Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Well, well, well

One should always look at all details before one answers.
Of course the RAAF cards for T9541 to T9547 does not look at all as that of T9540.

First of all a correction, 1 A.D. was not an RAF unit it was of course an Australian one. Since at least I am lacking the British record cards it is difficult to state why the information published in the Beaufort Files is what it is, so I leave it at that!

None of the aircraft under discussion (except T9540) were received by RAAF until after the period they are mentioned in Shores Bloody Shambles. I find it highly likely he is correct all the way and that the six aircraft mentioned in his book were taken on charge by No 100 (RAF) Sq in Singapore.

Shores: T9546 crashed (19.12.1941?) at Sourabaya (landing accident)
RAAF card: received 24.12.41
Shores: T9547 crashed on landing in Australia (19.12.1941?)
RAAF card: received Dec 41; 24.12.41 allotted OTU ex APC; 27.12.41 previous order cancelled; 4.2.42 projected serviceability 7 to 10 days, all parts required at (+ unreadable by me)
Shores: T9542 arrived safely (19.12.1941?)
RAAF card: received: no date; 5.10.41 (unreadable by me);24.12.41 OTU ex APC; 27.12.41 previous order cancelled; 31.12.41 1 A.D.
Shores: T9545 arrived safely (19.12.1941?)
RAAF card: received (?) 12.41; 31.12.41 allotted APC ex 1 A.D.
Shores: T9544 arrived three days later (22.12.1941?)
RAAF card: received 31.12.41; received 1 A.D. ex APC

One interesting card concerns T9543 (not under discussion) which says the aircraft was w/o in January 1941 during delivery in the Middle East. Middle is then lined over and the word Far (I think) added on top.
Were really all these initial Beauforts taken by ship all the way to Oz assembled by GAF and then flown to Singapore? Only the card of T9540 indicates that.
Is it possible some were offloaded somewhere in the Middle East, assembled and flown to Oz via Singapore? True enough T9542 has something written, dated 5.10.41 but it is unreadable.

With regard to the formation of 100 (RAAF) Sq, the Beaufort File states it was transferred from RAF Richmond on 25.2.1942.
J J Halley in the Squadrons of RAF says that 100 (RAF) Sq was merged with 36 (RAF) Sq in Feb 1942. Since 36 Sq ceased to exist I have always thought 100 Sq did likewise.
Anyone with more details regarding these two units?
As I mentioned in my previous post there is a 100 Sq (TF) mentioned in the RAAF record card of T9540. The way I read it, it looked like this unit was formed out of an OTU (not 1 OTU).

Cheers
Stig

Re: 100 Squadron Beauforts
 

Aircraft deployed to Singapore

According to “Song of the Beaufort”:

22-Aug-1941, T9540 successfully test flown.

2-Dec-1941, six DAP Beauforts depart Fisherman’s Bend (in Melbourne) to Laverton, just outside of Melbourne to be readied for flight to Singapore. Crews are a combination of RAF and RAAF (serving 100 Sqn personnel or in transit to), and DAP flight-test crews. Aircraft are T9541, T9542, T9543, T9544, T9545 and T9547.

4-Dec-1941, some (or all) six aircraft departed for Singapore. Some aircraft are unarmed (without gun-turrets) and intended for evaluation by RAF in Singapore.

6-Dec-1941, aircraft arrive at Seletar (Singapore) at 1500 hrs (Laverton - Alice Springs – Batchelor/Darwin – Surabaya (Java) – Seletar). Only T9543 is recognised as operational. (It is noted that none of the aircraft are equipped with bomb or torpedo racks.) Two additional aircraft – T9548 and T9549 – have reached Batchelor/Darwin, en-route to Singapore. These latter two will be recalled without progressing any further. Of the Beauforts in Singapore, 5 will be sent back to Australia to remedy to lack of operational equipment, as well as a long list of non-servicable items.

7-Dec-1941, (actually 6-Dec US Pacific time, so well before attack on Pearl Harbor), T9543 sent off to photograph a Japanese convoy – unsuccessfully due to bad weather. Following Japanese attack on Khota Baru that night (and still before attack on Pearl), T9543 sent off again to photograph convoy; is attacked by 6 Zeros and suffers damage. T9543 makes it back to base but will be subsequently destroyed some time later by strafing attack.

19-Dec-1941, Beauforts had been previously designated as part of Q-Flight 100 Sqn RAF, and 4 are being prepared for the return flight to Australia, crewed by members of 100 Sqn RAF (and an assortment of other available aircrew). These four Beauforts are T9542, T9544, T9547, T9545. The remaining Beaufort – T9541 – is unserviceable, but will follow later. All reach Surabaya without incident, except T9544 which ground-loops on landing and damages its undercarriage. It will be late January 1942, before it continues its journey.

22-Dec-1941, T9541 departs Selatar/Singapore.

There are a number of equipment serviceability issues on the return flight….which may have been the reason for the lack of confidence in the DAP Beauforts by the existing members of 100 Sqn RAF (see attached documents below).

Following on this story in the Aircraft Movement Cards:
T9541 – RAAF deployment begins 10-1-42 (i.e. 10-January). {A9-2}
T9542 – RAAF card notes damage to starboard wing 5-10-41, allocated O.T.U., ex-APC (what’s an APC?)
24-12-41, which ties in with the return from Singapore. {A9-3}
T9543 – written off Jan 1942, which ties in with known destruction at Singapore.
T9544 – received 1 AD (Air Depot), ex-APC 31-12-41 (doesn’t quite tie-in with the ground-loop damage as noted in the book, though there is damage noted 31-1-42 with a taxiing incident in Australia). {A9-5}
T9545 – 31-12-41, allocated APC, ex-1 AD. {A9-6}
T9546 – 24-12-41, issued O.T.U., ex-Laverton. There is also a note “see file 9/18/93 re delivery to Surabaya 24.12.41. {A9-7} Note: this was not part of original 6 aircraft, or follow-up 2 aircraft.
T9547 – 24-12-41, allocated O.T.U. ex-APC. 4-2-42, “Projected serviceability 7 to 10 days. All parts reuired at Tennant Creek forwarded ex-T9549. (This ties-in with the incident in the book with the returning T9547 ground-looping at Tennant Creek and being repaired by parts of T9549 which had been damaged previously en-route to Singapore.) {A9-8}

T9540 – doesn’t appear to have been sent to Singapore, perhaps initially retained for test-flying. Eventually installed with dual controls, and issued to 100 Sqn RAF 19-1-42 for TF (I assume Training Flight).

Forming 100 Sqn RAAF

According to “Song of the Beaufort”:

It was originally intended that evacuated RAAF aircrews and RAF ground staff, both from 100 Sqn RAF, be sent to Australia to re-equip with DAP Beaufort aircraft, which would then be sent back to Malaya. The RAF aircrews from 100 Sqn were operating the remaining Vilderbeeste aircraft in a combined 36/100 Sqn RAF.

The National Archive Australia files that I’ve attached refer to the subsequent forming of 100 RAAF Squadron from the evacuated RAAF personnel of the original 100 RAF Sqn. It also indicates a lack of confidence in the DAP Beauforts by a number of the ex-100 RAF Sqn aircrew. Something which is noted in “no uncertain terms” in the book.

Q-Flight of 100 Sqn RAF, was now renamed 100 Sqn RAF and remain in Australia on loan to the RAAF.

Paint schemes for the DAP Beauforts deployed to Singapore in 1941.

A google search of both British Imperial War Museum (IWM) and Australian War Memorial (AWM) websites show a number of photos of the Beauforts arriving in Singapore. Unfortunately, the crowds of service personnel around the new arrivals prevents any closer inspection of the fuselage markings.

The previously linked photo (ex-Ed Coates Collection) shows the T9540 serial and not the A9-1.

“Bloody Shambles” Vol-1 (p.75) shows a photo of T9552 of 100 Sqn (RAF or RAAF?) with T9552 serial and NK squadron codes. (The caption also notes T9540 as the long-range recce aircraft, though “Song of the Beaufort” notes it as T9543, more in line with the Aircraft Movement Cards.)

“Song of the Beaufort” notes that T9558 was allocated to 100 Sqn RAF on 24-Dec-41 and T9552 on 21-Jan-42. The squadron continued to wear the NK squadron codes which had been on the Vilderbeeste.





There's a lot of information spread over many places, and it's only now that we can access a lot of it digitally.

...geoff

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Geoff,

You ask, "what is an APC?"

http://www.eoas.info/biogs/A000297b.htm

TF, indicates the Test Flight, attached to No.1 Aircraft Depot, Laverton, Victoria.

l strongly recommend you consult the following:

Glory In Chaos The RAAF in the Far East in 1940-42.
Hall,E.R.
West Coburg:Sembawang Association,1989.
pp.336-7 & 334-5.

Col.

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Thanks Geoff

Obviously the book Song of the Beaufort has found other sources then the record cards. Since so many sources place the actual handover of the aircraft we discuss to RAAF at a much later date, I wonder if there really exist at this point a clear handover date for each individual?
That is probably semantics anyway since RAF/RAAF fought a desperate combined loosing campaign and I suppose survival was more important than ownership!

The additional details regarding both the aircraft and the formation of 100 (RAAF) Sq is very interesting.

I have now downloaded the book, but not very fond of reading books on my computer... :o

Anyway my theory about deliveries to Singapore directly from the Middle East was thoroughly shot down!! :)

With regard to the markings I am convinced they were using their RAF serial numbers. All the RAAF record cards you attached (except for T9543 which was issued later and in retrospect) are written with the RAF serial number typed as the primary one. The RAAF serials are all added at a later stage.

The photo mentioned on page 75 in Bloody Shambles Vol 1 is interesting. The NK code was for 100 (RAF) Sq and since that aircraft is not listed as going to Singapore (unless you can dig up something in Song for a Beaufort) the photo must have been taken in Australia at some point early in 1942.
At least in Australia it seems 100 (RAF) Sq lived on if nothing else through its markings :)

The final question is then was it T9540 or T9541 which was in Singapore?
Seems to be the only major issue left...

Thanks Alex and Geoff for a very enjoyable discussion!!

Cheers
Stig

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Hi,

Not wanting to complicate matters too much, I have just glanced quickly at the 100 RAF Squadron ORB 'Summary Of Events' and noticed that there is an entry for 8/12/1941,

Kota Bahru 10.00 - One Beaufort (F/Lt. Mitchell), on reconnaissance damaged in FB. Action, landed at Kota Bahru. Later caught fire in attempted take-off and burnt out.
Sgt Barcroft (AG) slightly wounded leg and arm. Sgt. Gibson, slightly wounded thigh.

Could anyone tell me the serial number of this aircraft.

Cheers,

Russ

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Hello,

37821 F/L Peter Duncan Felton MITCHELL RAF, was piloting Beaufort T9543 on 8th December, 1941. This was the first wartime operational flight by an Australian-built Beaufort.

Col.

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Thanks Col.

Re: 100 Squadron Beauforts
 

Thanks Col, good pointer on Bon Hall's book! I have that on my shelf staring at me while I type. In the past, I've read and re-read the 1st section on the Hudson bombers, and the 2nd section on the Brewster Buffalo, so often that I totally forgot about the 3rd section which includes flying boats and the Vilderbeestes.

A few more pointers on Beaufort markings:
I've attached a couple more files from the NAA. These come from the combat reports for 100 Sqn RAAF (as different to the squadron ORB).
The one dated 27-May still refers to the Txxxx serial; while the ones dated 24,26-Jun now indicate the A9-xxx serials.

This ties in nicely to udf_00's comment (way back in post 3 or 4) about the change over in markings.

Stewart Wilson's book "Beaufort, Beaufighter & Mosquito in Australian Service" notes the Txxxx serial was only allocated to the first 58 DAP Beauforts off the production line. Number 59 is serialed A9-59 with no corresponding Txxxx number.

In Geoffrey Pentland's book "RAAF Camouflage & Markings 1939-45 Vol1", there's a photo on p51 of the final assembly and paintshop. There are two DAP Beauforts, one camouflaged and the other still in primer. The camo Beaufort has a T9xyz serial (unfortunately, some one has placed a step-ladder alongside the tail and obscured 'xyz'). Still, it notes the aircraft as being painted in the RAAF equivalent colours - light green/light earth/sky type-S, which closely matched the RAF specified dark green/dark earth/sky type-S.

If I manage to track down any more photos of the Beauforts in Singapore or Northern Australia in 1941, I pop in another post.

Happy reading,
...geoff

Re: 100 Squadron beaufort's
 

Geoff,

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/SUK14760/
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/SUK14762/
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/SUK14778/
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/SUK14779/

Unfortunately, not a serial in sight! Ignore the "1945-11" in the captions, that's rubbish.

More photos in:
Beaufort Special.
Robertson,Bruce.
London:Ian Allan,1976.
pp.56-80.

Col.