ADF-SERIALS
& NZDF-SERIALS
Australian
& New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History
Aircraft
operated by WWII RAAF & RNZAF units within the RAF
Under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, participating Comonwealth Nations raised squadrons for service within the RAF during WWII. These squadrons were intended to be crewed by nationals from the participating nations and equiped by the RAF, but in practice, they tended to be staffed by crews from across the Commonwealth.
Royal Australian Air Force
Australia formed 17 Article XV squadrons, out of a total of 79 RAAF squadrons, during World War II. While 18 squadrons had been originally planned for service with the RAF, No. 465 Squadron was never formed.
When some Article XV squadrons and RAF units were transferred to RAAF operational control, from 1943 onwards, they retained their original numbers.
All the Australian Article XV squadrons were disbanded after the end of the war, but since 2005 four of the squadrons have been re-formed by re-designating RAAF intelligence and air traffic control units.
The RAAF Article XV squadrons were (links to our squadron photo albums):
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Five other RAAF squadrons plus other units were also under RAF operational control for the whole or part of the war:
| Coastal Command | Far East Air Force | Desert Air Force |
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Aircraft Operated (RAAF) |
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(It is possible that a type could have A or N allocations and RAF Serials on the same page)
| Airspeed Oxford | 3 Sqn, 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Auster Mk.III | 454 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Avro Lancaster | 460 Sqn, 463 Sqn & 467 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Avro Manchester | 460 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Boulton Paul Defiant | 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Brewster Buffalo | 21 Sqn & 453 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Bristol Beaufighter | 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Bristol Bleinhem | 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Bristol Bombay | 1 AAU, RAAF. |
| Curtis Tomahawk | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Curtiss Kittyhawk | 3 Sqn & 450 Sqn, RAAF. |
| De Havilland DH.86 | 1 AAU, RAAF. |
| De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito | 456 Sqn & 464 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Fairchild 24 Argus | 451 Sqn. |
| Gloster Gauntlet | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Gloster Gladiator | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Grumman Goose | 1 AAU. |
| Handley Page Halifax | 460, 462 and 466 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Handley Page Hampden | 455 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Hawker Huricane | 3 Sqn and 451 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Lockheed Hudson | 8 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Lockheed Lodestar | 1 AAU, RAAF. |
| Lockheed Ventura | 464 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Martin Baltimore | 454 and 459 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Miles Magister | 3 Sqn & 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
| North American Mustang | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| North American Harvard | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Short Sunderland | 10 Sqn & 461 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Short S26 (G Class) | 10 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Supermarine Spitfire | 451, 452, 453 and 457 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Vickers Wellington | 458, 460 and 466 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Westland Lysander | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
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Interestingly, many of these units also operated captured axis aircraft for evaluation or as squadron transports or hacks.
| Breda BE-25 | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Cant Z.501 Gabbiano | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Caproni Ca.100 | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Caproni Ca.164 | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Fiat Cr.42 | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Henschel 126 | 450 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Macchi MC.205 Veltro | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Messerschmitt Me109 | 3 Sqn, RAAF. |
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The RNZAF Article XV squadrons were:
- 485 (NZ) Sqn (Fighter, Fighter-bomber)
- 486 (NZ) Sqn (Fighter-bomber, fighter)
- 487 (NZ) Sqn (Fighter-bomber)
- 488 (NZ) Sqn (Fighter/night Fighter)
- 489 (NZ) Sqn (Coastal Command: torpedo, anti-shipping)
- 490 (NZ) Sqn (Coastal Command: flying boat)
Also 75 Sqn (NZ) Sqn (althought not an Article XV squadron) was made up of RNZAF aircrews and operated as a heavy bomber unit under RAF operational command.
Aircraft Operated (RNZAF)
(It
is possible that a type could have NZ allocations and RAF
Serials on the same page)
| Avro Lancaster | 75(NZ) Sqn, RNZAF |
| Avro Lincoln | 75(NZ) Sqn, RNZAF |
| Brewster Buffalo | 488 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Bristol Blenheim | 488 Sqn & 489 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Bristol Beaufort | 489 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Bristol Beaufighter | 488 Sqn & 489 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Consolidated Catalina | 490 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| De Havilland Mosquito | 487 Sqn, 488 Sqn & 489 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Handley Page Hampden | 489 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Hawker Hurricane | 486 Sqn & 488 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Hawker Typhoon | 485 Sqn & 486 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Hawker Tempest | 486 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Lockheed Ventura | 487 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Short Sunderland | 490 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Short Stirling | 75(NZ) Sqn, RNZAF |
| Supermarine Spitfire | 485 Sqn, RNZAF. |
| Vickers Wellington | 75(NZ) Sqn, RNZAF |
