Provisional Training Center

Unit

Established at Hethel in March 1943 to provide ground schooling on aerial gunnery. The first course completed in April 1943 was attended by 83 men, many of whom had performed ground duties with the 2nd Bomb Wing and had volunteered to transfer to air crew duties due to a shortage of replacement crews.



The first crews from the USA arrived in May and June, and received 6 days theatre indoctrination. No 12 CCRC was intended to be the primary unit for training B-24 Liberator crews, so the Provisional Training Center often found its self in competition with this aim until December 1943.



From July- August of 1943 the Provisional Training Center moved to Hardwick to train the crews of the 44th and 93rd Bomb Group not required for Operation Tidal Wave.



After a brief hiatus following the return of B-24 crews from North Africa, the Provisional Training Center was reactivated at Attlebridge on 23 October 1943, and equipped with men and aircraft of the 19th Anti-Submarine Squadron.



The Center was finally disbanded on 26 December 1943, when its duties were formally absorbed by No 2 CCRC.

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Attlebridge 23 October 1943 - 26 October 1943

Established

Hethel

Based

Hardwick

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual, pp. 118-119