-
Military flying units in the south west
Midlands -
page
under development
Please help us find photographs of
aircraft of these units, in the 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
|
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
|
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
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.
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 red
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
|
4/3/1943
|
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
|
Defiant
|
Honiley
|
5/1941
|
5/1941
|
Detachment from Cranage
for defence of Birmingham and Coventry; codes ZJ
|
96
Squadron
|
Beaufighter
II and VI
|
Honiley
|
9/6/1942
|
4/8/1943
|
Detachment
then full squadron 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
|
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-
|
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 Squadron USAAF
|
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 red
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-
|
| 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
|
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!
|
Please help us find
photographs of aircraft of these units, in the Midlands
|
