IMHO there is little doubt that Bomber Command training units were ‘Cinderella Units’ that had to work with a wide range of mixed and ‘tired airframes’.
That said having spoken with many former ground and air crew they all undertook their duties with utmost professionalism (despite most being volunteers) and with immense respect and consideration for each other. I have particular connections with former personnel from 1661 HCU at RAF Winthorpe and the camaraderie I have experienced within that group of veterans is very humbling. To suggest the aircraft were badly maintained is inappropriate.
HCUs were an added level of training introduced by 5 Group to counter heavy loses, that were becoming difficult to sustain. HCU Courses were split into 2 sections – flying & ground training on alternate days and included a minimum of 6 hours bad weather flying – so when everyone else is on the ground on HCU you could be flying; not an ideal situation but a necessary one if you were to gain the skills need to cope with similar circumstances on Ops.
Toward the end of the war an additional level of training was added in 5 Group called Lancaster Finishing School.
Reinforcing the ‘bad weather issue’ the RAF Winthorpe / 1661 HCU Memorial features – “part of a propeller hub of an Mk III Short Stirling EF186, from 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), which was then based at RAF Winthorpe. The aircraft crashed out of control at Breeder Hills near Grantham, Lincs, on December 4th 1944, after entering cumulus nimbus cloud while practicing recovery from unusual flight attitudes. The Stirling was carrying a crew of nine and there were no survivors.”
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