Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes Since 1938

By Vic Flintham and Andrew Thomas

The authors of 'Combat Codes' have painstakingly researched the codes used by the RAF to replace unit markings during World War II in order to attempt to confuse the enemy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jul 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781783033607

Book preview

Blenheim I K7147/D of No. 110 Sqn beautifully illustrates the method of identification used by bomber squadrons before the introduction of unit code letters in September 1938–the squadron number being applied on the fuselage. Many units also carried their badges within the grenadeshaped frame, usually worn on the fin. (Gp Capt W. S. G. Maydwell)

This formation of Blenheim IVs of No. 59 Sqn seen in 1940 displays several variations in the application of the code. TR-H and TR-F have shorter, thicker, letters than the other two aircraft, although all have the T overlapping the wing roots. (Graham Salt)

To the late

Reverend John D. R. Rawlings

An enthusiast’s enthusiast

First published in Great Britain in 2003

by Airlife Publishing Ltd

Published in this format in 2008 by

Pen & Sword Aviation

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright © Vic Flintham and Andrew Thomas, 2003 & 2008

9781783033607

The right of Vic Flintham and Andrew Thomas to be identified as Authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is

available from the British Library

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Acknowledgements

In addition to the five individuals mentioned in the preface, many others have contributed material and support. Not least is Peter Green who over many years of friendship has been generous in the extreme in supporting others with his vast reservoir of knowledge and photographs–we have not hesitated to draw on his advice. Another significant contributor, especially in the provision of photographs, is Sqn Ldr Chris (‘Joe’) Ashworth. Their correspondence and visits have always been much valued, as has that of Jim Oughton who has been of particular help with Liberator units.

More recently, Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork MBE has been an enthusiastic supporter, casting an eagle eye for material in his capacity as the Archivist of the Aircrew Association. To the latter group we owe a special debt as members, all former aviators, have responded to appeals and obscure queries. Chris Shores, the author of the superb series of air campaign histories, has unearthed much new material as has his co-worker on several projects, Brian Cull, valued friends both. Another friend, Chris Thomas, has also made our joint researches a pleasure as well as productive. The contributions of Norman Franks and Dick Ward of Modeldecal were also helpful. Also, the advice of long standing friend Wg Cdr Jeff Jefford MBE, has always been highly valued.

Overseas, we received outstanding support in respect of the Commonwealth Air Forces from Neil Mackenzie, David Wilson and Sqn Ldr John Bennett RAAF, in Australia. Charles Darby’s input from New Zealand was invaluable, as was that of Ken Smy and Michael Schoeman from South Africa, while Larry Milberry in Canada opened many doors, and the information provided by John Griffin was also of enormous help. The contributions of P V S Jagan Mohan and Sqn Ldr Rana Chhina in India too were valuable. Assistance and information on the RNorAF was kindly provided by Lt Col Helge Sandnes RNorAF, Cato Guhnfeld and Nils Mathrud. Cdre H J E van der Kop MLD and Andre van Haute were most helpful regarding the Dutch and Belgian units respectively. Likewise, Wojtek Matusiak assisted with information on the Polish units, as did Zdenek Hurt who provided similar assistance regarding the Czech aspects.

Chaz Bowyer readily shared his large information archive during the early researches, while the assistance of Sqn Ldr Norman Robertson was much appreciated. Roger Hayward proved the oracle of all things Beaufort and more. More recently Roger Freeman, doyen of the 8th AF writers, has turned up much material; we are specially indebted to him for his help in producing much of the colour photograph section and for proof-reading the USAAF appendix. Thanks too to Harry Holmes for help with USAAF material and particularly to Ken Wakefield who late in the day helped with US Army photographs and codes.

Various official bodies, associations and societies helped considerably too. Over many years Graham Day at the MoD Air Historical Branch has always answered even the most obscure queries and organised access to the albums and diaries of long disbanded units which proved invaluable and from which so much new information and photographs came. Likewise, Reg Mack and Rick Barker, both formerly of the Aviation Records Dept at the RAF Museum, provided much new material for publication from that superb archive and readily assented to its use. The staffs of the Imperial War Museum in London, the RNZAF Museum in Christchurch, the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, the SAAF Museum, Pretoria and the Public Record Office, Kew too were always supportive.

Special thanks are due to Mrs Jean Buckberry, the former Head Librarian of the College Library, RAF College Cranwell, for her enthusiasm and for the ready access to that excellent facility. Air Britain has been mentioned elsewhere, and thanks are due to their ‘codes’ specialist, Ron Durand. Some existing squadrons and numerous squadron associations in the UK and Commonwealth countries too have assisted and for their contributions we are grateful.

The Editors and staff of several magazines have forwarded letters to correspondents and published appeals which have been most helpful. Particular thanks go to Alan WHall who some years ago published several articles in Aviation News on Pre-War RAF Codes which subsequently drew many useful comments and responses. Thanks too are due to Ken Delve, Director of Aviation at Key Publishing, and formerly editor of FlyPast and to his successor Ken Ellis–enthusiasts both. In France Phil Listemann of Aero Journal has also been a most useful and helpful contact. More recently another friend, Tony Holmes of Osprey Publishing, has shared material and proved the conduit to other new contacts.

The contributions of other friends and enthusiasts has produced much of the new information and photographs and their awareness of the seemingly never-ending search has been much appreciated. They include: the late Dr John Allin, Peter Arnold for access to his superb Spitfire archive, the late Dr Arthur Banks, L J Batchelor, Gerry Beauchamp, Peter Berry, Dave Birch, Tim Bishop, Roy Bonser, Martin Bowman, Keith Braybrooke, Alec Brew, Steve Brooking, Robin Brooks, Robin A Brown, Russell Brown, Dugald Cameron, Alan Carlaw, Bill Chorley, S M Coates, E A Cromie of the Ulster Aviation Society, Dick Cronin, Jerzy Cynk, John Evans, Jonathon Falconer, A P Fergusson, J D Fergusson, Martyn Ford-Jones, Neville Franklin, Sqn Ldr Chris Goss, Brian Goulding, James Goulding, Dr David Gunby, John Hamlin, Terry Hancock, Andrew Hendrie, Mike Hodgeson, Mike Hooks, Ted Hooton, Stuart Howe, David Howley, Leslie Hunt, Paul Jackson, Phillip Jarratt, George Jenks, David Legg of the Catalina Society, G S Leslie, Roger Lindsay, Peter Lloyd, Peter London, Alec Lumsden, R S G Mackay, Dave Marchant, Maurice Marsh, Ken Merrick, Eric Morgan, Don Neate, Roy Nesbit, Pat Otter, Neil Owen, Michael Payne, the late Arthur Pearcy, Brian Pickering, Dr Alfred Price, Neil Robinson of Scale Aircraft Modelling, Graham Salt, Dilip Sarkar, Andy Saunders, Stewart Scott, Jerry Scutts, Ian Simpson, David J Smith, the late Gordon Swanborough, Eric Taylor, Gp Capt WJ Taylor, the late Acknowledgements 00.qxd 14/01/2003 09:24 Page v Owen Thetford, the late Geoff Thomas, Dave Vincent, Sqn Ldr D W ‘Joe’ Warne, David Watkins, Alan Watson, Clive Williams, Ray Williams.

Others, mainly ex-Servicemen or their families, have been courteous and supportive during our research. Sadly a number have passed away in the intervening years, but we record out thanks to all of the following: Wg Cdr R I Adams, Eric Adamson, Ron Aris, Tom Armstrong, Reg Ashmead, G Austen, Wg Cdr Stanley Baggott DFC, Bill Baird, Gp Capt G B M Bell, Eric Bevington-Smith, V F Bingham, Peter Brewster, Wg Cdr G H Briggs DFC, DFM, B Blunt, Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC, Stan Bryant, Flt Lt J E Buchan DFM, J E Bury, F C Butt, D M Campbell, Sqn Ldr A F Carlisle, G E Carter CD, G S W Challen DFM, Sqn Ldr A M Charlesworth, Wg Cdr H J Cobb DSO DFC, AFC, Sqn Ldr R A Collis DFC, David Collyer, Sqn Ldr D A S Colvin, the late Wg Cdr Peter Cook DMM Rhod AF, Rupert Cooling, AVM C WCoulthard CB AFC, Sqn Ldr Tom Cushing, J D Davies, the late Wg Cdr E C Deansley DFC, Wg Cdr B O Dias OBE DFC, D M Dixon, Gp Capt TAF Elsdon OBE DFC, J E H Fail, Bill Fleming, Wg Cdr R B Fleming DFC AFC, Geoff Flowerday, J WGardner, Sqn Ldr J WGee DFC, Sqn Ldr D Giles DFC, John Goodwin, A R Gordon, Gp Capt R C Haine OBE DFC, A J B Harding, Wg Cdr O L Hardy DFC AFC, ‘Bluey’ Haregreaves, Gp Capt H W Harrison, Alan Hartley, late Sqn Ldr C Haw DFC DFM Order of Lenin, Brian Hicks, R E Hilliard, Gp Capt G J C Hogan DFC AFC, late Gp Capt F WM Jensen CBE DFC AFC, Jack te Kloot, P N G Knowles, Gp Capt E P Landon DFC, LA Leetham, G A B Lord, Ron Lowe, ‘Jock’ Manson, A J Mallandaine, R W H May, D P F McCaig, TM McCammon, WH McGiffin OBE TD, R S McGill, Gp Capt W G Moseby DSO DFC, Mrs S G Overton, Lou Peeters, late Gp Capt J Pelly-Fry DSO, Peter Rackliff, Sqn Ldr J V Rees, Alan Richardson, Sqn Ldr PH P Roberts, late Sqn Ldr Roddy Robertson, Wg Cdr J Rose CMG MBE DFC, Wilfred Shearman, Sqn Ldr S W Sills DFM, late E W Sockett, John Stretton, Wg Cdr A G Todd DFC, Wg Cdr E F P Wheller, Wg Cdr N Williamson DFC, Gp Capt J B Wray DFC.

Most of the photographs used in this book have been supplied by the aforementioned. However, despite considerable efforts to trace original sources, in some cases through the passage of time this has proved nearly impossible. Unless the original source is evident, we have credited images to the immediate source. Uncredited photographs are from the authors’ collections. If any credits have been misapplied we readily apologise, but trust that their inclusion adds to the authenticity of this book.

Preface

That this book came to be written is the result of a shared interest and an unmet demand. For many years both authors have been writing and researching various aspects of military aviation history. For his part AST has specialised in RAF and Commonwealth unit histories and similar subjects that included details of RAF and related unit codes, together with supporting photographic evidence. VF has concentrated on the post-WW2 use of air power with particular emphasis on the aircraft employed and their operational use in combat. Both are committed to getting high quality data analysed and presented in a way which meets the needs of a wide audience. For both authors the need to identify the unit to which a particular aircraft belonged was vital, hence a necessity for a knowledge of RAF and Allied unit code letters and markings. With this common requirement and as friends for almost three decades, it was natural that they would collaborate on this project.

The foundations for the book were laid by five great British observers and recorders to whom the authors are indebted. Between them they have researched the subject in great detail and have identified much of the material upon which the present work is based. They also had in common a desire to advance knowledge before personal financial gain and all were long-serving members of Air-Britain, membership of which is commended to all serious aviation researchers. Their collected writings have formed the basis of all reliable British aviation libraries; their own publications relevant to this book are noted in the bibliography in Appendix K. They are:

Mike Bowyer, who is the doyen of ‘spotters’ (for which read recorders), and who shared in the authorship of the first code book with John Rawlings.

Mike has also written numerous books on aircraft as well as wartime and post-war markings. Jim Halley, who has masterminded the Air-Britain monographs on RAF serials and who in 1988 wrote the authoritative Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. The late Rev John D R Rawlings, who set new standards of research with his 1969 Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and who subsequently co-authored the first book to address the subject of RAF unit codes. Bruce Robertson, who in 1956 published a book on camouflage and markings which was ground-breaking to the extent that his description of roundel types is now firmly established as‘official’. Ray Sturtivant, who published the first list of codes in Air Pictorial in 1955 and who has subsequently written countless books including the classic Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm and RAF Training and Support Units. Additionally, he provided much useful support in the final stages by checking the voluminous drafts and adding many details, especially of dates and examples.

Notwithstanding the initial work of the above, as more material became available in recent years it became apparent that some kind of new ‘codes’ book was needed, not least that the original Squadron Codes book was now virtually unobtainable to a new generation of ever more demanding enthusiasts and researchers. Thus after several false starts, we finally came together to produce the current work. As is explained elsewhere, with no official lists of unit codes apparently surviving, it cannot be claimed to be