Note that where a date is shown against a country or region, i.e. NWAfrica, Malta etc, this is generally the date of a census or return. The aircraft had invariably arrived at that location prior to this date. The exception is when the location appears immediatly after the name of a ship, in which case it is the port/country and date the vessel docked.
Dates are shown in the format dd-mm-yy. Dates recorded in respect of damage are often the date of survey. The accident or incident may have occurred a day or more earlier. Where an accident report or ORB reference is available I have corrected many dates to reflect the date of the actual incident.
Accident entries generally follow the format [cause] [result] [location] [damage category] [date] [pilot] [injury].
Entries in square brackets refer to errors or suspect entries contained in official documents or other sources, or are my comments.
Ship names are shown in inverted commas. Note that many ships used code numbers. For example the Operation Torch ships used code numbers in the R.600 series. Code names such as 'Bluff' and 'Hamble' were also used, in this case referring to the destination rather than ship name. 'Hapmat' was the code word for deliveries to the USSR, 'Hapmat South' being Basrah and 'Hapmat North' Murmansk/Archangel.
Six digit numbers shown in brackets are map references, generally used in the Western Desert.
Individual aircraft squadron codes i.e. 'DW-P' are given when known. Squadron codes (generally the first two letters) were officially allocated to each squadron. Individual aircraft codes were issued by the squadron and no official record was kept. They changed regularly as aircraft moved between squadrons or were lost. These codes can only be identified from photographs, log books, operations record books and other documents and so no comprehensive record exists.
Operations record books record the events within each unit, including aircraft serial numbers and pilot names in most cases. They are highly variable in content and quality and are often unreliable.
The column headings used in the production summary are:
Page | Cross reference to the web page containing individual aircraft histories |
Serial range | The start and end serial of each batch. Note that during the war the RAF used 'blackout blocks' within serial ranges in order to disguise the true number of aircraft produced. Consequently each batch contained blocks of unused serials |
Qty | The quantity of aircraft in the range |
Fac | The factory where the aircraft were produced: |
H | Hawker Aircraft Ltd (Kingston, Brooklands, Langley) | |
G | Gloster Aircraft Co. Ltd (Brockworth) | |
C | Canadian Car & Foundry (Montreal, Fort William) | |
A | Austin Motor Co. (Longbridge) |
Contract | The contract number |
Comments | Details of cancelled batches and other comments |
The column headings used in the detailed production list are:
Serial | Aircraft serial |
Mark | Mark number |
Engine | The engine model. M=Merlin PM=Packard-Merlin |
History | The unit and squadron history, and fate of the aircraft. Refer to the abbreviations below for an explanation of terms. |
Units and locations referred to in the production list:
AAEE | Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment |
AAS | Air Armament School |
ABGS | Air Bombing and Gunnery School |
AC | Air Corps |
ACSEA | Air Command South East Asia |
AD | Aircraft Depot |
ADF | Aircraft Delivery Flight |
ADU | Aircraft Delivery Unit |
AEAF | Allied Expeditionary Air Force |
AF | Air Force |
AFDU | Air Fighting Development Unit |
AFS | Advanced Flying School |
AGS | Air Gunners School |
AHQ | Airfield Headquarters |
Alsace | Free French Air Force Squadron (GC.1) |
ANS | Air Navigation School |
APC | Armament Practice Camp |
APS | Armament Practice Station |
APU | Aircraft Preparation Unit |
ASP | Air Stores Park |
ASR | Air Sea Rescue |
AST | Air Service Training |
ATA | Air Transport Auxiliary |
ATO | Airtraining Oxford (Civilian Repair Org) |
ATP | Aircraft Transit Pool |
BSDU | Bomber Support Development Unit |
CAACU | Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit |
CACF | Coast Artillery Co-Operation Flight/Unit |
CCF | Check and Conversion Flight/Command Communications Flight |
CCFAU | Coastal Command Fighter Affiliation Unit |
CF | Communications Flight |
CFE | Central Fighter Establishment |
CFF | Combined Forces France |
CGS | Central Gunnery School |
CIC | French Fighter Instruction Centre (Meknes) |
CMU | Civilian Maintenance Unit |
Comms | Communications |
CRO | Civilian Repair Organisation |
CRS | Central Radio School |
CRU | Civilian Repair Unit |
CTU | Combat Training Unit |
CU | Conversion Unit |
DAF | Desert Air Force |
DDL | (Aerodrome) Dummy Deck Landing |
DelFlt | Delivery Flight |
EC. | French Air Force Wing (Escadron de Chasse) |
ECFS | Empire Central Flying School |
EFTS | Elementary Flying Training School |
EP | Equipment Park |
FAA | Fleet Air Arm |
FARSU | Forward Area Repair and Salvage Unit |
FDF | Fighter Defence Flight |
FFAF | Free French Air Force |
FFS | Fire Fighting School |
FIS | Flying Instructors School |
Flt | Flight |
FP | Ferry Pool (ATA) |
FPP | Ferry Pilots Pool Organisation |
FRD | Forward Repair Depot |
FRS | Flying Refresher School |
FS/FG | Fighter Squadron/Fighter Group (USAAF) |
FTS | Flying Training School |
FTU | Ferry Training & Aircraft Despatch Unit |
FU | Ferry Unit |
GC. | French Air Force Squadron (Groupe de Chasse) |
GCF | Group Communication Flight |
GDC | Group Disbandment Centre |
GP | Group Pool |
Grp | Group |
GSU | Group Support Unit |
HAL | Heston Aircraft Ltd |
HCU | Heavy Conversion Unit |
IAF | Indian Air Force |
LMS | London Midland and Scottish Railway (repair depot) |
MAAF | Mediterranean Allied Air Forces |
MACAF | Mediterranean Air Command Air Force |
ME | Middle East |
MECCU | Middle East Check and Conversion Unit |
Med | Mediterranean |
Met Flight | Meteorological Flight |
METS | Middle East Training School |
ML-KNIL | Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force |
MNFU | Malta Night Fighter Unit |
MSFU | Merchant Ship Fighter Unit. List of CAM ships |
MU | Maintenance Unit |
NAAF | North African Air Force |
NACAF | Northwest African Coastal Air Force |
NWA | North West Africa |
OADU | Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit |
OCU | Operational Conversion Unit |
OTU | Operational Training Unit |
PAFU | (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit |
PATP | Packed Aircraft Transit Pool |
PDU | Photographic Development Unit |
PF | Practice Flight |
PRFU | (Pilot) Refresher Flying Unit |
PRU | Photographic Reconnaissance Unit |
Purgatory | Storage of aircraft with wings removed |
RAAF | Royal Australian Air Force |
RAE | Royal Aircraft Establishment |
RATG | Rhodesian Air Training Scheme |
RCAF | Royal Canadian Air Force |
REAF | Royal Egyptian Air Force |
RHAF | Royal Hellenic Air Force |
RNAS | Royal Naval Air Station |
RNoAF | Royal Norwegian Air Force |
Robin Sites | Dispersed storage (e.g. Starveall Farm, Slade Farm, Down Farm) |
R-RH | Rolls Royce Hucknall |
ROS | Repair On Site Parties (Came under the control of MU's) |
RSU | Repair & Salvage Sections/Units |
SAAF | South African Air Force |
Sq | Squadron |
SC | Salvage Centre |
SDF | Special Duties Flight |
SEU/SEP | Special Erection Unit/Party (Gibraltar) |
SFTS | Service Flying Training School |
SGR | School Of General Reconnaissance |
SigSch | Signals School |
SLAIS | Specialised Low Attack Instructors School |
SLG | Satellite Landing Grounds |
SOTT | School Of Technical Training |
SP | Staging Post |
SU | Servicing Unit |
TAF | 2nd Tactical Air Force |
TEU | Tactical Exercise Units |
TFU | Telecommunications Flying Unit |
Wg | Wing |
RAF Squadron to French Squadron cross-ref:
326Sq | GC 2/7 'Nice' |
327Sq | GC 1/3 'Corse' |
328Sq | GC 1/7 'Provence' |
329Sq | GC 1/2 'Cicognes' |
340Sq | GC 4/2 'Ile de France' |
341Sq | GC 3/2 'Alsace' |
345Sq | GC 2/2 'Berry' |
Principal Ranks
F/O | Flying Officer |
1/O | First Officer (ATA) |
Lt | Lieutenant |
P/O | Pilot Officer |
S/O | Second Officer (ATA) |
Sgt | Sergeant |
SqLdr | Squadron Leader |
W/O | Warrant Officer |
WgCdr | Wing Commander |
Other abbreviations:
+ | Killed |
1 2 3 4 | Damage categories |
Ac CA CB CE | Damage categories |
AIR 81 | Accident report file (National Archives) |
AM78 | Aircraft movement card |
AM1180 | Aircraft accident card |
AW/CN | Awaiting collection |
bboc | Brought back on charge |
ber | Beyond economic repair |
Cv | Converted |
dbf | Destroyed by fire |
DoI | Died of injuries |
DoW | Died of wounds |
e/f | Engine failed |
FA | Flying accident (followed by Damage Category: CE = Writeoff) |
FF | First flew |
FH | Flying hours |
f/l | Forced landing |
FTR | Failed to return |
GA | Ground accident (followed by category) |
GDA | (43GDA) Group Deposit Account (accounting transfer when aircraft damaged and taken off the books of the squadron) |
inj | Injured |
LS | Liner Service (when preceding ship code) |
mi | Major inspection |
mr | Major repair |
nea | Non effective aircraft |
o/t | Overturned |
PoW | Prisoner of War |
PSOC | Presumed struck off charge |
RNDA | Royal Naval Deposit Account |
riw | Repaired in works |
ros | Repaired on site |
rtp/rts | Reduced to parts/spares |
ser inj | Seriously injured |
sas | Servicing Aircraft Section |
slt inj | Slightly injured |
SOC | Struck off (RAF) Charge |
t/o | Take-off |
u/c | Undercarriage |