Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part nine. Dutch Spitfires.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire was also employed by the Dutch. The first Dutch unit to be equipped with the Spitfire was the No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron. This unit was formed in June 1943 from Dutch staff from other Royal Air Force's units, specially No. 167 Squadron which was notorious for having many Dutch personnel. 
Since its inception, the squadron was active operating from RAF Woodvale, in Liverpool and patrolled over the Irish Sea in the defensive fighter role. In December 1943 it was sent to RAF Hawkinge, in Kent, to provide aerial coverage for sea convoys. 
Two months later, they were sent to Scotland to undergo some training and then, in April 1944 they were sent to Acklington to take part in Operation Overlord and its preparations. In June 1944 the unit was allocated to anti V-1 (German flying bomb) defence and, in August they were assigned to the ground support and bomber escort roles. Since January 1945 the unit operated from Dutch air bases, until April 1945 when they were rebased to Varrelbusch. 
On 7th October 1945 the unit was disbanded at Wunstorf, Germany, but a new 322 squadron was created by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNAF) after the war.

During 1946-1948 the Netherlands bout a total of 55 Spitfire Mk.IX and three Spitfire T.IX. The Mk. IXs were given tactical numbers preceded by the letter 'H'. Of those, 35 fighter (H-1 to H-35, plus three T. IXs (H-97 to H-99) were assigned to training units in the Netherlands. 
The remaining Mk. IXs, were shipped to Java where they took part in combats against the Indonesian rebels.
Oddly enough, during a packaging error in England one Spitfire received a complete tail section from a Seafire and on another curious note, the first Spitfire assembled in the Dutch East Indies, MH434, is still flying nowadays in the colours of The Old Flying Machine Company.
The personnel of 322 Squadron arrived in Java in October 1947. During the Indonesian War of Independence, the Spitfires were used to attack ground targets and to supply Dutch ground troops from the air. After Indonesia achieved independence, the whole Dutch East Indies Air Force went under the rule of the newly founded Indonesian Air Force, except for 322 Squadron which was never formally assigned to the Dutch East Indies Air Force and it remained part of the Lucht Strijdkrachten (Netherlands' Air Force), so in December they flew back to the Netherlands with all their equipment. 
On Dutch soil the 322 squadron continued to employ the Spitfires, transferred from the fighter school (Jachtvliegschool), as that unit had switched to jet trainers. In 1952 fifteen Spitfire Mk. IX were sold to Belgium.
Additionally, back 1946 and 1947 a dozen or so of unserviceable Spitfires of various marks (Mk V, IX, XI, XIV, XVI, XIX and 22) were purchased or leased for technical personnel training.

Sources:
1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire Part 3 (translated)
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._322_(Dutch)_Squadron_RAF
3rd http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/322_wwII.html
4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#Netherlands

Avro Anson, part Eight, Dutch, Irish and Norwegian users

The Avro Anson is a British multi-role aircraft that was designed before World War II and was massively manufactured, and sold to many countries all around the globe. Among them, the following ones:

• Netherlands: On 1st June 1940, after the fall of Holland, the No.321 (Dutch) Squadron was formed in the Royal Air Force with Dutch personnel. The squadron was formed at RAF Pembroke Dock, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, but it was shortly rebased to RAF Carew Cheriton, in Pembrokeshire too, later on 28th July where it became operational. The squadron flew coastal and anti-submarine patrols equipped with Avro Ansons Mk.I until 18th January 1941 when the squadron was disbanded due to the lack of personnel and merged with the No.320 (Netherlands) Squadron which also flew the Anson, among other aircraft in the same role from RAF Pembroke Dock, from August 1940 until July 1941 when they were re-equipped with Lockheed Hudson Mk.III.
  After the War, a total of 25 ex-RAF Anson Mk.Is were donated to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. They had previously been refurbished at RAF Pershore, in Worcestershire, and were delivered in Twente, eastern Netherlands. They were used by a number of different units like Depot Vliegtuigen at Soesterberg Air Base, in Utrecht, the Technical Training Unit at Deelen Air Base, in Gelderland, the twin-engine conversion unit at Gilze-Rijen Air Base, in Southern Netherlands, and the 334 Squadron which is a communications and transport squadron based at Valkenburg Naval Air Base, in South Holland.
  A single Anson C.19 was bought from Royal Aircraft Establishment Llanbedr, in Gwynedd, Wales. It was bought for £200, received the code 'D-26' and it was bought for being displayed at Militaire Luchtvaart Museum (Military Aviation Museum) at Soesterberg Air Base, in Utrecht province.
• Ireland: The Irish Air Corps ordered two Anson Mk.I in the mid-1930s and they were delivered to Baldonnel Air Base, in Dublin, on 20th March 1937. Two additional more were delivered on 19th January 1938 and formed the No.1 Reconnaissance and Medium Bombing Squadron. Five more were delivered on 2nd February 1939 as part of an order of 12 but the remaining seven machines were impressed by the RAF due to the beginning of the World War II before they departed Speke Airport, in Liverpool, and remained with the No.36 Maintenance Unit.
  During the War, the Ansons, together with the Irish Supermarine Walrus, operated from Rineanna aerodrome (nowadays Shannon International Airport) in County Clare. They were commited to perform coastal patrols from Wexford, in County Wexford, to Lough Swilly, in County Donegal, in the North-West coast of Ireland. The rough weather in this area caused accidents in which three Ansons were lost, though one of them was repairable. Two additional accidents happened and the Ansons were taken off from active service in late 1944 and scrapped.
  Three Anson Mk.XIX were ordered in 1946 and were delivered on 4th April that year. They equipped the General Purpose Flight, which was used for training, communications, freight and reconnaissance duties. Two were damaged in accidents and one was retained as a ground instructional machine but it was scrapped with the other remaining one in the early 1970s. One has survived and it's nowadays on display at the Irish Air Corps Museum. 
• Norway: The Royal Norwegian Air Force operated twelve Anson Mk.XII in the communications role before their country was liberated. They were rebased to Oslo-Fornebu Airport between 5th and 9th June 1945 but were disbanded when the RAF left from Norway in December 1945.
  Therefore, ten Anson Mk.Is were given to the Royal Norwegian Air Force in August 1947. Those machines weren't in very good condition, one of them being lost when delivered. The remaining ones were re-furbished in Kjeller, Oslo and used for radio and navigation training. One of them was modified for Search & Rescue role and were eventually sold for civilian use in various countries.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._321_(Dutch)_Squadron_RAF

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._320_(Netherlands)_Squadron_RAF

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

4. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

Fairey Barracuda, part one

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber that was designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) that was entirely made out of metal.
Operated mainly by the Royal Navy's FAA, it was exported to some countries and saw some service abroad.

• Canada: The 825 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was reformed in July 1945 as a Canadian-manned squadron. It was intended to be equipped with 12 Barracuda Mk.II and be part of the 19th Carrier Air Group aboard a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, to take part in Operation Downfall (the Allied Invasion of Japan that never took place). However, that didn't happen immediately and it wasn't until 1946 when the HMCS Warrior (R31) was leased to the Royal Canadian Navy that Barracudas served aboard a Canadian Aircraft Carrier. They served until May 1951 when the squadron changed its denomination and was re-equipped with Fairey Gannets.
• France: A single Barracuda Mk.III was leased after the War to France and served with ELA I./56 at Persan-Beaumont, close to Paris. It was evaluated against the Grumman Avenger, for a modern carrier-based torpedo-bomber. The Aéronavale (French Navy's Naval Air Arm) decided to go for the Avenger and the Barracuda was kept until the very late 1940s. 
• Holland: The Dutch-manned 860 Naval Air Squadron was re-equipped with Fairey Barracudas in June 1945 and in August was designated to the escort-carrier HMS Nairana (D05) and the Barracudas weren't kept for a very long time because in May 1946 they were replaced by the Fairey Firefly.

Sources:

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

2. https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/fairey-barracuda

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/825_Naval_Air_Squadron

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/860_Naval_Air_Squadron

Fairey Swordfish, part one, foreign users

The Fairey Swordfish is a British biplane torpedo bomber designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was nicknamed "The Stringbag" and was operated mainly by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force, but also by other operators. The first countries to be covered in this post are:

• Netherlands: Right since its inception in June 1943 at RNAS Donibristle, in Scotland, the No.860 (Dutch) Naval Air Squadron was equipped with Swordfishes. They performed torpedo-bomber reconnaissance duties until November when they were rebased to Maydown, in Northern Ireland, to be splitted in two flights of six aircraft each, to operate from merchant aircraft carriers MV Acavus and MV Gadila and later just from MV Macoma and Acavus from June 1944. They performed that role with the Swordfishes until June 1945 when the old-fashioned biplanes were replaced by the more advanced Fairey Barracudas.
• Italy: At least four Swordfishes were captured by the Italian Regia Aeronautica.
  One was captured just after the bombardment of Taranto, albeit in poor condition and was savaged.
  Another one, belonging to the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle was shot down and captured during a raid on Maritza Airfield, in Rhodes, on 4th September 1940. It was sent to Italian mainland, repainted in Italian markings and sent to Guidonia (Italian's Regia Aeronautica test centre). It was kept in flying conditions until mid-1941 thanks to spare parts taken from another captured aircraft.
  The fourth one, took off from HMS Ark Royal (91) to bomb the city of Cagliari, in Sardinia, but was hit by ground anti-air fire. It force-landed on the Italian airfield at Elmas, in Sardinia too, on 2nd August 1940. The crew were taken prisoner and the aircraft was repaired by the Italian firm Caproni. It was refitted with an Alfa-Romeo 125 engine and was taken to Guidonia for testing on 27th February 1941. It seems that by 6th April 1942, it was still there, however it was most likely destroyed in one of the Allied air raids.
• Spain: At least two Swordfish ended in the hands of the Spanish Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force).
  The first one, belonging to the 813 Naval Air Squadron, was based in Gibraltar when, during an anti-submarine patrol, lost its sweep and force landed between Ras-el-Farea and Pota-Pescadores in Spanish Morocco on 30th April 1942. The crew were interned and the fate of the machine is unknown.
  The second one, a floatplane, belonged to a detachment of the 700 Naval Air Squadron, that was operating from the Battleship HMS Malaya (01) ran out of fuel while it was shadowing the German pocket Battleship Scharnhorst on 8th March 1941, close to the Canary Islands. Both aircraft and crew were interned by Spanish authorities and, as the aircraft was serviceable, it was put into use in the Spanish Air Force with a new registration and assigned to 54ª Escuadrilla (54th Flight) on 6th December 1943, which operated from Puerto de La Cruz, in the Island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. It was written-off in March 1945 at Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, also in the aforementioned archipelago.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Swordfish#Operators

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/860_Naval_Air_Squadron

3. http://incidentessgm.blogspot.com/2013/11/fairey-swordfish.html (translated)