17 (Training) Group within RAF Coastal Command, at Wykeham Hall, Lee-on-Solent.

The group was responsible for all the training units allocated to RAF Coastal Command.

The HQ remained at Wykeham Hall for one year before moving to RAF Lee-on-Solent on 1 December 1937.

[7] The School of General Reconnaissance was formed during April 1938 at RAF Thorney Island.

3 School of General Reconnaissance formed at RAF Squires Gate, by redesignating an element of the existing No.

Its primary aircraft operated was the Blackburn Botha, a British four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber.

17 Group had four Operational Training Units formed, each with (Coastal) in their title, to provide aircrew training, with each unit having a specific focus such as landplane aircraft, twin engine types, flying boat, or for a specific aircraft type.

Formed on 1 April 1940, at RAF Silloth, by redesignating the Coastal Command Landplane Pilots School, No.

[15] Its role was training strike and twin-engined fighter aircrew and for this it was initially equipped with Bristol Blenheim, a British light bomber aircraft and Avro Anson a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft.

[16] The Flying Boat Training Squadron was formed on 2 January 1939 at RAF Calshot.

[17] Its role was to train flying boat aircrew for RAF Coastal Command.

17 Group had expanded to around ten units across nine Royal Air Force stations.

6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit reformed, in No 17 Group, during July 1941 but was now located at RAF Thornaby.

3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit for Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a British medium bomber aircraft, and Vickers Wellington, a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber aircraft, moved to RAF Cranwell, as a lodger unit there.

Along with Bristol Beaufort, the unit also operated with Avro Anson and Airspeed Oxford, a British twin-engine monoplane trainer aircraft.

17 Group HQ moved north to Scotland, relocating from Gosport to Edinburgh, it was situated at the Mackenzie Hotel,[1] and by late spring in 1942, the group used nine Royal Air Force stations and operated with eleven units.

It was initially equipped with Bristol Beaufighter, a British multi-role aircraft, Bristol Beaufort, a British twin-engined torpedo bomber, and Airspeed Oxford, a twin-engine monoplane trainer aircraft.

132 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit formed on 24 November 1942 at RAF East Fortune by redesignating No.

The unit was tasked with pilot training for long range fighter and strike aircraft.

302 Ferry Training Unit formed on 30 September 1942 at RAF Loch Erne, primarily operating with Consolidated Catalina amphibious aircraft[33] and then moved to RAF Stranraer roughly three months later, in December 1942.

[33] In January 1943 it began the training and preparation of aircrew for long distance ferry flights.

17 Group had operations from seventeen Royal Air Force stations and provided various training for aircrew across eighteen units.

However, needs were changing and with the reduction of aircrew required for the Lockheed Hudson,[39] on 19 October No.

1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was disbanded at RAF Thornaby,[15] and the heavy bomber courses for Handley Page Halifax and Boeing Fortress were taken over by No.

3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was disbanded on 4 January 1944 at RAF Haverfordwest and absorbed by No.

[39] By the summer of 1944 the group conducted operations from ten Royal Air Force stations with thirteen units.

9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit disbanded on 11 August 1944 at RAF Crosby-on-Eden, and was absorbed by No.

1674 Heavy Conversion Unit disbanded its Boeing Fortress training during September 1944,[44] and No.

[45] No 131 (C) OTUs Short Sunderland flying boat were transferred to No 4 (C) OTU on 13 February 1945, and with the Consolidated Catalina being withdrawn from RAF service,[32] the unit was disbanded on 28 June 1945.

[48] It operated various types and marks of aircraft: The flight disbanded at RAF Turnhouse on 18 September 1945.