O.A.D.U. Kemble and Portreath

[LEVIGNEN Jean-Pierre]

Gentlemens,

For a futur book about Free French with Coastal Command (Beaufighters) :
Impossible for me to find informations about O.A.D.U. Kemble and Portreath
Who can help me, please ?
Can you explain me difference for A.T.A. and O.A.D.U. ?
Thank you for your help !

Jean-Pierre LEVIGNEN

[rafcommands]

The ATA organisation was mostly confined to aircraft movements within the UK and used civilian pilots.



The OADU was an RAF unit that aircraft and service pilots were assigned to during posting overseas.

Both did the same job in moving aircraft it was just the destination and type of pilots used that differed.

Regards
Ross

[LEVIGNEN Jean-Pierre]

Thank you Ross !
In your opinion, O.A.D.U. Kemble was specialised for Beaufighters despatching, because proximity of Bristol factories ?
Any other O.A.D.U. for Beaufighter despatching ?

Again, thank you very much

[rafcommands]

Hi,

Yes, the location of Kemble to Bristol works was a big factor in the reason that most of the Beaufighters passed through this site.

I also think that Portreath was too busy a site to allow new crews to become familiar with the aircraft they were to ferry so Kemble became the collection point for the OADU crews and aircraft at a very early stage of the war. When the Beaus were shipped in numbers then the use of Kemble had already been established.

The location of Portreath is a function of the main ferry route, over the Bay of Biscay to Gibraltar/Malta and on to the Near and Middle East. Some aircraft were destined for the Far East but the Aussie DAC supplied most for this destination.

Regards

Ross

[LEVIGNEN Jean-Pierre]

Magnifique Ross ! Merci beaucoup !!