Squadron
|
Harrow II,
Wellington I
|
Bramcote
|
10/9/1939
|
24/9/1939
|
Probably emergency
dispersal from East Anglia; codes LG-
|
219 Squadron
|
Mosquito XVII
|
Honiley
|
15/3/1944
|
26/3/1944
|
Recently returned
from North Africa; codes FK-
|
234 Squadron
|
Spitfire V, VI
|
Honiley |
8/7/1943
|
5/8/1943
|
Working alongside 130 Sqn; codes
AZ-
|
255
Squadron
|
Beaufighter
VI
|
Honiley
|
6/6/1942
|
13/11/1942
|
Night
defence of the Midlands before taking part in the
invasion of North Africa; codes YD-
|
257
Squadron
|
Hurricane
I and II, Spitfire V
|
Honiley
|
7/11/1941
|
6/6/1942
|
From
1/42 worked with Havocs of 1456 Turbinlite flight;
codes FM-
|
285 Squadron
|
Various, mainly
Defiant and Oxford
|
Honiley
|
29/10/1942
|
27/8/1943
|
Anti-aircraft
calibration flights; codes VG-
|
300 Squadron
|
Battle I
|
Bramcote
|
1/7/1940
|
22/8/1940
|
Formed with Polish
personnel; converted to Wellingtons after leaving;
codes BH-
|
301 Squadron
|
Battle I
|
Bramcote
|
26/7/1940
|
28/8/1940
|
Formed with Polish
personnel; bombed invasion barges & converted
to Wellingtons after leaving; codes GR-
|
304 Squadron
|
Battle I,
Wellington Ic
|
Bramcote
|
22/8/1940
|
2/12/1940
|
Formed with Polish
personnel; converted fully to Wellingtons after
leaving; codes HR-? and NZ-
|
305 Squadron
|
Battle I,
Wellington Ic |
Bramcote
|
29/8/1940
|
4/12/1940
|
Formed with Polish
personnel; converted fully to Wellingtons after
leaving; codes SM-
|
308
Squadron
|
Hurricane
I, Spitfire I
|
Baginton
|
25/9/1940
|
1/6/1941
|
Polish
fighter squadron providing daylight defence of the
Midlands; codes ZF-
|
403
Squadron
|
Tomahawk
I
|
Baginton
|
1/3/1941
|
30/5/1941
|
Newly
formed Canadian fighter squadron, converted to
Spitfires before leaving; codes KH-
|
414 NFS USAAF
(night fighter squadron)
|
Beaufighter VI
|
Honiley
|
5/1943
|
30/6/1943
|
American night
fighter crews being trained by RAF counterparts;
not much known
|
457 Squadron
|
Spitfire
|
Baginton &
Honiley
|
16/6/1941
|
7/8/1941
|
Newly formed
Australian fighter squadron; codes BP-
|
605
Squadron
|
Hurricane
II
|
Baginton,
Honiley & Bramcote |
31/5/1941
|
31/10/1941
|
Night
and day defence of the Midlands; left for
Mediterranean but ground echelon was diverted to
the Far East and captured by the Japanese; codes
ZF- |
Please
help us find photographs of aircraft of these
units, in the Midlands
Other
second world war RAF units in the south west
Midlands, excluding brief visitors: principal
units shown with green background
Unit
|
Main
aircraft
flown
|
Midlands
airfields
used
|
From
|
Until
|
Comments
|
4 Air Observer
Navigation School (AONS)
|
Anson, Botha
|
Ansty
|
10/1939
|
7/1940
|
|
1509 Beam Approach
Training Flight (BAT Flt)
|
Oxford
|
Church Lawford
|
6/6/1942
|
|
|
| 1513 Beam Approach
Training Flight (BAT Flt) |
Oxford
|
Bramcote, Nuneaton,
Bitteswell
|
31/10/1942
|
13/5/1946
|
Codes LL-
|
| 1516 Beam Approach
Training Flight (BAT Flt) |
Oxford
|
Pershore
|
13/4/1943
|
17/9/1944
|
Codes QW-
|
| 1517 Beam Approach
Training Flight (BAT Flt) |
Oxford
|
Chipping Warden
|
14/11/1942
|
22/5/1945
|
|
| 1533 Beam Approach
Training Flight (BAT Flt) |
Oxford
|
Church Lawford,
Elmdon, Snitterfield
|
27/10/1942
|
3/4/1945
|
|
(Belgian) Initial
Training School
|
Oxford
|
Snitterfield
|
1/1944
|
12/1944
|
Training pilots for
the Belgian Air Force
|
1 Camouflage Unit
|
Reliant, Dominie,
Blenheim
|
Baginton
|
9/1939
|
11/1940
|
Checking camouflage
from the air
|
2 Central Flying
School
|
Oxford, Tutor
|
Church Lawford
|
15/6/1941
|
13/1/1942
|
Training flying
instructors; redesignated 1 Flying Instructors
School
|
2
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS)
|
Tiger
Moth
|
Worcester
|
21/10/1940
|
9/7/1945
|
Operated
by Bristol Aeroplane Company; was 6 Flying
Instructors School 1/11/1941 to 22/7/1942
|
| 9
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) |
Tiger
Moth
|
Ansty,
Southam
|
3/9/1939
|
31/3/1944
|
Initial
assessment before pupil pilots were sent abroad in
the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme; operated by
Air Service Training
|
| 14
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) |
Tiger
Moth
|
Elmdon,
Hockley Heath
|
10/9/1939
|
1/2/1946
|
Initial
assessment before pupil pilots were sent abroad in
the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme; operated by
Airwork
|
1 Ferry Training
Unit (FTU)
|
Mainly Beaufighter,
Blenheim, Hudson
|
Honeybourne
|
11/11/1941
|
1/11/1942
|
Training pilots for
ferrying aircraft to overseas theatres of war
|
| 311 Ferry Training
Unit (FTU) |
Wellington
|
Moreton-in-Marsh
|
1/5/1943
|
1/5/1944
|
Formed from 1446
Flight; training pilots for ferrying aircraft to
overseas theatres of war |
| 312 Ferry Training
Unit (FTU) |
Wellington
|
Wellesbourne
Mountford, Stratford, Gaydon
|
24/4/1943
|
17/12/1943
|
Training pilots for
ferrying aircraft to overseas theatres of war |
| 1 Ferry Unit |
Mainly Beaufighter,
Beaufort, Mosquito, Dakota
|
Pershore
|
16/3/1944
|
15/11/1946
|
Training pilots for
ferrying aircraft to overseas theatres of war |
1425 Flight
|
Liberator
|
Honeybourne
|
16/11/1941
|
6/4/1942
|
Long range ferry
service to the Middle East
|
1446 Flight
|
Wellington
|
Moreton-in-Marsh
|
18/5/1942
|
1/5/1943
|
Affiliated to 21
OTU; training pilots for ferrying aircraft to
overseas theatres of war; became 311 FTU
|
1456 Flight
|
Havoc
|
Honiley
|
24/11/1941
|
6/6/1942
|
Turbinlite unit;
opeated with 257 Squadron
|
1681 Flight
|
Hurricane, Tomahawk
|
Pershore, Long
Marston
|
1/7/1943
|
21/8/1944
|
Provided fighter
affiliation (simulated attacks) for the bomber
OTUs; codes LT-.
|
1 Flying
Instructors School (FIS)
|
Oxford, Tutor
|
Church Lawford,
Warwick, Leamington, Hockley Heath
|
13/1/1942
|
27/10/1942
|
Renamed from 2
Central Flying School; disbanded into 18 (Pilots)
Advanced Flying Unit
|
5 Glider Training
School (GTS)
|
Hotspur
|
Hockley Heath
|
22/5/1944
|
23/11/1944
|
|
12
Operational Training Unit (OTU)
|
Wellington,
Anson
|
Chipping
Warden, Gaydon, Edgehill
|
10/7/1941
|
7/6/1945
|
Major
Bomber Command training unit; codes FQ- JP- ML-
|
| 16 Operational
Training Unit (OTU) |
Wellington,
Mosquito
|
Barford-st-John
(satellite to Upper Heyford)
|
15/12/1942
|
1/3/1946
|
Major Bomber
Command training unit; reformed 1/1/1945 absorbing
1655 Mosquito Training Unit; codes GA- JS- XG-
|
| 18
Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Anson,
Battle, Wellington
|
Bramcote,
Bitteswell, Nuneaton
|
14/11/1940
|
25/1/43
|
Bomber
Command's Polish training unit; codes EN- VQ- XW-
|
| 21
Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Wellington,
Anson |
Moreton-in-Marsh,
Edgehill, Honeybourne (briefly)
|
21/1/1941
|
25/11/1946
|
Major
Bomber Command training unit; codes ED- SJ- UH-
|
| 22 Operational Training Unit
(OTU) |
Wellington,
Anson
|
Wellesbourne
Mountford, Stratford, Gaydon
|
14/4/1941
|
24/7/1945
|
Became
Bomber Command's largest Operational Training
Unit; codes DD- LT- OX- XN-
|
| 23
Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Wellington,
Anson |
Pershore,
Defford, Stratford
|
1/4/1941
|
15/3/1944
|
Major
Bomber Command training unit; disbanded into 22
OTU; codes BY- FZ- WE-
|
| 24
Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Whitley,
Anson, Wellington
|
Honeybourne,
Long Marston
|
15/3/1942
|
24/7/1945
|
Major
Bomber Command training unit absorbing Whitleys as
they left front-line service; codes FB- TY- UF-
|
| 29 Operational
Training Unit (OTU) |
Wellington
|
Bitteswell
(satellite)
|
1/6/1943
|
1/11/1944
|
Satellite to
Bruntingthorpe; codes NT- TF-
|
| 55 Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Hurricane
|
Moreton-in-Marsh
|
27/11/1940
|
22/2/1941
|
Detachment
|
| 60 Operational Training Unit (OTU) |
Mosquito
|
Honiley
|
August 1943
|
August 1943 |
Detachment before 63 OTU formed;
60/63 OTU Combined Gunnery School operated from
Chedworth from 16 October 1943 |
| 63 Operational Training Unit
(OTU) |
Beaufighter
II, Beaufort, Hurricane I
|
Honiley,
Baginton
|
17/8/1943
|
21/3/1944
|
Initially
a night fighter OTU, then became a day fighter OTU
with Hurricanes: codes used HI-
|
101 (Glider)
Operational Training Unit (OTU)
|
Hotspur
|
Barford-st-John
|
1/1/1942
|
13/7/1942
|
|
105
(Transport) Operational Training Unit
|
Wellington,
Dakota
|
Bramcote,
Bitteswell
|
5/4/1943
|
19/11/1945
|
Redesignated
1381 Transport Conversion Unit 10/8/1945; codes
8F- I5- 7Z-
|
18
(Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit (PAFU)
|
Oxford,
Defiant
|
Church
Lawford, Snitterfield, Warwick, Southam, Hockley
Heath
|
27/10/1942
|
29/5/1945
|
Major
unit training multi-engine pilots, mainly
returning from overseas in the Commonwealth Air
Training Plan; no evidence that the large number
of Defiants on charge were actually used
|
15 Flying Training
School (FTS)
|
Oxford
|
Barford-st-John
(satellite)
|
30/6/1941
|
10/4/1942
|
|
20 Flying Training
School (FTS)
|
Harvard
|
Church Lawford,
Hockley Heath
|
3/4/1945
|
23/7/1946
|
|
21 Flying Training
School (FTS)
|
Harvard
|
Snitterfield,
Hockley Heath
|
3/4/1945
|
18/9/1946
|
Codes FAN to FAQ
|
Signals Flying Unit
|
Beaufighter,
Wellington XIII & XIV
|
Honiley, Stratford
|
20/7/1944
|
1/9/1946
|
Developed radio
landing aids; included the Ground Controlled
Approach Wing; codes 7N- 9T-
|
3 Tactical Exercise
Unit (TEU)
|
Hurricane, Typhoon
|
Honiley
|
10/5/1944
|
17/7/1944
|
Moved south in
preparation for D-day, to provide defensive cover
if required; codes EH- PA- UW- ZX-
|
Telecommunications
Flying Unit
|
Everything
in the RAF
|
Defford
|
1/6/1942
|
6/12/1945
|
Flying
unit of the deliberately obscurely named
Telecommunications Research Establishment;
developed all wartime airborne radar & fitted
sets to a huge number of wartime aircraft. If it
flew, it was here!
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Please help us find photographs
of aircraft of these units, in the Midlands
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