Avro Anson, part fourteen, British users, part three

It was on 6th March 1936 when the Avro Anson entered operational service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), being the No.48 Squadron the first unit to be equipped with the type. When it was introduced, it meant a new level of capacity for the service as it could not only perform general reconnaissance missions, but it was also an effective general-purpose aircraft. When the World War II began, a total of 824 Anons were serving with the RAF in 26 squadrons. Ten of these squadrons were assigned to Coastal Command and the remaining 16 were assigned to the Bomber Command.
By 1939 all those squadrons assigned to the Bomber Command that were equipped with the Anson, were converted into operational training squadrons with the aim of preparing crews for frontline service. Twelve of those squadrons were part of the No.6 (Operational Training) Group. Newly formed crews that had previously completed individual flying and technical training courses, were trained as bomber crews in Ansons before they could advance to frontline aircraft types, which, in many cases, were also present in the same squadrons with the Anson. After training in the frontline aircraft types, crews advanced to the frontline aircraft squadrons with those aircraft types (such as the Vickers Wellington, Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Armstrong-Whitworth Weatley or Handley Page Halifax). However, in the early stages of the war, the American-built Lockheed Hudson was already starting to replace the Anson in the Coastal Command with one squadron being fully equipped with Hudsons and another one with both Hudsons and Ansons.
Some few Ansons continued to serve in operational roles for the RAF such as coastal patrols and air/sea rescue. Early in the war an Anson scored a hit on a German U-Boat, however this is unconfirmed. In June 1940 a flight of three Ansons was attacked by nine Luftwaffe's Bf.109 and, amazingly, before the fight ended, no Anson was lost. They even managed to destroy two Bf.109s and damage a third one.
Anson's real role, however, was to train pilots for multi-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster, Handley Page Halifax or the Short Stirling. The Anson was also used to train another members of a bomber's crew such as the navigator, wireless operators, bomb aimers and air gunners.
During this period, 1939 to 1945, the Anson was also used by the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) which used the type as its standard taxi aircraft, using it to carry groups of ferry pilots to and from aircraft collection points. Remarkably, there wasn't any fatal mechanical failure of an Anson in ATA service and the type was, generally, very well considered.

After the war, the Anson was kept on service with the RAF, albeit more advanced variants, like the T. Mk.21/22 or the C.19 in the training, light transport and station communication roles. In fact, the type was manufactured by Avro at Woodford, in Greater Manchester, until March 1952 and they served in the communications role with the RAF until 28th June 1968.

Sources:

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

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

3. https://www.valka.cz/Avro-Anson-t54872 (translated)