Air Ministry: Coastal Command Development Unit, later Air Sea Warfare Development...

AIR 65

1942-1970

Technical and progress reports and related papers on trials of equipment and tactics.

These reports fall into four categories: reports on trials of anti-submarine warfare equipment and techniques, between 1942 and 1950; ASWDU Progress Reports, from 1945 to 1957; reports from the Naval Air Sea Warfare Development Unit at Thorney Island, between 1948 and 1950, mainly on Avenger, Firefly and Seafire Service trials; and reports from the Service Trials Unit at Ford, also between 1948 and 1950 including the minutes of the Naval Air Tactical Conference at Lee-on Solent in 1948 and the trial of Firefly Mod 883 and intensive deck landings of Sturgeon TT Mk 2 in 1950.

The final report relating to the trials work leading up to the disbandment of the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit at Ballykelly can be found in AIR 65/348

Records of the Coastal Command can be found in AIR 15

Public Record(s)

English

• Air Ministry, Air Sea Warfare Development Unit, 1945-1964
• Air Ministry, Coastal Command Development Unit, 1940-1945
• Ministry of Defence, Air Sea Warfare Development Unit, 1964-1970

489 files and volumes

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

From 1976 Ministry of Defence

Series is accruing

A Coastal Command Development Unit was established at RAF Carew Cheriton in December 1940, later moving to Ballykelly, Tain, Dale and Angle. Its original purpose was to undertake service trials of all radar equipment and to investigate the tactics for the employment of such equipment in Coastal Command aircraft. Its scope soon increased to cover service and tactical trials of all Coastal Command aircraft and equipment.

At the beginning of 1945 it was transferred from Angle to Thorney Island and renamed the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit. The aim of the new unit was to increase efficiency in operations by carrying out trials on equipment and assisting its development by collaboration with research and development establishments. In April 1945 a similar unit was set up in Ceylon to conduct trials of equipment supplied to South East Asia Command.

The Air Sea War Development Unit disbanded on 1 April 1970, when control of all trials work for the Nimrod Fleet was assumed by the Central Trials and Tactical Organisation.