On the outbreak of the Second World War, the aircraft at Hanworth were moved to Brough, where the two training schools merged, becoming No 4 Elementary Flying Training School. The school at Brough continued to be operated by Blackburn, with the aircraft remaining with civilian registrations (although they were repainted with wartime training markings with yellow fuselages, camouflaged wings and RAF roundels). The remaining aircraft were taken over by the RAF in February 1942, being handed over to the Air Training Corps, where they were used as instructional airframes.