57 OTU Course Numbers and Dates, 1940-1945

[Steve Brew]

I believe I posted this on the old site, but am posting it here again, partially in response to a query on the main board concerning the length of OTU courses. These seem to have varied depending on the time or war and necessity.

Cheers
Steve



57 OTU Course Numbers and Dates, 1940-1945

The below information has been extracted from the 57 Operational Training Unit (OTU) Operations Record Book (ORB), in TNA AIR 29/683, and shows all of the OTU's course numbers and their dates of commencement and completion (where available), between 1940 and 1945.

57 OTU originally formed as 7 OTU at Hawarden, Flintshire, on 15 June 1940, but was re-numbered to 57 OTU on 28 December 1940. On 10 November 1942, the OTU was moved to Eshott, Northumberland, and remained at this location until May 1945. Throughout its existence, 57 OTU's main equipment was the Spitfire.

01 – 17JUN40-28JUN40
02 – 01JUL40-12JUL40
03 – 15JUL40-28JUL40
04 – 29JUL40-09AUG40
05 – 12AUG40-22AUG40
06 – 22AUG40-02SEP40
07 – 02SEP40-16SEP40
08 – 16SEP40-23SEP40
09 – 23SEP40-29SEP40
10 – 29SEP40-?????40 – Completion date wanting
11 – ?????40-?????40 – Commencement and completion dates wanting#
12 – ?????40-?????40 – Commencement and completion dates wanting#
13 – ?????40-?????40 – Commencement and completion dates wanting#
14 – ??NOV40-02DEC40 – Commencement date wanting
15 – ??DEC40-06JAN41 – Commencement date wanting
16 – ??JAN41-10FEB41 – Commencement date wanting
17 – 17JAN41-10MAR41
18 – 10FEB41-21APR41
19 – 10MAR41-05MAY41
20 – 23APR41-09JUN41
21 – ??MAY41-30JUN41 – Commencement date wanting
22 – 09JUN41-21JUL41
23 – 01JUL41-11AUG41
24 – 21JUL41-01SEP41
25 – 09AUG41-23SEP41
26 – 05SEP41-21OCT41
27 – 23SEP41-11NOV41
28 – 21OCT41-09DEC41
29 – 11NOV41-06JAN42
30 – 09DEC41-24FEB42
31 – 06JAN42-07APR42
32 – ??FEB42-28APR42 – Commencement date wanting
33 – 17MAR42-19MAY42
34 – 07APR42-09JUN42
35 – 28APR42-30JUN42
36 – 19MAY42-21JUL42
37 – 09JUN42-01SEP42
38 – 30JUN42-22SEP42
39 – 21JUL42-13OCT42
40 – 01SEP42-03NOV42
41 – 22SEP42-15DEC42 §
42 – 13OCT42-?????4? – Completion date wanting, probably 02FEB43
43 – 15DEC42-03MAR43
44 – ??JAN43-?????43 – Commencement and completion dates wanting
45 - ?????43-?????43 – Commencement and completion dates wanting
46 – ?????43-?????43 - Commencement and completion dates wanting
47 – 12APR43-27JUN43 – Not confirmed
48 – ?????43-?????43 - Commencement and completion dates wanting
49 – ?????43-20JUL43 - Commencement date wanting
50 – ?????43-11AUG43 - Commencement date wanting
51 - ?????43-14SEP43 - Commencement date wanting
52 – 20JUL43-12OCT43
53 – 10AUG43-02NOV43
54 – ?????43-07DEC43 - Commencement date wanting
55 – 12OCT43-04JAN44
56 – 09NOV43-01FEB44
57 – ??DEC43-22FEB44 - Commencement date wanting
58 – ??JAN44-28MAR44 – Commencement date wanting
59 – ??FEB44-18APR44 - Commencement date wanting
60 – 29FEB44-16MAY44
61 – 28FEB44-13JUN44
62 – 25APR44-04JUL44
63 – 16MAY44-25JUL44
64 – 13JUN44-29AUG44
65 – 04JUL44-12SEP44
66 – 08AUG44-10OCT44
67 – 29AUG44-07NOV44
68 – 19SEP44-05DEC44
69 – 10OCT44-02JAN45 - Not confirmed
70 – 07NOV44-23JAN45
71 – 05DEC44-20FEB45
72 – ?????45-?????45 – Commencement and completion dates wanting*
73 – ?????45-?????45 - Commencement and completion dates wanting*
74 – ?????45-??APR45 - Commencement and completion dates wanting*
75 - ?????45-15MAY45 - Commencement date wanting
76 - ?????45-15MAY45 - Commencement date wanting @

# The ORB is missing the pages for October and most of November 1940. These pages cover the dates 01OCT40-21NOV40.

§ Of the five Officers and 30 NCOs that commenced Course 41 on 22SEP42, two Officers and ten NCOs were sent to other (unidentified) OTUs to complete their training on 03NOV42 (One such Australian pilot [Sgt. A. R. Cope] is known to have completed his training at 58 OTU, Grangemouth, Scotland). No reason for the posting of pupils on 03NOV42 is given, as the rest remained and passed out on 15DEC42.

* The pages of these months are present in the ORB, but the courses are not mentioned by number or dates

@ Course 76 was the final course held at 57 OTU. It was “suspended” on the same day that Course 75 passed out and the pupils were posted elsewhere (un-identified) to complete their courses.

[Bertrand H]

Hi Steve,

According to a logbook, course "47" begun on 16 april 1943 up to 19 june (Eschott and Boulmer)

Bertrand

[Bertrand H]

Hi Steve,


According to the RAF form 5015, course n°54 begun on 14 september 1943.

HTH

Bertrand

[Bertrand H]

Hi Steve,


According to the RAF form 5015, course n°58 begun on 4 january 1944.

HTH

Bertrand

[Steve Brew]

Merci Bertrand
I have added these dates to my list; thanks for posting them.
Salutations
Steve

[Bertrand H]

Hi steve

According to the record of service for a Free French :

Course 45 > 26 janvier 1943 then posted to n°341 sqdn on 14 april 1943.

HTH

Bertrand

[Steve Brew]

Thanks Bertrand; most appreciated.

Steve