havoc code letters AZ ? used by 1459 flt

[brewerjerry]

Hi All,
Came across this whilst browsing, seems code letters are AZ, never knew that it as used by 1459 flt.
http://www.nightfighternavigator.com..._1766x1193.jpg
cheers
Jerry

[Graham Boak]

A very unusual application, as AZ was in use at this time by 234 squadron.

It was however also used by 3 OTU RCAF, a unit about which I know nothing other than that Andrew Thomas has no knowledge of its use of the code - I suggest he would like to see this picture anyway.

[Bill Walker]

3 OTU RCAF was renumbered from 13 (OT) Squadron at Patricia Bay in late 1942, and would have used the AZ code for only a month or two before the RCAF did away with squadron codes in the Home War Establishment. It was a flying boat conversion unit, principal equipment was Stranraers and Cansos. I'm pretty sure they never had Havocs.

[brewerjerry]

Hi All,
Glad it was of interest, i forgot to post the caption that was with the photo, so here it is.

.......
When this photograph was taken in the autumn of 1942 the colour scheme for nightfighters had been changed from matt black to a pattern of light grey and pale green. The old paint had to be scraped by hand from the Havocs and everybody was called on to help......



It is interesting as I re read ducimus C&M on the havoc, and no photos then were know to exist to confirm if they had the paint scheme change and no knowledge of any code letters used, so a pretty unique photo, I hope more like this surface to fill the gaps...
Cheers
Jerry

[Stig Jarlevik]

Jerry/Graham

A long shot perhaps but AZ was also used by a USAAF 8th AF unit named 4 GTTF. This unit is known to have operated Havocs. Since 1459th Flight was not disbanded until 25 Jan 1943, it certainly was in existance by the time 8th AF established itself in Britain. There just might have been some connection there.....

Problem is that I cannot find this GTTF unit in any of my books about the 8th AF, so I am a bit stumped over that. What did actually GTTF stand for?

Cheers
Stig

[Larry]

GTTF - Gunnery & Target Towing Flight

BTW - 4th GTTF USAAF used ex RAF Havocs in Northern Ireland from Dec 1943 from Greencastle airfield

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Larry

A real back water unit then.
With the full wording I could locate it on the net and also in Freeman's third volume about the 8th AF. He calls them Gunnery and Tow Target flights G&TT Flt. If I had not been in such a hurry I would most probably have spotted them...
Well we can disconnect 4th GTTF from 1459 FLT, since the 4th was formed on Dec 3rd 1943....

Sorry about the long shot, but I learned something from it anyway
Cheers
Stig

[Graham Boak]

It remains possible that the Havocs were simply placed into storage before being brought out for the American unit, and they simply carried on using the codes already on the aircraft. It would not have been an important matter for them.

This did happen elsewhere, where the Skaebrae Station Flight adopted the codes DU already present on the Spitfire Mk.VIIs, dating from their temporary use by a Czech unit and retained even when operated by later RAF units. However, here the aircraft were at least in continuous use.

[Larry]

There are plenty of examples of aircraft using old codes or rather the ground crew not bothering to paint over them rather than adopting them!

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hmmmm

Sounds a bit worrying, at least just trying to identify an aircraft by its code....

Of course in this case we have a scenario in the oposite direction. None of the published "code books" I have list 1459 Flt at all. It simply did not have any codes allocated, which of course means basically nothing more than no codes are known. If both 1459 Flt and 4th GTTF used AZ codes, then we have to assume that 4th GTTF received Havocs from our elusive RAF flight, which I think boils down to, if we can find such evidence, that 4th GTTF used hand me down Havocs from 1459 Flt we at least have circumstantial evidence (is that the correct term?) to put forth a theory that both units used the same code, one after the other.

Cheers
Stig