Anything new on these WW2 Greek Ansons ?

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

It has been quite some time since the WW2 Greek Anson's were discussed here.
So has any more information come to light on the fate of the following a/c ?

Π 53 (N5160); Π 54 (N5165); Π 58 (N5190); Π 59 (N5200); Π 60 ( N5205); Π 62 ( N5215).

Thanks,
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello again,

One of my reasons for asking is that I have recently viewed pictures on line that showed other Greek Naval a/c with side codes beguining with "N"., these were float planes though.
It has been recorded that the Anson's had their " Π" changed to "N" following their escape to Egypt. I wonder though if they already had the "N" before as they were Greek Naval a/c ?
This would also raise the question as to how many of the original 12 a/c were Air Force and how many were Navy before the escape to Egypt was made ?

Alex

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

Not at home for another four weeks, but didn't the Greek Army and Naval aviation units unite into the Air Force during the early 1930s?

I am pretty positive the Ansons all belonged to the Air Force when delivered.

Cheers
Stig

[Alex Smart]

Hello Stig,
Thank you for your reply, this is why I put my post. As I am not 100% sure on the Air Force/Navy bit.
13 Mira was I'm sure air force, but it was navy(?) recco unit yes ??
Alex

[Lennart Andersson]

The N-numbers are RAF serial numbers. The Greek Navy did not have any aircraft after 1930.

Lennart A

[Graham Boak]

Are these their original serials? Any aircraft impressed in 1941 would have received serials from much later blocks. Or are they simply RAF Ansons transferred? In which case it should be possible to find them in the Air Britain books.

However, this would not explain floatplanes with N serials.

[Lennart Andersson]

Greek Navy aircraft carried serial numbers prefixed by NAY or NA (for Nautikon Aeroporikon, or something like that), but later other prefixes were used. Examples: Velos "T" and Horsley "BB".

The Greek air force Ansons were N5150, N5155, N5160, N5165, N5170, N5175, N5185, N5190, N5200, N5205, N5210 and N5215. See British Military Aircraft Serials (Robertson).

Lennart A

[Alex Smart]

Hello Lennart,
Thanks for the responses, but the N numbers that I referee too were not the RAF serial numbers, see my first post.
The RAF serial numbers of the original 12 Anson's were as in your post numbered 7 above.
The "N" numbers that I referee too are the Greek numbers that were originally "Π" sometimes referee to as "pi" which was followed by numbers "51" to "62".
The Greek AirForce serial numbers for these Anson's were "1111" through to "1122".

Not relevant to my request is the RAF serial numbers of the five(5) escapees but for completeness here they are.
N5150 - G-AFTU - 1111 - Code Π - 51then AX748 Code N - 51 in Egypt.
N5155 - G-AFTV - 1112 - Code Π - 52 then AX749 Code N - 52 in Egypt.
N5170 - G-AFUI - 1115 - Code Π - 55 then AX750 Code N - 55 in Egypt.
N5175 - G-AFUJ - 1116 - Code Π - 56 then AX7751 Code N - 56 in Egypt.
N5210 - G-AFUS - 1121 - Code Π - 61 then AX752 Code N - 61 in Egypt.

What I was seeking was whether there has been anything new found about the fate of those Greek Anson's( as I noted in post 1) that remained in Greece and did not escape to Egypt .

N5185 - G-AFUM - 1117 - Π - 57 - Destroyed on 9th February 1940.
The ones I seek info on are -
N5160 - G-AFTW - 1113 - Π - 53.
N5165 - G-AFUH - 1114 - Π - 54.
N5190 - G-AFUN - 1118 - Π - 58.
N5200 - G-AFUO - 1119 - Π - 59.
N5205 - G-AFUR - 1120 - Π - 60.
N5215 - G- AFUT -1122 - Π - 62.

Thanks again for your input
Alex

[Tom Willis]

Hi Alex - There are at least photo showing a wrecked Anson at Athens? And another photo of a different Anson - location unknown

Regards Tom

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

The digits 1111-1122 are not Greek AF serial numbers but Avro 'construction numbers' issued to civil/export aircraft.

Cheers
Stig