GOLDEN YEARS OF AVIATION



Imperial Gift to India


Aircraft Qty Engines Qty
Avro40Mono53
DH.960B.H.P71
Total100124

The aircraft were distributed as follows:

Donee Avro DH9 Notes
Royal Air Force20Based Lahore
Political purposes6Four later given to individuals
Other1460Divided between local govt., States and firms as shown below

Local Governments

Donee Avro DH9 Notes
Assam4Registered in G-I register (registrations unknown). Three given to individuals, one crashed pre 6.21
Bihar & Orissa1
Burma1
Bengal Nagpur Railway2
Madras1
Punjab1

Indian States

Donee Avro DH9 Notes
Alwar3
Barwani1
Bharatpur11Used to start Bharatpur Aviation Academy. DH.9 was D585 and Avro was F8824
Bikaner2One was serial D5649
Hyderabad1
Indore11
Malerkotla1
Mysore1
Nabha2
Nawanagar2
Patiala2
Rewa1

Firms and Private Individuals

Donee Avro DH9 Notes
Handley Page IBT31One DH.9 and one Avro crashed. 2 Avro later transferred to McKenzie
G McKenzie5Subsequently transferred to Capt Murphy
Capt Murphy112Started MC Aviation Syndicate with Capt Connelly
G le Mesurier1(Kapur & Co)
Lt Hereford & Hall1
Mr Holoway1
Mr Seshasyee1
Sam Brounes Ltd1
Major Wills1Presumably became G-IAAF
Major Duguid1
Capt D'Arcy12
Capt RV Grove4
Major BF Wates1Presumably became G-IAAP
Mr AB Dees1
Chief Inspector of Aircraft24For investigations into conditions affecting aviation in India
Total4060

At 31 December 1922 it was noted that 'of the 82 (sic) aircraft presented to the RAF, individuals and firms, 41 are serviceable. Nothing is known of the 18 (sic) aircraft presented to Indian States'


The official list of DH.9 serials is as follows:

C1313 C1391 C1392 C2208 C2218 C2219 C6128 C6245 D514 D524 D585 D601 D612 D645 D650 D1053 D1247 D1248 D1282 D2776 D2978 D2983 D2997 D3018 D3180 D3185 D3188 D3190 D3192 D3193 D3197 D3200 D3201 D3204 D3208 D5649 D5686 D5689 D5709 D5756 D5765 D5774 D5793 D5814* D5818 D5846 D7368 E611 E612 E8882 E8894 E8909 E8915 F1104 F1125 F1153 F1184 F1246 H4307 H9115

*listed as D6814. H9129 also went to India, becoming G-IAAA (HPIBT) but is believed not to be part of the Imperial Gift. D611 is listed in some sources but is believed to be an error for E611, which became G-IAAQ (Air Survey Co)

D1247 became G-IAAE (HPIBT). D3180 became G-IAAB (Fl Off Cocks) and D5686 became G-IAAS (Air Survey Co).


The official list of Avro 504K is as follows:

D7185 D9059 D9064 D9065** E3046 E3701 E3702 E3703 E3706 E9382 E9400 E9401 E9402 E9403 E9404 E9405 F8824 F8826 F8829 F8831 H1934 H1936 H2146 H2153 H2155 H2546

H2547 H2548 H2621 H2622 H2623 H2624 H2625 H3078 H3079 H3080 H7495 H7496 H9704 H9705

** listed as H9065. One Avro in the E3701 to E3706 range became G-IAAG. Some sources include D7568, E3700 and H2471.


MC Aviation Syndicate (Murphy & Connelly) subsequently sold two DH.9 and two Avro 504K to Afghanistan.