Avro Anson, part one, South African users

The Avro Anson was a British twin-engined multi-role aircraft built by Avro. More than 11.000 aircraft were manufactured and served with many air forces around the world, the South African Air Force among them.
In the South African Air Force (SAAF) the Ansons were used for operational duties, after the first deliveries in 1939.  Some few Ansons, four of them, served with the No.32 Squadron SAAF in the anti-submarine role, patrolling South African coastal territorial waters until January 1940 when the squadron was reduced to just one flight. However, as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan opened seven flying training groups, four air observers and gunnery schools and five navigation training establishments, the Anson quickly became one of the main trainer aircraft serving with the SAAF. Up to 12 Air Schools in South Africa used the Avro Anson. These were:

• 41 Air School: Was formed at Collondale, East London on 30th December 1940 under the category of Type A School, which was the category assigned to the service flying. In July 1941 they were equipped with Ansons which employed them until they were disbanded on 18th May 1945.
• 42 Air School: Was formed on 27th March 1941 as Type A. By August it was equipped with Fairey Battles, Airspeed Oxford and Avro Ansons at South End, Port Elizabeth. The unit was disbanded on 18th March 1945.
• 43 Air School: It was formed on 12th January 1942 at The Kowie, in Port Alfred, and some years later, in July 1945 it was moved to Grahamstown. It started its career as an Air Gunnery School but changed its role in January 1945 to include navigation and air bombing. It was equipped with both Fairey Battles and Avro Ansons and was disbanded on 15th September 1946.
• 44 Air School: It was formed on 12th January 1942 at Grahamstown as a mixed Type A School for observer, navigator, air gunnery and bombing, using exclusively Ansons throughout all its career. It was disbanded on 14th June 1945.
• 45 Air School: Formed in England at Weston-super-Mare, South-West England, under the name of No.5 Air Observer and Navigator School. In September 1940, as the airfields in the United Kingdom were reserved for operational units (fighters and bombers), they were relocated to Oudtshoorn, in South Africa where it became an Air Observer school, or Type B school. The school was disbanded on 20th August 1945.
• 47 Air School: Originally named No.1 Air Observer and Navigator School at Prestwick, Scotland, the unit was shipped to South Africa in January 1941 where it became No.7 Air Observation and Navigation School at Queenstown, in Cape Province. It was of the Type B and was equipped exclusively with Ansons until it was disbanded on 7th April 1945.
• 61 Air School: On 30th September 1940 an element of the School of General Reconnaissance left Squires Gate, in Lancashire, for South Africa where it became the No.1 School of General Reconnaissance at George, in Cape Province, South Africa. On 30th April 1941 it was renamed as 61 Air School and was equipped with Ansons. It was disbanded on 14th June 1945.
• 62 Air School: It was formed in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State on 11th November 1940. It became the Central Flying School of the SAAF. It was disbanded on 24th February 1945 and had an unspecified number of Ansons in their rows.
• 64 Air School: This unit was formed at Tempe, a suburb of Bloemfontein, in February 1941 with the purpose of signals and wireless training with a number of Ansons in their ranks. It was disbanded on 20th December 1945.
• 65 Air School: Formed at Youngs Field, in Cape Town, this unit was established in August 1940 as an Armourers school sharing a number of Ansons with the 66 Air School. Both of them were combined in April 1944 to form 68 Air School.
• 66 Air School: This unit was formed at Youngs Field too and was later combined with 65 Air School.
• 67 Air School: It was formed at Zwartkop, in Transvaal, in November 1940. Originally an Air Photography School with a few Ansons on strength. Nowadays, it's still one of active SAAF units.

The Anson was also used by non-training, frontline units of the SAAF:

• No.31 Coastal Flight: This flight was formed in September 1940 from A Flight No.32 Squadron at Cape Town. Moved to Maputa, in Natal Provice, and later to Port Elizabeth in Cape Province. It was used in the patrol role and was upgraded to No.22 Squadron in 1942.
• No.32 Coastal Flight: It was also formed in September 1940 split from No.32 Squadron at Durban, in Natal. The unit was rebased to East Africa in 1942 and later formed the basis of No.20 and No.23 Squadrons.
• No.33 Coastal Flight: Formed in September 1940 from elements of the B Flight No.31 Squadron, at Wingfield airfield in Cape Town. It moved to Port Elizabeth and then to Durban in 1942. It was eventually upgraded and renamed to No.25 Squadron.
• No.34 Coastal Flight: Although this unit was formed in South Africa, it operated from Mombasa, Kenya. It was disbanded in 1943 with their aircraft (Ansons most of them) going to No.28 Squadron.
• No.36 Coastal Flight: Like the previous one this unit was formed in South Africa but it operated from East Africa. It was disbanded in 1942 and its aircraft were sent to No.20 and No.23 Squadrons.
• No.37 Coastal Flight: This unit operated in East Africa until 1942 when it was disbanded and their aircraft were sent to No.20 Squadron.
• No.12 (Bomber) Squadron: When this unit was based at Waterkloof, in Transvaal province, in 1940, it was equipped with Ansons.
• No.28 (Transport) Squadron: This unit was based in REAF Almaza, Cairo, Egypt. It was equipped with Ansons from 1943-1944 and again from 1945-1951.
• No.32 Squadron: As we said previously, this unit was formed in 1939 but was reduced to No.32 flight in January 1940.
• No.35 Squadron: This was a Sunderland unit but had an unique Anson sub-variant equipped with floaters for training crews on floating operations. It was based at Congella, in Durban.
• No.60 (Photographic) Squadron: Formed from elements of the No.62 Squadron, in Nairobi, Kenya in 1940. Was equipped with Ansons until 1941 and again, when rebased to Western Desert, in 1942-1943.
• No.61 (Communications) Squadron: This unit was formed in 1940 at Zwartkoop. They used Ansons until 1945, some of them fitted for ambulance role.
• No.62 (Survey) Squadron: This unit was formed in November 1940 by upgrading No.1 Survey Flight in Nairobi. Merged with No.60 Squadron in December 1940.

Apart from them some reserve squadrons, Nos. 141, to 145, 147 and 161 were formed using Ansons. Most of them were part of the Air Schools and used Ansons for reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols. Additionally, No.1 Navigation Flight, based at Grahamstown, together with a Gunnery Flight. Bombing Gunnery and Navigation School employed Ansons based at Longboorweg from 1945 to 1947.

Sources:

1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan_facilities_in_South_Africa