Avro Anson

I think because of its location, very easy access into the North Sea, which was going to be the main area for this station when it was transferred into Coastal Command 16 Group.

Even when it was set up in 1936, you had the first squadrons of the Avro Anson's turn-ups.

You had 206 Squadron, 220 Squadron, 269 Squadron as well, even though 269 was only here briefly.

But during the period from 1936 to the beginning of World War II, they were preparing for you know if another war were to break out so they were training on long-range reconnaissance into the north sea protection of the merchant fleet protection of the fishing trawlers and the fishing fleets that would go out all that was all being practiced tried and as well you spent a lot of time flying across the north sea so you had to be very good at navigation so navigate is obviously if you get it wrong there was a good chance that you'd end up Parking yourself on top of the North Sea, which obviously wasn't an ideal location to land your aircraft.

Just general reconnaissance of the coastal areas as well, and searching for any shipping that might have broken out into the North Sea.

You also had air-sea rescue, was a big part that was going to be done, and metrology as well.

So quite a lot of duties that were given to Coastal Command, considering that even in 1936 they were very much under-equipped for the job, because again they were all flying things like the Avro Anson.

And many squadrons, units that were based here, crossed the war.