Miles M.9 Master. Part two. More Foreign Users

 

The Miles M.9 Master was a British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer which was designed and built by Miles Aviation Company. It was used mainly by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) but some other users also employed the type, among them, the following ones:

• Belgium: One Master II ,which previously belonged to the RAF (Belgian) training school at Snailwell (Cambridgeshire), was used as a ground instructional airframe at the Technical School of Saffraanberg in February 1946. Most likely this machine was destroyed in a fire that took place at the school two years later on 8th August 1948. The remains were scrapped as it didn't reappear in inventory when the school reopened at Tongeren.
• France: A small number of Master II were used by the French Armée de l'Air in Morocco from 1946 to 1948 serving in various piloting schools set up there. Odd enough, they bore RAF style markings and roundels but in French tones of red white and blue. 
  Some Master III (a version powered by the 825hp Pratt & Whitney engine) were also used by the École de Pilotage (Flying School) at the city of Cognac during 1947 and 1948. They were used as interim machines until the North American T-6 Texan were supplied in numbers. 
• Ireland: A total of twelve former RAF Master II were purchased by the Irish Air Corps. Six in 1943 and other six in 1945. They were employed as trainers until 1949, when it was decided to replace them by the Percival P.56 Provost in the 1950s.
• Portugal: As part of a treaty to use Azores Islands as bases, two Master III were delivered to Lisbon on 10th October 1941. These were followed by eight additional ones delivered during the month of April 1942. 
  The Masters were assigned to the Base Aérea Nº1 (No.1 Air Base) at Sintra, Lisbon, to train their pilots from fixed landing gear aircraft to retractable ones. In September 1942 two Masters were sent to Lajes Air Base, in the Azores, to train their pilots, as the old Gloster Gladiators based there were to be replaced by the Supermarine Spitfire. 
  In September 1943 four additional Master II were delivered by the United Kingdom and were assigned to Sintra Air Base. The Miles Masters in Portugal were kept in active service until 1950 (though some sources claim their use was stretched until 1958).

Sources:

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

2. https://www.belgian-wings.be/miles-master-ii

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr/unit/ecole_centre/31500.htm (translated)

4. http://avions-de-la-guerre-d-algerie.over-blog.com/article-les-miles-master-et-martinet-116685844.html (translated)

5. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/user/every/ireland-af-all-time-aircraft-used-listing.htm

6.https://altimagem.blogspot.com/2013/02/59-miles-master.html (translated)