parsifal
Colonel
That is technically true,but it is indeed being very pedantic about the issue. Imperial defence of Malaya was being bankrolled by the dominions in the main from about fenruary 1941. After Japan signed her military ten year pact with Germany and Italy 27 September,1940, there were a series of meetings with the dominions that reappraised the air defence needs of the far east and PTO. It was determined that a minimum of 1404 a/c were required for imperial defence,but the british more or less immediately conceded that they lacked both the manpower and the financial depth to meet those commitments. Part of the response was to train and equip Australian airforce formations using british equipment, but Australian personnel in the main.
In July 1940, the RAAFs first operational bomber sqn,with modern equipment (Hudons),no 1 GRU was sent to singapore. a month later it was followed by No 8 sqn. these aircraft were part of the British "Cash and carry" purchases so they too were technically British aircraft (though I do note these hudsons were given Australian serialisations). technically. they had been paid for by the Australian govt, were fully manned by Australian personnel, so referring to them as "british aircraft" is more than a bit rich!!!
The conferences that followed the Axis September pacts led to the formation of firstly ABD and later ABDA. Part of the commitment to boost the Malayan defences was a commitment to send two Australian fighter squadrons to singapore. This presented a problem however. what fighters we did have were all obsolete (Gloster Gauntlets mainly) which we had been given to the RAAF in the middle east. the home based squadrons were all obsolete (Hawker demons I think). The three organisation within Australia building aircraft were contracted by the british to build types like the Beaufort , or were committed to building training a/c like the moth or the Wackett. The Wirraway was built as a GP a/c, with the RAAF believing the british delusions about how obsolete the JAAF was and deluding itself into believing the CA6 was good enough for front line service. It was in that climate of self delusion and downright baloney being fed to us by the British war organisation at the time that convinced the Australian govt that it could continue with Beaufort development (which by this stage was being deliberately stifled by the british with their embargo on the export of engine technologies. it would take until October 1941 for a substitute US engine production line to be founded),
With no domestic fighters in production, and existing resources otherwise committed, the Australian commitment to send two fighter sqadrons to Malaya was utterly dependant on the british supplying aircraft. At the time this deployment was being discussed (Fenruary 1941), menzies had wanted the units to be equipped with hurricanes, but was told that in the interests of standardisation the buffalo would need to do. It was stated at the time that the Brewster was more than adequate to deal with the IJAAF. In this period two units were so equipped.....453 and 21 sqns. both were officially RAAF units. both were manned, in the main by Australians. their deployment to Malaya required approval of the Australian Govt.. the aircraft supplied to them were British owned, but I have never, until now, heard any claim these formations were british formations. it is, indeed, a very big stretch to say that. if for some reason, the Australians had insisted those squadrons return home , they would have done so with those a/c on strength and available, as indeed survivor Buffaloes did (I know of at least two airframes that did, A51-10 and A51-11).
Some buffaloes eventually were serialised using Australian registration codes, though I believe they were ex-Dutch A51-1 to A-51-17 were all registered as Ä"series registered aircraft. this places them firmly under australian control.