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Kinloss
The squadron was moved to Kinloss from 21st - 23rd October 1939 and again from 5th December 1939 until the 12th January 1940, protecting shipping during the time they were stationed at Drem.
Construction began on a new pilot training school which was to become RAF Kinloss (with a satellite airfield at nearby Forres) during the spring of 1938, opening on 1 April 1939 with 14 Flying Training School in-situ, and 45 Maintenance Unit joining shortly afterwards. By May of the following year, station defence's were complete. 19 Operational Training Unit were to replace 14 FTS a year later, with the increased need for bomber crew training for the coming offensive, and continued to be the main training unit stationed here for the remainder of the war - flying over 22,073 hours in the between July 1940 and June 1941 (nearly four times the amount of flying that there predecessors had attained the previous year). There was, of course, a cost to all of these sorties - with more than 68 aircraft accidents caused by such things as weather, inexperience, and tired aircraft.
19 OTU was to remain until disbandment in 1945, whereupon it was replaced by 6 (Coastal) OTU - beginning its link to maritime and anti-submarine operations.45 Maintenance Unit remained however, with the task of disposing of surplus aircraft. Mirroring the bases change from Bomber Command to Coastal Command, the Lancasters that were being flown from here were converted for a maritime role. by 1947, 19 OTU consisted of 236 Operational Conversion Unit and the School of Maritime Reconnaissance in 1947, with 236 remaining at Kinloss. By 1956, however, they once again rejoined, becoming the Maritime Operational Training Unit, which was stationed there until 1965, when only 120, 201 and 206 Squadrons remained on the station.
RAF Kinloss is still operational today, flying Nimrod aircraft in a maritime role (including Search and Rescue and Anti-Submarine Warfare), and is also home to the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which co-ordinates Search and Rescue operations around Britain, and since July 1962, has held the Civic Freedom of the Royal and Ancient Burgh of Forres. |
Copyright © 2002 609 (West Riding)
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