O.A.D.U. Kemble and Portreath

[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