Article XV squadrons

Aircrew and groundcrew of a No. 428 Squadron RCAF Lancaster bomber.

A further four squadrons served outside North America during the war: No. 162 Squadron RCAF, which in 1944 was transferred from RCAF Eastern Air Command to RAF Coastal Command, from airfields in Iceland and Scotland and; three air observation post (AOP; artillery spotter) squadrons, composed of RCAF and Royal Canadian Artillery personnel: No. 664 Squadron RCAF; No. 665 Squadron RCAF and; No. 666 Squadron RCAF.

Some non-Article XV RCAF squadrons were re-numbered to become Article XV squadrons when they were transferred from North America to Europe. These were:

• No. 1 Squadron (later 401 Sqn), which fought in the Battle of Britain;
• No. 110 Squadron (later 400 Sqn), No. 112 Squadron (later 402 Sqn), and No. 123 Squadron (later 439 Sqn), which were Army Co-operation Squadrons while still in Canada;
• No. 111 Squadron (later 440 Sqn) and No. 14 Squadron (later 442 Sqn), who had been part of RCAF Western Air Command and had already seen action in the Aleutian Islands Campaign; and
• No. 118 Squadron (later 438 Sqn), No. 125 Squadron (later 441 Sqn) and No. 127 Squadron (later 443 Sqn), who had been part of Eastern Air Command.

However, most of the RCAF Article XV squadrons were formed overseas. Domestically the Home War Establishment of the RCAF, which consisted of Eastern and Western Air Commands, had at its peak 37 squadrons.

Following the end of the war and termination of the BCATP, the RCAF squadrons covered by Article XV retained their numbers. Furthermore, home-based, non-Article XV squadrons were renumbered in the 400-series. During an expansion of the RCAF in the early 1950s the numbers 444 to 449 were used, and – following the 1968 unification of the three service branches – a Canadian Army helicopter squadron became known as 450 Squadron (a name that overlapped the RAAF numbers).[6]

Members of No. 460 Squadron posing with the Lancaster bomber G for George at RAF Binbrook in August 1943

Australia formed 17 Article XV squadrons, out of a total of 79 RAAF squadrons, during World War II. While 18 squadrons had been originally planned for service with the RAF, No. 465 Squadron was never formed.[1][7]

The remaining 57 RAAF squadrons served under the operational control of the RAAF or United States Army Air Forces, in the South West Pacific Theatre during World War II.

When some Article XV squadrons and RAF units were transferred to RAAF operational control, from 1943 onwards, they retained their original numbers.

All the Australian Article XV squadrons were disbanded after the end of the war. Since 2005 four of the squadrons have been re-formed by re-designating RAAF intelligence and air traffic control units.

The RAAF Article XV squadrons were:

Five other RAAF squadrons were also under RAF operational control for the whole or part of the war:

On 17 April 1941, a secondary agreement was signed by the British and New Zealand governments, to form a total of six Article XV squadrons for service with the RAF, from RNZAF personnel.

The New Zealand Article XV squadrons and individual RNZAF personnel in RAF units (like their RAAF and RCAF counterparts) were equipped, supplied and funded by the UK government (see above). However, as a rule, the New Zealand government and RNZAF allowed the UK government and RAF to exercise operational command and administration control of the New Zealand Article XV squadrons. As a consequence, these units have become widely regarded in New Zealand as "RAF" squadrons and are usually referred to by names following the style "4__ (NZ) Squadron RAF". Nevertheless, the official emblems of the six New Zealand Article XV squadrons refer to them as "4__ Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force",[8] and some historians, such as Bill Gunston have referred to them similarly. As Gerard S. Morris explains: "although the squadron badges carried the name Royal New Zealand Air Force ... 485 Squadron was referred to informally as 485 (New Zealand) or 485 (NZ) and never as 485 Squadron, RNZAF (italics added)."[9] In New Zealand, only units controlled directly by the New Zealand government and operating entirely in the Pacific Theatre are regarded as "RNZAF" units.

No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF, a heavy bomber unit, was not officially an Article XV squadron although it was composed mainly of RNZAF aircrew and the entire unit was transferred from the RAF to the RNZAF following the end of World War II.

Many individual New Zealanders also joined the RAF itself before and during the war. Several became aces (including "Cobber" Kain, Al Deere, Colin Gray and Brian Carbury) and/or senior commanders (such as Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park and Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham).[note 1]

The six New Zealand Article XV squadrons were:[10]

Hurricane night fighter pilots from No. 486 Squadron at RAF Wittering in 1942

• 485 (NZ) Squadron (fighter, fighter-bomber)
• 486 (NZ) Squadron (fighter-bomber, fighter)
• 487 (NZ) Squadron (fighter-bomber)
• 488 (NZ) Squadron (fighter/night Fighter)
• 489 (NZ) Squadron (Coastal Command: torpedo, anti-shipping)
• 490 (NZ) Squadron (Coastal Command: flying boat)