| Unit Name: | No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit |
| Dates: | 1 August 1941 - 1 August 1945 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | Operational Training Unit |
| Role: | Aircrew Training |
| Command Structure: | RAF Coastal Command |
| Disbanded: | 1 August 1945 |
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.[1]
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.[2] RAF Coastal Command had taken 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,[1] 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.[2] 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.[1] 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.[1]
No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was equipped with numerous types and variants of aircraft:
No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit used three Royal Air Force stations throughout its existence:[1]