This List of Avro Anson operators is a list of users who flew and operated the Avro Anson.

Military operators

Afghanistan: Royal Afghan Air Force – 13 Anson 18 aircraft were delivered to the Royal Afghan Air Force from 1948 and retired by 1972
Australia: Royal Australian Air Force – 1,028 Ansons were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, retired in 1955
Belgium: Belgian Air Force (15 x Anson I, 2 x Anson 12s operated from 1946 to 1954)
Canada: Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy Ansons were retired in 1952
Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakian Air Force three aircraft, in service from 1945 to 1948
Egypt: Egyptian Air Force
Estonia: Estonian Air Force
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Air Force
Finland: Finnish Air Force three Avro Anson Mk. Is purchased 1936 and used as training and liaison aircraft. One lost and another written-off in accidents, last flight in 1947.^[1]
France: French Air Force and Aeronavale
Greece: Hellenic Royal Air Force: twelve Mk I Ansons were ordered in 1938 for the maritime patrol role. Five of these escaped to Egypt after the Battle of Greece and operated under British command until replaced by Blenheims in 1942.^[2]
India: Royal Indian Air Force^[3]
India: Indian Air Force
Iran: Imperial Iranian Air Force
Iraq: Royal Iraqi Air Force^[4]
Ireland: Irish Air Corps 9 Anson Mk1 delivered between 1937 and 1939 and used for training/maritime patrol/transport. 3 Anson 19s delivered in 1946 for training/transport. Mk1s retired by 1947, 19s by 1962.
Israel: Israeli Air Force
Netherlands: Royal Netherlands Air Force and Dutch Naval Aviation Service
New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Norway: Royal Norwegian Air Force
Paraguay: Paraguayan Air Arm one Mk.V bought in Argentina in 1947.
Portugal: Portuguese Air Force
Rhodesia: Royal Rhodesian Air Force
Saudi Arabia: Royal Saudi Air Force
South Africa: South African Air Force
Southern Rhodesia: Southern Rhodesian Air Force
Syria: Syrian Air Force^[5]
Turkey: Turkish Air Force
United Kingdom: Royal Air Force (Initial Establishment + Immediate Reserve)

Mark. 1 ^[6]

No. 1 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1942–45) (65 Ansons)^[7]
No. 2 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1942–45) (47 Ansons)^[7]
No. 3 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1942–45) (66 Ansons)^[7]
No. 4 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1943–45) (51 Ansons)^[7]
No. 6 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1943–44) (72 Ansons)^[7]
No. 7 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1944–45) (61 Ansons)^[7]
No. 8 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1943–45) (28+13 Ansons)^[7]
No. 9 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1942–45) (80 Ansons)^[7]
No. 10 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (1942–45) (57 Ansons)^[7]
No. 1 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–44) (26+10 Ansons)^[8]
No. 2 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–44) (26+10 Ansons)^[8]
No. 3 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–45) (33 Ansons)^[8]
No. 4 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–44) (23 Ansons)^[8]
No. 7 Air Gunners School RAF (1944) (27+10 Ansons)^[8]
No. 8 Air Gunners School RAF (1944) (28 Ansons)^[8]
No. 9 Air Gunners School RAF (1941–42)^[8]
No. 10 Air Gunners School RAF (1944–45) (17+8 Ansons)^[8]
No. 11 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–44) (16+7 Ansons)^[8]
No. 12 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–44) (16+7 Ansons)^[9]
No. 13 Air Gunners School RAF (1943–45)^[9]
No. 1 Air Navigation School RAF (1947–49) (16 Ansons)^[9]
No. 2 Air Navigation School RAF (1947–49) (16 Ansons)^[9]
No. 3 Air Navigation School RAF (1948) (12 Ansons)^[9]
No. 5 Air Navigation School RAF (1945–47)^[9]
No. 7 Air Navigation School RAF (1945–47)^[9]
No. 10 Air Navigation School RAF (1945–48)^[9]
Air Navigation & Bombing School RAF (1944–45) (31+15 Ansons)^[9]
No. 1 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–41) (24 Ansons)^[10]
No. 2 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–40) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 3 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–40 & 1941) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 4 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–41) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 5 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–40) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 6 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–42) (20 Ansons)^[10]
No. 8 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 9 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–40) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 10 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 11 Air Observer & Navigator School RAF (1939–41) (12 Ansons)^[10]
No. 1 Air Observers School RAF (1941–42) (36+18 Ansons)^[10]
No. 2 Air Observers School RAF (1941–42) (6 Ansons)^[10]
No. 3 Air Observers School RAF (1941–42) (44+22 Ansons)^[10]
No. 4 Air Observers School RAF (1941–43) (4+2 Ansons)^[10]
No. 5 Air Observers School RAF (1941–44)^[10]
No. 6 Air Observers School RAF (1942–43) (48 Ansons)^[10]
No. 7 Air Observers School RAF (1943–44) (56+27 Ansons)^[10]
No. 9 Air Observers School RAF (1941–42) (18+8 Ansons)^[10]
No. 10 Air Observers School RAF (1941–42) (4+2 Ansons)^[10]
No. 6 Service Flying Training School RAF (1939–40 & 1945–47) (108 Ansons)^[11]
No. 12 Service Flying Training School RAF (1939–40) (63 Ansons)^[11]
No. 3 Radio School RAF (1941–42)^[12]
No. 10 Radio School RAF (1943–45) (14+4 Ansons)^[12]
No. 11 Radio School RAF (1942–44)^[12]
No. 12 Radio School RAF (1943–46) (42+21 Ansons)^[12]
No. 14 Radio School RAF (1944–46) (shared aircraft with 12 RS)^[12]

T Mark. 20

No. 3 Air Navigation School RAF (1948–51) (26 Ansons)^[9]
No. 5 Air Navigation School RAF (1951–52)^[9]

T Mark. 21

No. 1 Air Navigation School RAF (1949–54) (17 Ansons)^[9]
No. 2 Air Navigation School RAF (1949–70) (17 Ansons)^[9]
No. 3 Air Navigation School RAF (1952–54)^[9]
No. 5 Air Navigation School RAF (1951–52)^[9]
No. 6 Air Navigation School RAF (1952–53)^[9]
No. 1 Basic Air Navigation School RAF (1951–53)^[13]
Central Navigation School RAF (1949–50)^[14]
Central Navigation and Control School RAF (1950–1963)^[14]

T Mark. 22

No. 1 Air Electronics School RAF (1957–60)^[15]
No. 1 Air Signallers School RAF (1951–57)^[16]
No. 2 Air Signallers School RAF (1952–53)^[16]
No. 4 Radio School RAF (1943–51)^[12]
Empire Radio School RAF (1946–49)^[17]
RAF Technical College (1951–60)^[18]

Fleet Air Arm^[19]

Mark. I

Mark. II

745 Naval Air Squadron

Mark. V

743 Naval Air Squadron

Mark. C.X

701 Naval Air Squadron

Mark. C.XII

Mark. C.XIX

'X' Flight of 781 Naval Air Squadron

United States: 50 Canadian built Ansons were delivered to the USAAF as the AT-20.
Yugoslavia: SFR Yugoslav Air Force

Civilian operators

Argentina: At least six examples on the register known, mostly ex-Canadian, often with multiple owners, and multiple (Argentine) registrations

LV-FBR, a new-build Avro 19Srs2, last recorded as damaged in an accident 14-10-1962
LV-AGJ & LV-AGN, both SAETA (Servicios Aéreos Explotacion Transporte Aéreo), & other operators
LV-ADI (unknown operator) briefly on the register, emergency landing 03/08/47 whilst on cargo flight, then passed on to FAP (Paraguay AF), wfu 1948
LV-AGI ZONDA (Zonas Oeste y Norte de Aerolineas Argentinas), later IFTA (Instituto Fototopográfico Argentino) & re-registered LV-FBU, noted as damaged in accidents dated 1952, 1959 & 1963
LV-GJA featured in an incident dated 19-03-1960, then to Brazil?

Australia

Woods Airways, WA (two surplus aircraft, 1948 to 1961)
Brain & Brown Airfreighters (one Anson until at least 1977)
East-West Airlines, one preserved (non-flying), at Tamworth Airport

Belgian Congo: three Belgium-registered ex RAF MkIs for Institut Geographique du Congo Belge
Brazil: at least nine ex-RCAF MkIIs,

LATB Linha Aérea Transcontinental Brasileira - five aircraft,
Companhia Meridional de Transportes - three aircraft operated between 1945 and 1946

Bahrain

Gulf Aviation

Cuba: a total of ten Canadian-built built Ansons have appeared on the Cuban register, three of which were operated by ANSA-Aerolíneas del Norte S.A. from 1947 until the mid-1950s
India: 15 new-build aircraft; including 12 Mk18C for the new Directorate of Civil Aviation , and two Avro 19Srs2 for Bharat Airways, Calcutta (later merged into Indian Airlines)
Indonesia: Government of Indonesia chartered 2 Ansons during Indonesian National Revolution^[20]
Portuguese Timor: Transportes Aéreos de Timor operated two Anson Is.^[21]
United Kingdom

Blue Line Airways (Nottingham) - three MkIs (1946–50)^[22]
British European Airways 13-16 aircraft inherited from Railway Air Services & others, rapidly phased out (1947–50)^[23]
British Midland / Derby Airways three (1955-65)^[24]
Finglands Airways (Manchester) one MkI (1949–53)^[25]
Hunting-Clan Air Transport Three Avro C19 Srs1 (1946-48)^[26]
Imperial Airways - launch customer, two Avro 652 (1935–1939, both impressed into Fleet Air Arm 1941)
Ministry of Civil Aviation (1948–54)
Railway Air Services 14 aircraft (1945–47), most subsequently absorbed into British European Airways fleet
Sivewright Airways (1946–51)^[27]
Starways one Mk1 (1950)^[28]
Transair (UK) up to 10 airworthy examples, plus five more used for spares, (1950–52)^[29]
Wiltshire School of Flying (1954)^[30]

Military operators

Civilian operators

References

Citations

Bibliography