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| No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF |
| Dates | 1940–1946 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Operational training |
| Garrison | RAF Church Lawford, RAF Moreton-in-Marsh |
| Notable commanders | Air Vice-Marshal, Group Captain |
No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF was a training formation of the Royal Air Force active during the Second World War and its immediate aftermath. Established to prepare aircrew for operational service in Bomber Command and coastal operations, it provided conversion, tactical instruction and crew coordination training for crews destined for frontline units such as No. 5 Group RAF and No. 8 Group RAF. The unit operated a variety of twin‑engined and heavy bomber types from multiple Midlands and western airfields, contributing to campaigns connected with the Strategic bombing of Germany, the Battle of the Atlantic, and related operations.
Formed in 1940 amid the expansion of RAF Training Command to support the wartime escalation, the unit emerged as part of a broader reorganisation that included the creation of Operational Training Units such as those supporting No. 3 Group RAF and No. 1 Group RAF. During 1941–1944 it expanded its syllabus in response to demands from formations engaged in the Allied strategic bombing campaign and anti‑submarine warfare cooperating with the Royal Navy and Coastal Command. Post‑D Day adjustments saw the unit reassign crews destined for tactical bomber operations supporting the Normandy landings and subsequent European offensives. The unit disbanded in 1946 during the postwar contraction of RAF Coastal Command and the demobilisation that followed Victory in Europe Day.
The unit’s remit included conversion training, operational readiness, navigation, wireless telegraphy, bomb aiming, and night flying to prepare crews for service with formations such as No. 3 Group RAF and No. 6 Group RCAF. It conducted multi‑crew exercises emphasising crew resource management for pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and wireless operators destined for squadrons in theatres influenced by the Combined Bomber Offensive. Training incorporated live bombing ranges used by units supporting operations over the North Sea, the English Channel, and mainland targets like the Ruhr and Dortmund. Liaison with institutions including Empire Air Training Scheme elements and specialist schools at RAF Finningley and RAF Waddington informed curriculum updates.
The unit operated a spectrum of types used by RAF bomber and coastal forces. These included twin‑engined trainers and medium bombers such as the Vickers Wellington, the Avro Anson, and the Handley Page Hampden. Heavy and four‑engined types were occasionally used for familiarisation with engines and systems in anticipation of conversion to aircraft from units like No. 1 Group RAF and squadrons flying the Avro Lancaster and Short Stirling. Supporting types included communications and navigation trainers drawn from inventories common to RAF Transport Command and specialist radar trainers reflective of technologies developed by institutions like Bawdsey Manor and the Signals Experimental Establishment.
The unit operated from several Midlands and western airfields used by training and operational squadrons, notably RAF Church Lawford, RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, and satellite fields that supported dispersal policies during the Blitz. It made use of ranges and ancillary facilities within range of RAF Cosford and the aerodromes surrounding RAF Kemble. Temporary detachments were located to facilitate anti‑submarine training near coastal stations such as RAF Carew Cheriton and to exploit bombing ranges associated with RAF Wainfleet and RAF Pembrey.
Organised under RAF Training Command and operationally linked with Bomber Command and Coastal Command at various times, the unit answered to group‑level headquarters responsible for OTU standards similar to those applied at contemporaneous units like No. 27 Operational Training Unit RAF and No. 106 Operational Training Unit RAF. Commanding officers were typically experienced Group Captains whose careers included service with squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain and later strategic operations. The unit maintained an instructor cadre drawn from veteran crews from squadrons such as No. 49 Squadron RAF and No. 78 Squadron RAF.
As with many wartime training formations, the unit experienced accidents resulting from night flying, instrument failures, and navigation errors in poor weather, incidents comparable to those catalogued at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Middleton St George. Several aircraft were written off during forced landings and training sorties over ranges used by Royal Navy and RAF units. In some cases fatalities among trainees and instructors mirrored the broader risks faced by aircrew during conversion training, prompting safety reviews analogous to measures later adopted across RAF Flying Training Command.
The unit’s contribution to aircrew preparation supported operations that influenced outcomes in campaigns connected to the Combined Bomber Offensive and the protection of Atlantic convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic. Surviving veterans associated with the unit served in postwar RAF structures that evolved into formations such as RAF Transport Command and Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. Commemoration occurs at local memorials near former stations including plaques and rolls of honour maintained by organisations like the Aircrew Remembered project and heritage groups at preserved airfields such as RAF Museum London and local museums in the Cotswolds.
Category:Royal Air Force units and formations Category:Military units and formations established in 1940 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946