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Aircraft operated by RAAF units within RAF during WWII
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Under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, participating Commonwealth Nations raised squadrons for service within the RAF during WWII. These squadrons were intended to be crewed by nationals from the participating nations and equipped by the RAF, but in practice, they tended to be staffed by crews from across the Commonwealth. (See RNZAF information here).
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.
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Aircraft Operated by RAAF Squadrons & Units under RAF control during WWII
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Interestingly, many of these units also operated captured axis aircraft for evaluation or as squadron transports or hacks.
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| Aircraft History Page |
Image Gallery |
Operators |
Aircraft History Page |
Image Gallery |
Operators |
| Airspeed Oxford |
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3 Sqn & 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
Avro Anson |
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453 Sqn & 462 Sqn, RAAF |
| Avro 679 Manchester |
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460 Sqn, RAAF. |
Avro 683 Lancaster |
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460 Sqn, 463 Sqn & 467 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Boulton Paul Defiant |
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456 Sqn, RAAF. |
Brewster Buffalo |
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21 Sqn & 453 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Bristol 130 Bombay |
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1 AAU, RAAF. |
Bristol 149 Blenheim |
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454 Sqn, 456 Sqn & 459 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Bristol 156 Beaufighter |
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455 Sqn & 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
Curtis Tomahawk |
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3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Curtiss Kittyhawk |
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3 Sqn & 450 Sqn, RAAF. |
De Havilland DH.86 |
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1 AAU, RAAF. |
| De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito |
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456 Sqn & 464 Sqn, RAAF. |
Fairchild 24 Argus Mk.I |
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451 Sqn & 454 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Gloster Gauntlet |
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3 Sqn, & 451 Sqn RAAF. |
Gloster Gladiator |
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3 Sqn RAAF. |
| Grumman G-21A Goose |
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1 AAU, RAAF. |
Handley Page HP.52 Hampden |
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455 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Handley Page 57,58,59, 61 & 63 Halifax |
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460 Sqn, 462 Sqn and 466 Sqn, RAAF. |
Hawker Hurricane |
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3 Sqn, 450 Sqn and 451 Sqn, RAAF. |
Hawker Typhoon
Article
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451 Sqn, RAAF |
Lockheed Hudson |
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8 Sqn, 459 Sqn and 464 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Lockheed Ventura |
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464 Sqn and 459 Sqn, RAAF. |
Lockheed Model 16 Lodestar |
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1 AAU, RAAF. |
| Martin 167 Maryland |
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459 Sqn, RAAF.
May have been flown by members of 458 Sqn.
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Martin 187 Baltimore |
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454 and 459 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Miles M.14 Magister |
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3 Sqn, 451 Sqn & 456 Sqn, RAAF. |
North American Mustang |
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3 Sqn, RAAF. |
| North American Harvard |
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451 Sqn RAAF, 239 Wing RAF
(Available to 3 Sqn & 450 Sqn, RAAF). |
Short S.25 Sunderland |
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10 Sqn & 461 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Short S.26 (G Class) |
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10 Sqn, RAAF. |
Supermarine Spitfire |
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451 Sqn, 452 Sqn , 453 Sqn and 457 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Supermarine Walrus |
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10 Sqn, RAAF. |
Taylorcraft Auster Mk.III |
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451 Sqn, 452 Sqn , 453 Sqn and 454 Sqn, RAAF. |
| Vickers Wellington |
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458 Sqn, 460 Sqn and 466 Sqn, RAAF. |
Westland Lysander |
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3 Sqn, RAAF. |
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RAAF Article XV Squadrons under RAF control during WWII
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The RAAF Article XV squadrons were (links to our squadron photo albums): |
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| 450 Squadron, RAAF |
451 Squadron, RAAF |
452 Squadron, RAAF |
453 Squadron, RAAF |
454 Squadron, RAAF |
455 Squadron, RAAF |
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| 456 Squadron, RAAF |
457 Squadron, RAAF |
458 Squadron, RAAF |
459 Squadron, RAAF |
460 Squadron, RAAF |
461 Squadron, RAAF |
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| 462 Squadron, RAAF |
463 Squadron, RAAF |
464 Squadron, RAAF |
465 Squadron |
466 Squadron, RAAF |
467 Squadron, RAAF |
462 Squadron
Known Serials Page
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(Unit not formed) |
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| RAAF Squadrons & Units under RAF control during WWII |
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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: |
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| 1 Sqn, RAAF |
3 Squadron, RAAF |
8 Sqn, RAAF |
10 Squadron, RAAF |
21 Sqn, RAAF |
1 Air Ambulance Unit, RAAF |
| Far East Air Force, RAF |
Desert Air Force, RAF |
Far East Air Force, RAF |
Coastal Command, RAF |
Far East Air Force, RAF |
Desert Air Force, RAF |
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Aircraft Operated by RNZAF Squadrons and Units under RAF control during WWII
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Page Authors: Darren Crick, Brendan Cowan, Martin Edwards & Tony McDonald
Converted to CMS 29th August 2025
Updated 3rd November 2021
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