Australia was the second largest participant in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Australian government ordered 969 Anson Mk.I in 1935 with the first ones arriving on 19th November 1936 on board of SS Orari. They were assigned to operational duties on coastal patrols and others were allocated to communications units. Seven of them were equipped with dual controls and went to No.1 Aircraft Depot unit based at RAAF Laverton, in Melbourne. Eight squadrons of the Permanent and Citizen Air Force (which was the RAAF reserve unit). A number of naval cooperation exercises were carried out before the start of the war.
In the training role the Anson served with the Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 8 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Air Observers School and the General Reconnaissance School. After the war, many Ansons were sold to private aircraft companies with one of them becoming part of the Governor General's Flight together with an Avro York and a Percival Proctor. When serving with the RAAF, the Anson was not retired until the GAF (Government Aircraft Factories) English Electric Canberra bombers and the CAC (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation) Sabre were in active.
In New Zealand 24 Ansons (though according to some other source, the number was 23) were imported initially for training purposes. Seven of them were diverted to India and most of the Ansons were used as communication aircraft during and after the war. One of them is restored and at display in the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum at Wigram, Christchurch.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson
2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson
3. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/avro652_3.html
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