No. 9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF formed on 7 June 1942 at
RAF Aldergrove, located near the village of
Aldergrove in
County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Its main purpose was to
train up long range
fighter aircrew. For this role it was 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. The unit spent three months at RAF Aldergrove before relocating to
RAF Crosby-on-Eden, which was located around north east of
Carlisle,
Cumbria, during September 1942. At its maximum throughput, while stationed at Crosby-on-Eden, No. 9 (C) OTU was providing aircrew training for seven units, with five for
RAF Coastal Command within the
European theatre of World War II and two in
North Africa. It continued for almost two years and disbanded on 11 August 1944 at RAF Crosby-on-Eden, and was absorbed by
No. 109 (Transport) Operational Training Unit RAF, with the aircrew training for the overseas obligation moving to
No. 79 Operational Training Unit RAF. == Aircraft operated ==