Bristol Beaufort Mk.I

WWII British dominions Air Force

The Bristol Beaufort torpedo-bomber, which was widely used in the RAF Coastal Command, was also a part of the air units of the British Dominion countries. Thus, in August 1941, the 489th squadron was formed from pilots of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). They received several Bristol Beaufort Mk.I, which operated until the winter of 1942. In late 1941, 18 Beaufort Mk.I aircraft were received by the South African Air Force (SAAF) to protect the vital shipping lanes around the Cape of Good Hope. In the winter of 1942, two divisions were created in the SAAF – the 36th and 37th Coastal Flight, which included these aircraft. At first, they performed patrol functions and later were involved in combat operations against the French forces of the Vichy regime in the region of Madagascar. The Canadian Air Force (RCAF) also operated the Beaufort BeaufortMk.I – these were the 415th and 149th squadrons. Canadian Beauforts were used until 1943, engaging in patrol flights and solving anti-submarine defense tasks.