Raf Squadron Codes And Serial Numbers
In a recent book on the RAAF Beaufort number 100 Squadron, it is mentioned that prior to the creation of the RAAF 100 Squadron it was operating as 100 Squadron RAF, created from Q flight which was based in Australia to take delivery of Beauforts. The book mentions Beaufort aircraft carrying the NK squadron codes as were carried by RAF Squadron Vilderbeestes in Singapore, yet online references list 'NK' as RAF squadron codes for 118 and 163 Squadrons, and list 100 Squadron as using 'C', 'GB', 'HW', 'RA', 'AS'. Can anyone confirm the use of 'NK' squadron codes by RAF 100 Squadron in Singapore (were they inherited aircraft?
Etc) regards Mark Pilkington. During WWII NK was used by 100 Squadron in the Far East (until Feb 1942) and 118 Squadron in the UK. Also RCAF 31GRS Ansons.
Bells and whistles for outlook keygen. RA were 100 Squadron's pre-war codes in the Far East. FZ Jan 1943 - 1944 by C Flight. JA 1944-45 by C Flight. HW Jan 43 to May 1946. HW were used post war. In the 1950s squadron codes were abandoned. Instead each squadron at an airbase was allocated a single letter.
In 100 Squadron's case this was C. Many other squadrons at different airbases also used C.
Combat Codes does not record GB or AS being used by 100 squadron. RAAF 100 Squadron used QH from Feb 1942 until May 1946.
'Combat Codes' by by Flintham and Thomas, the bible, lists:- 100 Sqn Vildebeeste III - c. Feb 1940/Feb 1942 K. NK-H Far East. 100 Sqn Beaufort V - Nov 1941/Feb 1942 T9552 NK-. Far East. MarkThanks Mark can you elaborate on the entry for the Beaufort, or what references the book provides, or how it sources its information? This is actually the aircraft I'm investigating, T9552 was the 13th production DAP Beaufort but issued to Q Flight of RAF 100 Squadron in Australia prior to the fall of Singapore and the return of all Beauforts back to the RAAF, with T9552 becoming A9-13.
T9552/A9-13 was recovered from Tadji in PNG in 1974 and in Charles Darby's 'Pacific Aircraft Wrecks' book on page 25 is shown with the remanants of B-NK still showing on the side of the fuselage. On page 12 of Colin Kings book 'Song of the Beauforts' No 100 squadron and Beaufort Bomber operations, the author covers the history of the RAF 100 squdron operations, stating 'Records show that T9558 had been allocated to the squadron on 24 December and T9552 on 21 January 1942, bringing the total strength to 8 aircraft. At that time the squadron continued to wear the squadron codes 'NK', which had been the 100 squadron RAF Vilderbeeste's code letters.' In this wartime Australian documentary of manufacturing the Beaufort there is footage of completed aircraft flying from @ 7.30 minutes in, while all are wearing the RAF type roundel with yellow outside none are wearing squadron codes. From 9.10 minutes onwards a formation of 6 aircraft without codes are seen in the air and at 9.26 a single aircraft is seen flying with the codes B-NK, followed at 9.41 by formation of 9 aircraft, unfortunately its unclear if they are wearing squadron codes too?
I assume the early footage of 6 aircraft is perhaps of the original 6 prior to travelling to Singapore, where- as the footage of 9 might well be in the period January 1942 to 25 February after T9552 had joined the squadron but before the transfer back to the RAAF?, and it would seem that 'NK-B' in the film is T9552/A9-13. Are there any still photography in the UK of these aircraft in RAF service in Australia? DAP Beaufort A9-13 was the 13th locally built Australian mark V Beaufort Bomber, with the first 20 being assembled from imported UK parts, but fitted with Australian built Pratt and Whitney 1830 Twin Row Wasp engines. A9-13 was originally built to an RAF order of 180 aircraft and was delivered as RAF serial number T9552 in January 1942 and was one of 20 Australian Beauforts delivered to 100 Squadron RAF at Richmond NSW. The first 58 aircraft were constructed with British serial numbers for delivery to the RAF for use by RAF 100 Torpedo Squadron at Singapore, however only 6 aircraft ever left Australia for Singapore, with 1 crashing on the way, and the remaining 5 hurriedly returned to Australia following the Japanese invasion. T9552 was transferred to the RAAF as A9-13 in May 1942 following the fall of Singapore, along with all other Australian RAF Beauforts and a new RAAF 100 Squadron was formed to operate Beauforts adopting the number and many aircrew from the RAF 100 Squadron attachment already in Australia along with those who escaped from Singapore. In April 1942 A9-13 was transferred to Number 1 Operational Training Unit at Bairnsdale in Victoria for use in the training of Beaufort aircrew before allocation to operational squadrons and served with 1 OTU until December 1942 when it suffered a forced landing due to engine failure A9-13 continued to serve with 1 OTU until January 1944 when it was transferred to 1 Aircraft Deport at Laverton from where it was issued to 8 Communications Unit serve in New Guinea as a replacement for A9-79 in a communications and support role.
While serving with 8CU in New Guinea A9-13 was used to calibrate ground based airfield and early warning radar installations, as well as general communications and 'milk' runs. During a flight to deliver fruit and vegetables in May 1945 to the 100 Squadron base at Tadji airfield near Aitape in Northern PNG A9-13 suffered a forced landing and was converted to components. Regards Mark Pilkington. Mark You are probably aware, but there is a pic of T9552 showing an 'NK' code (no indiv letter shown) in 'Australian Air Force since 1911', Parnell & Lynch, pg.61 (photo credit is the SMH). I showed this photo nearly 30 years ago to Andy Thomas, who was my nextdoor neighbour in Scotland. Andy of course is one of the foremost RAF squadron historians - and I guess an author of 'Combat Codes' by Flintham and Thomas, as Mark 12 notes. At that stage Andy was very interested in this pic, as he knew that NK was the 100 Sqn Singapore code, but had not previously seen a Beaufort so marked.
Hope that is of interest. MarkP Whilst searching for something else this morning I found this original print sent to me by Pearce Dunn many many years ago. On the back is written:- A9-143 Warbirds Museum Mildura Vic. That serial does not tie up with some of the published Beaufort Websites which claim 143 was a major crash and fatality. Do you have the story and fate of this one?
Mark12 Mark, For a long time this was the largest chunk of Beaufort surviving in a museum/collection anywhere in the world, other than a cockpit at the then Moorabbin Air Museum then identified incorrectly as A9-152, and a cockpit at the Harold Thomas collection A9-703. This Beaufort still survives in Australia today and is 'near' live and well, but has suffered an identity crisis over the years from its first collection and display at Pearce Dunn's Warbirds Aviation Museum at Mildura. For a long time it was recorded as A9-43, and later in publications such as Leslie Hunts IVeteran & VintageI it was quoted as A9-143 and as you see it listed in this photo. Those identities then create confusion and uncertainty to its ultimate fate and current status.
The aircraft is now correctly identified as A9-141 and is under restoration to fly with Ralph Cusack in Caboolture in Queensland. All other major surviving examples were recovered by Monty Armstrong and Charles Darby in 1974 from Tadji PNG, (T9552/A9-13 mark V, and A9-555 mark VIII with the Bristol Aero Collection - USA, A9-557 mark VIII, at the AWM, and A9-559 mark VIII as DD931 mark II with the RAFM in the UK, other than a cockpit/fuselage/centre-section of A9-501 mark VIII that sat derelict at Gove strip in the Northern Territory that has largely been consumed by other restorations, although its cockpit is being restored for return to that site for display. A9-501 when being recovered The ADF-Serials.com.au website offers the following.
After coming to grief in an accident in 1944, A9-141 was written off and her whereabouts were unknown. Until 1982 - where the cockpit and fuselage section was spotted in the grounds of an Air Museum in Mildura, Victoria - by a self-professed Aircraft Enthusiast, Ralph Cusack. Time and the elements had been unkind to this important aircraft - years of sitting outside in the sun, wind and rain had taken their toll (a situation that was not helped by vandals, who also gave the aircraft some unwelcome attention). Knowing that no complete surviving Beauforts existed, Ralph purchased the remains of the aircraft - with a view to restoring it to an airworthy condition. The first stage in the process was to transport the aircraft back to Brisbane. The aircraft was loaded on to a semi-trailer and delivered to Brisbane. Parts were sourced for the aircraft from all over the world.
Raf Code
It is estimated that, when the aircraft is fully restored, approximately 40-50% of the parts on the aircraft will be from aircraft other than A9-141. The pace of the restoration picked up when the aircraft was moved into its current home - in the inner Brisbane suburb of Hendra. Volunteers - a group of people with a common interest in aircraft and a desire to see the A9-141 fly again - help when they can, and the restoration progresses. The goal is to have this important aircraft flying in time for the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force - in 2011. If you talk to Ralph or any of the over 40 volunteers involved in the restoration - this is an anniversary that A9-141 will be alive to enjoy. Here are two photos of A9-141 taken from Ralph's site, of it sitting at Mildura when acquired in 1982. Here is a more recent photo took of A9-141 while finalising the purchase and packing of T9552/A9-13 in July of this year.
Not quite 'flying' by 2011 but getting closer each day! It was built as a DAP Beaufort mark VII, with a similar low set early turret similar to A9-13, but at some stage that fuselage section was replaced with one from a later Mark VIII - originally it carried the damaged section from A9-230, however that was replaced with a section from another mark VIII and the damaged section from A9-230 is now with the AARG at Moorabbin as part of the earlier collection of parts acquired prior to the recent purchase of A9-13. So although the finished product will fly as the mark VII A9-141 with its cockpit and wing centre-section, visually it will present more as a mark VIII with its later dorsal turret mounting. Regards Mark Pilkington Last edited by Markpilkington; 16th August 2011 at 13:04.
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