One other role undertaken within 226 OCU was that of training
Fighter Reconnaissance (FR) pilots to feed the three FR squadrons of the RAF, namely 208 Sqn in the Middle East plus 2 Sqn at Wahn, and 79 Sqn at Gutersloh, both part of 2ATAF.
Fighter Reconnaissance was a totally different concept to Photo-Reconnaissance (PR) for while the latter was carried out at altitude, flying on pre-determined courses and using vertical long-focus cameras to cover large areas by the ‘line-overlap’ system, FR was a low-level tactical operation which relied on side or forward-facing, oblique, wide-angle cameras and where time on and over target and not range, were the critical factors.
The later marks of Spitfire had served well in 
the FR role but with the advent of jet fighters, the faithful piston-engined fighter was replaced by the Meteor FR9 whose nose-mounted cameras made life a lot easier for the pilot.
There were six camouflaged Meteor FR9s on the FR Flight (F) all coded UU, and although there were some Vampires with the same code letters making up E Flight, they had no connection with the FR operation, and whereas 1 and 2 Squadrons of the OCU both consisted of two Flights (A-D), E and F were not combined to form a third squadron. The FR Flight also looked after WK687, the WingCo Flying’s ‘private’ Meteor, the reason being that the Flight did not have a squadron commander as such, but its training officer reported directly to the W/Cdr.
Two potential FR pilots were selected from each OCU course and given a further four weeks intensive training in the art of low-level photography against a range of ‘targets’. The role of an FR pilot was carefully explained to them: ‘To go in at very low-level as and when required, obtain the necessary photographs (no second chance), memorise any other details thought to be of value, and to get back safely. An FR pilot therefore needed to be an exceptional pilot capable of a high degree of concentration, an excellent navigator, to be observant and to have a good memory (now they tell me! – Doug Johns).
F/Lt John Pascoe-Watson, an experienced FR pilot, arrived at Stradishall in October 1953 to take over the FR Flight. His initial impression was that the syllabus did not satisfy the needs of current FR and he set about to revise it without really telling anyone. He did finally mention the fact to the Station Commander, who used the Flight’s aircraft to keep his hand in. The Group Captain nearly had a fit and suggested to John that he inform Group and get it cleared by their training staff. John, however, decided to keep it all at low profile and kept on with the programme, which as far as he knew, was satisfying the requirements of their operational FR squadrons.
