RAAF Beaufighter information Article link

[Drop Bear]

.....My first post!  I found this article completely by chance http://adf-serials.com.au/newsletter/ADF%20Telegraph%202019%20Spring.pdf published in 2019.

 

The whole newsletter may be of interest but the Gold commences at page 39 - a very long section on RAAF Beaufighters.  I don't get out too much but this stuff looks fairly original and extensive to say the least.

 

I can't vouch for the accuracy however it will at least provide fuel to the RAAF Beaufighter colours fire.

 

I was led here whilst looking for 60 lb Rocket Colours for my Mk21.  There's also interesting details re AFC in WW1 and RAAF B24's.

 

I will leave it to those far more learned than me to provide informed comment.  I hope you find it interesting & useful.

 

Happy viewing!

 

[fubar57]

Thank you for posting this

[Drop Bear]

I should have read past the Beau bit............There's a lot of B24 info from Page 101 too.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Some notes on the Beaufighter article.

You can look at the file on the Australian Archives Web site,  Series A705 control 150/4/852 AMOE [Air Member for Organisation and Equipment] technical - Aircraft general instruction to C 11 [issue 3] - standard aircraft finishes, markings, and markings of unit equipment.  ID 3032059

 

The RAAF says 218 Beaufighters were sent, 1 as pattern for local production (A19-218/LX815) not taken on RAAF Charge until August 1945, 6 were lost at sea, 1 damaged in transit and diverted to India, so 211 arrived.

 

On 19 June 1939 Australia requested an allocation of 18 Beaufighter from the first production batch. Overseas Indent 712 was being raised for this, part paid by reducing the Beaufort order from UK under O.I. 657 to 40 from 30 but OI 712 had not been drafted as of 1 August, and was probably only a draft as of 22 December. The 18 Beaufighter were reported on order from Britain as of 7 March 1940. On 18 April 1940 War Cabinet decided the 18 Beaufighters along with the final 14 Beauforts still on order from Britain were to be cancelled so that 49 more Hudsons could be ordered, of which 18 were to replace the Beaufighters, 14 to replace the Beauforts and 17 for other units. At the end of May 1940 War Cabinet approved diversion of all 49 Hudsons from this order to the RAF.

 

The second RAAF Beaufighter order was under Overseas Indent 910 in mid 1941, for 54 aircraft. In the 21 August 1941 Chiefs of Staff report confirmation was being requested of the Beaufighter delivery schedule ex UK of 12 in December 1941, then 14 per month January to March 1942, the confirmation arrived within a week. The 27 November 1941 report from the UK has the first 12 aircraft in various stages of assembly, and the first to be test flown "this week", but none were shipped until February 1942.

 

In March 1942 the RAAF went to a 73 squadron plan, the 54 Beaufighters ordered on OI 910 were joined by another 308 on OI 1110, a reply to the request came within a week, little chance of any of the extra order. In early May OI 910 was expanded by an additional 18, at 6 a month from May, for wastage requirements and to increase squadron strength, approved by War Cabinet in early June. Later mark VI were tentatively allocated for August and September, again at 6 per month. In early September OI 1110 was dropped to 18 aircraft at the same time as the first mark IV shipment was notified.

 

In early November 1942 the 6 aircraft per month shipments were to be continued indefinitely as wastage requirements, by late November the number shipped and arrived was greater than the number on order, even though quotas were running towards a month behind, 102 Beaufighters had arrived or were reported en route. On 12 January 1943 the Air Board recomended OI 1110 be raised to 72 aircraft, to cover 12 months wastage, July 1942 to June 1943, presuming there would be approval, which came later. Giving a total of 144 officially ordered to date.

 

The two lost on the SS Ceramic on 14 January 1943 were going to be replaced but effectively never were. The shipping quota was raised from 6 to 8 per month for 4 months from February/March onwards to replace those on Ceramic and build up a reserve in Australia against further losses at sea, with the extra quota to be extended if there were any further such losses. However four more lost at sea (plus 10 Ansons) on 2 April 1943 on the SS Melbourne Star were again effectively never replaced.

 

By end June 1943 the number arrived plus those en route once again exceeded the number on order, by mid August 12 more, the initial idea was to order another 36, quickly amended to 72, and in early October it became OI 1334, finally approved in early November, raising the total order to 216, by which time 162 Beaufighters had arrived and 12 were en route. First Australian Beaufighter production was in May 1944, with 112 accepted by the end of the year.

 

The RAF thinks 226 Beaufighters were exported to Australia, what happened to the extra aircraft is unknown, nor when they were exported.  The RAAF issued 218 Beaufighter serials, while reporting 210 were imported. The difference of 8 is made up of the 6 lost at sea, plus A19-218/LX815 which was officially the pattern aircraft for local production (Like L4448 for the Beaufort production), meaning it was not classified as an RAAF order, plus A19-105/EL412. In the 25 March 1943 Chiefs of Staff report one of three Beaufighter on an unnamed ship was damaged crossing the Atlantic and offloaded at New York, this was most probably A19-105/EL412 which ultimately ended up in India on 28 August 1943 and Struck Off Charge on 22 February 1945. Also in March 1943 A19-109/EL518 arrived damaged in transit and needed repair before RAAF service.

 

The RAF delivery logs have the RAAF serials listed against the RAF serials, showing the RAAF serials were known in Britain.  RAF T serials were built by Fairey, the rest by Bristol.

The 3 February 1943 report from the Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance states A19-93 (ex EL438) was the first dihedral tail Beaufighter delivered, at 2 Aircraft Park for erection.

 

The final locally produced mark 21 was officially produced in January 1946.

[dogsbody]

This link works: http://adf-serials.com.au/newsletter/ADF Telegraph 2019 Spring.pdf

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Drop Bear]

Hey, thanks #dogsbody.  Next time I'll post up the link properly 🤔

[dogsbody]

1 hour ago, Drop Bear said:

Hey, thanks #dogsbody.  Next time I'll post up the link properly 🤔

 

 

No worries!

 

 

 

 

Chris