The claim that Coastal Command merely received the RAF's least capable people is too simple. Maritime flying demanded strong pilots and navigators, and the Air Ministry appears to have distributed support relatively evenly through the mid-1930s. The balance changed as belief in the decisive heavy bomber concentrated attention and resources on Bomber Command. By 1938, operational failures and external pressure were forcing the RAF to reconsider what Fighter, Coastal, and Fleet Air Arm requirements had been neglected.
Notable Point · 1:07:36-1:09:08
Why Coastal Command became an RAF Cinderella service
Coastal Command's weakness reflected a post-1935 doctrinal turn toward strategic bombing more than a simple allocation of poor pilots and worn-out aircraft.