List of Boulton Paul Defiant operators explained

This is a list of the Boulton Paul Defiant operators.

Operators

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

• No. 456 Squadron RAAF used the Defiant between its formation in June 1941 and November 1941 when it converted to Beaufighters. Squadron code letters 'PZ'.^[1]

British India

Royal Indian Air Force^[2]

• No.1 Air Gunners School (India)
• No.22 Anti Aircraft Co-Operation Unit

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force

• No. 409 (Nighthawk) Squadron used the Defiant on night fighter operations between July 1941 and October 1941,^[3] using the squadron code letters 'KP'.^[4]
• No. 410 (Cougar) Squadron used the Defiant as a nightfighter between June 1941 and June 1942, using the squadron code letters 'RA'.^[5]

Poland

Polish Air Forces on exile in Great Britain

• No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron "Lwowskich Puchaczy" used the Defiant between September 1940 and August 1941,^[6] using the squadron code letters 'EW'. 307 was a new nightfighter Defiant squadron formed but did not become operational until December defending western Britain. One of their aircraft was serial number N1671, EW-D, and is the sole complete surviving Defiant which is on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon.

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

Squadron	Period	Operations
No. 2 Squadron RAF	August - November 1940	Fighter, Squadron code KO^[7]
No. 85 Squadron RAF	January - February 1941	Fighter, probably Squadron code 'VY'.
No. 96 Squadron RAF	March 1941 - July 1942	Fighter, Squadron code 'ZJ'.
No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron	June 1941 - April 1942	Night fighter, Squadron code 'VA',
No. 141 Squadron RAF	April 1940 - August 1941	Fighter, Squadron code 'TW',
No. 151 Squadron RAF	December 1940 - July 1942	Nightfighter as radar countermeasures, Squadron code 'DZ', .
No. 153 Squadron RAF	October 1941 - May 1942	fighter, Squadron code 'TB', .
No. 255 Squadron RAF	November 1940 - September 1941	Fighter, Squadron code 'YD',
No. 256 Squadron RAF	November 1940 - June 1942	Fighter, Squadron code 'JT', .
No. 264 Squadron RAF	December 1939 - July 1942	Fighter, Squadron code 'PS', .
No. 275 Squadron RAF	May 1942 - June 1943	air-sea rescue, Squadron code 'PV', .
No. 276 Squadron RAF	May 1942 - May 1943	Air-Sea Rescue, Squadron code 'AQ',
No. 277 Squadron RAF	May 1942 - May 1943	Air-Sea Rescue, Squadron code 'BA', .
No. 280 Squadron RAF	May - December 1942	Air-Sea Rescue, Squadron code 'MY', .
No. 281 Squadron RAF	April 1942 - July 1943	Air-Sea Rescue, Squadron code 'FA', FA-H
No. 285 Squadron RAF	March 1942 - January 1944	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'VG', .
No. 286 Squadron RAF	April 1942 - July 1944	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'NW'.
No. 287 Squadron RAF	April 1942 - October 1943	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'KZ'.
No. 288 Squadron RAF	May 1942 - April 1943	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'RP'.
No. 289 Squadron RAF	May 1942 - July 1943	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'YE'.
No. 515 Squadron RAF	June 1942 - December 1943	Radar Counter Measures (RCM) operations.
No. 567 Squadron RAF
No. 667 Squadron RAF	December 1943 - February 1945	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code 'U4'.
No. 691 Squadron RAF	December 1943 - April 1945	Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, Squadron code '5S'

• No. 1422 Flight RAF
• No. 1479 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1480 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1481 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight RAF
• No. 1482 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight RAF
• No. 1483 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight RAF
• No. 1484 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight RAF
• No. 1485 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight RAF
• No. 1566 (Meteorological) Flight RAF
• No. 1600 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1602 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1616 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1622 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1623 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1624 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1631 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 1692 (Radio Development) Flight RAF used the Defiant on Radar Counter Measures (RCM) operations

Fleet Air Arm

• • Operated the Defiant Target-Tug
• 721 Naval Air Squadron
• 726 Naval Air Squadron
• 727 Naval Air Squadron
• 728 Naval Air Squadron
• 770 Naval Air Squadron
• 771 Naval Air Squadron
• 772 Naval Air Squadron
• 774 Naval Air Squadron
• 775 Naval Air Squadron
• 776 Naval Air Squadron
• 777 Naval Air Squadron
• 779 Naval Air Squadron
• 788 Naval Air Squadron
• 789 Naval Air Squadron
• 791 Naval Air Squadron
• 792 Naval Air Squadron
• 794 Naval Air Squadron
• 797 Naval Air Squadron

United States

United States Army Air Forces

• No. 11 Combat Crew Replacement Centre USAAF^{[8] [9]} - 1 aircraft

References

Bibliography

• Ansell, Mark. Boulton Paul Defiant. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, Herts: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. .
• Hall, Alan W. and Thomas, Andrew. Boulton Paul Defiant, (Warpaint Series No.42). Luton, Bedfordshire: Warpaint Books Ltd., 2003. .
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. .

• Book: Thetford . Owen . British Naval Aircraft since 1912 . 1991 . Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd . London, UK . 0-85177-849-6 .

External links

• Boulton-Paul Defiant TT.I & TT.III article at Bharat Rakshak website.

Notes and References

1. Halley 1988, p. 478.
2. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/AC-Defiant.html Boulton-Paul Defiant TT.I & TT.III article at Bharat Rakshak website.
3. Halley 1988, p. 496.
4. Hall 2003, p. 14
5. Halley 1988, p. 497.
6. Halley 1988, p. 360.
7. Hall 2003, p. 14.
8. Ansell 2005, p. 46 and back cover.
9. Hall 2003, p. 19,25.