No. 30 OTU

Operational Training - 30 OTU - 13th January 1943

RAF Hixon - Staffordshire

An operational training unit is where the crew (minus flight engineer and mid upper gunner) would have formed for the first time and specific operational bomber training is begun.

Hixon in Staffordshire was the base for 30 Operational Training Unit.

What follows is what I discovered in the files for 30 Operational Training Unit at the Public Record Office.

Firstly a detail about my Grandfather's first sortie over enemy territory, a 'Nickel Raid' (dropping leaflets).

Please see Photo Album for a scanned image of one of the leaflets.

As you can see, the full Lancaster crew of 7, are now partly formed, a full 2 months before their first operational flight. I have discovered via Wilfred Sneesby, brother of Reginald, that the "target" for this Flight was Lille, France.

Some details from the ORB - gained from the Public Record Office.