Force, replaced the fighter element in January 1943 with a detachment of 401 Squadron RCAF and on 10 March No. 6 OTU moved to Silloth. On 23 March 1943 No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF arrived from Silloth and trained Handley Page Halifax, Boeing Flying Fortress, and Consolidated Liberator crews. In May 1943 No. 401 Squadron left and was replaced by No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron from RAF Catterick on 30 May 1943, also equipped with the Spitfire Mk Vb, and stayed until 31 July. In October 1943 an Air Sea Rescue Training Unit re-located here equipped with Vickers Warwick aircraft, followed by 280 ASR Squadron the same month which immediately began to convert from Ansons to Warwicks. In November 1943 Warwicks of 281 ASR squadron arrived to join 280 Squadron and stayed until February 1944. No. 1 OTU disbanded on 19 October 1943 and the Halifax, Fortress and Liberator training was transferred to No 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit. A detachment of 280 squadron Warwicks were sent to RAF Thorney Island in December 1943 before moving to Strubby in May 1944, a detachment of Warwicks was also left at Thornaby. Leading up to D-Day Hadrian gliders were towed by Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle aircraft from Thornaby. On 14 October 1944 a third ASR squadron arrived, No. 279, equipped initially with Hudsons the squadron began to re-equip with Warwicks plus a few Sea Otters and Hurricanes, whilst 279 were converting onto the Warwick a detachment from 280 squadron were covering ASR sorties from Thornaby. The Air Sea Rescue squadrons developed survival packs which were dropped to ditched aircrew. These were named after the RAF stations where they were developed, for instance the Bircham Barrel and Lindholme Gear; the Thornaby Bag was a container of food and First Aid supplies developed at RAF Thornaby, but was superseded by the Lindholme Gear due to the Thornaby Bag bursting open in all but very calm seas when it was deployed. Over the next few months 279 Squadron were kept busy on ASR sorties and in the closing stages of the war rocket equipped Beaufighters of No. 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, from the RAF Dallachy ANZAC Strike Wing arrived. They continued to attack enemy shipping in the Baltic and on 3 May 1945 flew their last sortie of the war to Kiel, they left two mine-sweepers destroyed, 455 Squadron disbanded at Thornaby on