List of Bristol Beaufort operators

This article enumerates the nations that employed the Bristol Beaufort aircraft, alongside the specific units involved:

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

No. 1 Squadron RAAF utilized Beauforts from December 1943 until June 1945.
No. 2 Squadron RAAF flew Beauforts between December 1943 and September 1944.
No. 6 Squadron RAAF operated Beauforts from August 1943 through January 1946.
No. 7 Squadron RAAF maintained Beaufort operations from December 1942 to December 1945.
No. 8 Squadron RAAF employed Beauforts between March 1943 and February 1946.
No. 13 Squadron RAAF used Beaufort aircraft from August 1943 until May 1944.
No. 14 Squadron RAAF operated Beauforts from December 1942 to November 1945.
No. 15 Squadron RAAF flew Beauforts between January 1944 and November 1945.
No. 21 Squadron RAAF conducted Beaufort operations from January to August 1946.
No. 22 Squadron RAAF operated Beauforts until October 1945.
No. 30 Squadron RAAF flew Beauforts initially in August 1942 and later from January 1944 to September 1945.
No. 31 Squadron RAAF used Beaufort aircraft between August 1942 and October 1945.
No. 32 Squadron RAAF operated Beauforts from March 1943 through November 1945.
No. 36 Squadron RAAF flew Beauforts during the period of March to June 1946.
No. 92 Squadron RAAF conducted operations with Beauforts between July and September 1945.
No. 93 Squadron RAAF operated Beaufort aircraft from July 1945 until May 1946.
No. 100 Squadron RAAF employed Beauforts between February 1942 and August 1946.
No. 1 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 3 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 4 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 5 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 6 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 8 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 11 Communication Unit RAAF
No. 9 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF
No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF
No. 12 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF
No. 1 Aircraft Performance Unit RAAF
No. 1 Operational Training Unit RAAF operated Beaufort aircraft from April 1942 until July 1946.
No. 5 Operational Training Unit RAAF flew Beauforts between October 1942 and February 1946.
No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAAF utilized Beauforts during July 1943 to July 1944.

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force^[1]

No. 149 Squadron RCAF flew Beauforts that were transferred from 32 (C) OTU from November 1942 until August 1943.
No. 415 Squadron RCAF utilized Beaufort aircraft between September 1941 and January 1942.

New Zealand

New Zealand was supplied with six Beaufort aircraft and, after phasing them out of active duty, returned four of these planes to the RAF.

Royal New Zealand Air Force^[1]

No. 489 Squadron RNZAF operated Beauforts from August 1941 through April 1942.

South Africa

South Africa initially received 18 Beauforts in early 1941, followed by an additional batch of 40 aircraft in June 1943.

South African Air Force^[1]

No. 16 Squadron SAAF flew Beauforts during two periods: September to November 1942 and June 1943 to February 1944.
No. 20 Squadron SAAF operated Beauforts between July and September 1942.
No. 22 Squadron SAAF used Beauforts from August 1942 until February 1943.
No. 23 Squadron SAAF employed Beaufort aircraft between July 1942 and October 1943.
No. 36 Coastal Flight SAAF flew Beauforts from January to July 1942.
No. 37 Coastal Flight SAAF operated the type between February and July 1942.

Turkey

Turkey received at least eleven, most likely twelve, Beaufort IA models in 1944, followed by another twelve delivered in 1945.^[2] All twenty-four were assigned to the 105 TRG TAF and remained in service until 1950.

Turkish Air Force^[1]

105th Torpedo and Reconnaissance Group TAF operated Beauforts from February 1944 through to 1950.

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force^[1]

No. 22 Squadron RAF flew Beauforts between November 1939 and August 1944.
No. 39 Squadron RAF operated the type from September 1941 until January 1944.
No. 42 Squadron RAF used Beauforts between April 1940 and April 1943.
No. 47 Squadron RAF flew these aircraft from August 1942 to June 1943.
No. 48 Squadron RAF operated Beauforts between May and October of 1940.
No. 69 Squadron RAF utilized the type during August and September of 1941.
No. 86 Squadron RAF employed Beauforts from May 1941 through November 1943.
No. 100 Squadron RAF flew them between October 1941 and February 1942.
No. 217 Squadron RAF operated the aircraft from May 1940 until September 1944.
No. 235 Squadron RAF used Beauforts between March and June of 1944.
No. 511 Squadron RAF flew the type from December 1942 to January 1943.
No. 222 Group Photographic Flight RAF operated them between June and December of 1944.
No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF used Beauforts between April and November of 1940.
No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated the type during two intervals: September to December of 1941 and January to May of 1944.
No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF flew Beauforts from November 1940 until August of the following year.
No.5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF utilized them between August of ’41 and November ’44.
No.9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF operated the aircraft from July ’42 through August ’44.
No.32 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF flew Beauforts between September ’41 and April ’43.
No.132 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF employed them from July ’43 until May ’46.
No.51 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit RAF used the type between January ’43 and March ’45.
No.54 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit RAF operated Beauforts from January ’43 through June ’45.
No.60 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit RAF flew them during July and August of ’43.
No.63 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit RAF utilized the aircraft from August ’43 to July ’44.
No.75 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit RAF employed Beauforts in the year ’43.
Torpedo Training Unit RAF operated them between June ’40 and November ’42.
No.1 Torpedo Training Unit RAF used the type from January ’43 until March ’44.
No.2 Torpedo Training Unit RAF flew Beauforts during January through September of ’43.

Fleet Air Arm^[1]

728 Naval Air Squadron flew Beauforts from October ’44 through September ’45.
733 Naval Air Squadron operated the type between February ’44 and June ’45.
762 Naval Air Squadron employed them from March ’44 until March ’46.
788 Naval Air Squadron used Beauforts in early ’45 until June that year.
798 Naval Air Squadron flew them between October ’43 and March ’44.