Sunderland10
Recruit
Trying to find the individual aircraft code letters used by 451Sqn Spitfires. Any help greatly appreciated.
Aircraft Codes
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buffnut453
Captain
Have you checked the Operations Record Book which is downloadable for free from the UK National Archives? That's your best shot at getting serial/code tie-ups, although it depends on the fastidiousness of the officer who compiled the ORB returns. Some just have serials, some just have codes....but some have both.
You have to register at the UKNA but you can then download any digitized records for free.
You have to register at the UKNA but you can then download any digitized records for free.
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Sunderland10
Recruit
Yes I have digital copies of all the ORBs but there is no mention of the individual codes. Hoping someone knows of another source
buffnut453
Captain
If you have the ORBs plus the Appendices then there aren't many (any) other single sources out there to answer your question. If you can track down any surviving pilot logbooks, they may help. For example, if you can find a logbook that only records the code letters, you can then cross-reference those sorties to the ORB records which will allow you to tie up at least some codes and serials. However, that takes a lot of luck, first in finding a pilot's logbook and, second, finding one that only has code letters. If you can't find any logbooks, then I'm afraid you're down to surviving photographic records which are partial at best.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Probably not available, unless some photos can be found. Individual aircraft could, and did, carry more than one code letter during its life on a squadron, and, of course, it would also depend on the date(s) involved, and Mark of aircraft - often a difficult thing to pin down.
Barrett
Senior Airman
Here's a one-size-fits-all reference. List of RAF squadron codes - Wikipedia
This provides much more information
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The most recent published history of No.451 Squadron RAAF during WW2, "We Together - 451 and 453 Squadrons at War" by Adam Lunney, Tempest Books UK, published 2020, does not give any tie up between aircraft serials or individual aircraft id letters.
If the Squadron ORBs or Appendices do not record aircraft id letters against aircraft serials, then the path would normally be to try and get access to any surviving Squadron pilot's log books and hope that they recorded the aircraft id letters, not just serials. Again individual pilots, with different Squadrons would follow different practices in what they recorded in their log books so it can be very hit and miss.
If the Squadron ORBs or Appendices do not record aircraft id letters against aircraft serials, then the path would normally be to try and get access to any surviving Squadron pilot's log books and hope that they recorded the aircraft id letters, not just serials. Again individual pilots, with different Squadrons would follow different practices in what they recorded in their log books so it can be very hit and miss.
