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Graeme,
Sorry this is all off-topic to the forum, but I guess there are enough aviation enthusiests here as well.
>each air force had other squadrons numbered in its
>permanent air force series which duplicated RAF numbers.
In Europe the RAAF had the regular squadron No.10 RAAF flying Sudnerlands and in the Middle East there was the regular squadron No.3 RAAF. They kept their RAAF nomenclature even though 1 Sqn RCAF got recorded as 401 Sqn RCAF in the RAF's book-keeping. Bit like the AFC in WWI, but you see prominent Australians like Williams and Bean complaining about it, but you dont see Canadians complaining about it occurring to them in WWII? In the end the AFC squadrons were recorded with their AIF nomenclature by the RAF due to Australian Government pressure.
The RAAF 4xx squadrons are a bit odd, 451 Sqn got a CO removed due to the squadron having low morale, 462 got disbanded in the Middle East and reformed in Europe because there was not enough RAAF members posted to it. The squadron was only 28% RAAF! The EATS caused some strage abberrations in RAAF history.
In the Pacific the RAAF had squadrons numbered 1 - 8, (9 Sqn flew with the RAN), 11 - 43, 66-67, 71-100, 102, 107 plus some of the 17 Article XV squadrons. 100 Sqn was named out of sequence in the South Pacific, and in honourof 100 Sqn RAF's effort over Malaya in their Vildebeast aircraft. The RAN named a ship the Bataan after the sacrifice of the American Army in the Phillipines as well.
All in all not bad for a minor power. Supposedly the RAAF was the fourth biggest Air Force at the Pacific Armistice after the US, Britain and Russia.
cam
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