RAF Patch 236 OCU Operational Conversion Unit Crest Nimrod

RAF Patch 236 OCU Operational Conversion Unit Royal Air Force Nimrod Flight Suit Crest Patch 1970s embroidered on twill 122mm by 89mm four and three quarter inches by three and one half inches.

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Unit history 1969 1992 

236 Operational Conversion Unit OCU was activated at RAF Kinloss in August 1947 equipped with Lancaster and Beaufighter aircraft on the renaming of 6 Coastal Operational Training Unit. With the introduction of the Shackleton and revisions to Coastal Command training the School of Maritime Reconnaissance was formed at RAF St Mawgan in June 1951 with Lancasters to teach general maritime procedures. At the same time 236 OCU became responsible for converting Aircrew to the Shackleton Mk1 and then conversion to Neptune aircraft from November 1952 to July 1956. In September 1956 236 OCU was disbanded when it was merged with School of Maritime Reconnaissance SMR and was redesignated the Maritime Operational Training Unit. MOTU moved to RAF St Mawgan in June 1965. 

Maritime Operational Training Unit MOTU at RAF St Mawgan received its first Nimrod MR1 on 2 October 1969 to commence training Nimrod crews and was renamed 236 Operational Conversion Unit OCU on 1 July 1970 and was allocated the Shadow Squadron designation of 38 Reserve Squadron for frontline capability in the event of war.  

236 OCU relocated to RAF Kinloss on 1 April 1982 to merge with the Nimrod Conversion Flight formed at RAF Kinloss in October 1979 to commence training with the newly introduced Nimrod MR 2. 236 Operational Conversion Unit moved back to RAF St Mawgan on 1 November 1983 and then to RAF Kinloss on 31 July 1992. Following the disbandment of 42 Squadron on 1 October 1992 236 OCU was renamed Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit 42 Reserve Squadron relinquishing its shadow Squadron number of 38 R Squadron.  

In 1997 the Nimrod OCU 42 R Squadron was renamed 42 Reserve Squadron which disbanded on 26 May 2011.

This patch dates from the 1970s.