Code Development

Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Development of Squadron Markings and Codes 1939 - 1945

A.664/42 APPENDIX 1

(Amended to A1096/42, issued 8 Oct 1942 and A1377/42 issued 24 December 1942)

A - RAF Commands

	Colouring		National Markings				Additional or Special Markings
	Upper surface camouflage	Under surfaces camouflage	Upper surface of wings	Under surface of wings	Fuselage	Fins	Additional or Special Markings
1. Bomber Command (i) Day bombers, at home	Temperate land scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking consisting of vertical red, white and blue stripes. Red leading	Mosquito aircraft with a day role are to bear standard day fighter camouflage and colouring. National and tactical markings are to conform to the scheme for day bomber aircraft. The spinner is ocean grey. The code letters are sky. No other recognition markings are to be carried.
(ii) Night bombers, at home	Temperate land scheme	Night	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (dull red). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	-
(iii) Day bombers, abroad	Temperate land scheme or desert scheme	Sky or azure	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	-
(iv) Night bombers, abroad	as for (ii) above or desert scheme	as for (ii) above	as for (ii) above	as for (ii) above	as for (ii) above	as for (ii) above	On Wellington aircraft registration no. is (night).
2. Fighter Command (i) (a) Day fighter, at home	Day fighter scheme	Sea grey medium	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (sky)	Standard marking	Spinner: sky. 18 in. wide vertical band of sky around fuselage immediately forward of the tail unit. Yellow strip on the leading edge of wings. Typhoon aircraft are specially marked as follows:- (a) The under-surfaces port and starboard wings are painted with black strips running fore and aft at intervals of 24 in. from the root of the wing to the inboard end of the aileron with the first black strip situated at the wing root. The spaces between the black strips on the under-surfaces of the wings are painted white, but from the outboard edge of the outer black strips to the wing tips the under-surfaces remain sea grey medium. (b) The spinner in front of the propellor blades only is painted sky (duck egg blue) and the remainder of the nose is coloured in the standard day fighter camouflage of dark green and ocean grey on the upper surfaces and coloured sea grey medium on the under-surfaces.
(i) (b) High altitude fighters	Pending the adoption of a standard scheme the various camouflages, colourings and markings used are promulgated to the defences by postagram or signal.
(ii) (a) Night fighters, at home	Dark green and sea grey medium	Sea grey medium	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (dull red). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking Sea green medium	Spinner - sera grey medium
(ii) (b) Intruder aircraft	Dark green and sea grey medium	Night	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (dull red). Code letters (dull red)	Fin and rudder are coloured sea grey medium and bear standard markings.	Spinner sea grey medium-
(iii) Day fighters, abroad	Day fighter scheme, temperate land scheme or desert scheme	Sky, azure or light Mediterranean blue	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (sky)	Standard marking	-
(iv) Night fighters, abroad	Finished as for night fighters at home.
(v) Aircraft employed on air/sea rescue duties	Temperate sea scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	-
3. Coastal Command (i) Landplanes (a) Wellington Whitley Liberator Fortress Hudson	Temperate sea scheme	White	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (light slate grey). Code letters (light slate grey)	Standard marking	For Photographic Reconnaissance Unit aircraft see section 6 and also remarks at section 1 (i) above. For Whitley aircraft see remarks at section 1 (ii) above. Wellington aircraft contorm to scheme detailed in section 1 (iv) above.
(b) Beaufort Long Range Beaufighter Blenheim *Hudson Hampden T.B.	Temperate sea scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	Beauforts and Hampden T.B.s of Coastal Command are finished with night under-surfaces *Hudsons may also be night
(ii) (a) Flying boats, floatplanes and amphibians (other than target aircraft)	Temperate sea scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	-
(b) Sunderland aircraft	Temperate sea scheme	White	Red and Blue Roundels	No marking	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (light slate grey)	Standard marking	Side surfaces of fin and rudder, engine cowlings and de-icing equipment white.
4 Army Co-operation Command (i) Operational (a) Air observation post aircraft	Temperate land scheme	Temperate land scheme	Red and Blue Roundels	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Code letters (dull red)	Standard marking	-
(b) Fighter aircraft	As for section 2 above
(c) Gliders	Same camouflage, colouring and marking as for bomber aircraft.
(d) Glider tugs	Same camouflage, colouring and marking as for their normal operational or training role
(e) Troop carriers	Same camouflage, colouring and marking as for their normal operational role
(ii) Non-operational Training Gliders	Temperate land scheme	Yellow and black diagonal strips	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels. Registration no. (night)	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	-
5 Flying Training Command	Temperate land scheme	Yellow	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels. Registration no. (night)	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). School letters (sky)	Standard marking	Cowlings of Oxford aircraft used for night simulation training are painted sky as additional recognition marking for training purposes. Whitley aircraft bear operational camouflage, colouring and marking (see section 1 (ii) above). Operational types used for training will bear the camouflage colouring sand marking scheme appropriate for the normal operational role of the aircraft. Aircraft which are painted yellow at present are not at present being recoloured. Elementary training type of aircraft only.

A.664/42 APPENDIX I

(Amended to A1096/42, issued 8 Oct 1942 and A1377/42 issued 24 December 1942)

B - Miscellaneous Units (Irrespective of Commands)


	Upper surface camouflage	Under surfaces camouflage	Upper surface of wings	Under surface of wings	Fuselage	Fins	Additional
1. Communications aircraft	Temperate land scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	-
2. Target towing aircraft	Temperate land scheme	Yellow with black diagonal strips	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	Blue fuselage band, as for day fighters
3. Target aircraft	Temperate land scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	Nil
4. Anti-aircraft (searchlight co-operation) aircraft	Temperate land scheme	Night or white	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night). Group or flight code numbers (dull red)	Standard marking	In place of squadron code letters aircraft of No 1 AACU carry flight code numbers consisting of a flight letter and figure 1. (e.g. A Flight - A1 and individual aircraft letter) Fighter group flight carry the group number in place of code letters, e.g. No 9 Group Flight carries 09.
5. Ambulance aircraft	Temperate land scheme	White	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (light slate grey).	Standard marking	Fuselage - "Geneva" Res Cross on white disc immediately aft of roundel.
6. Photographic Reconnaissance Unit	Coloured and marked in accordance with operational requirements. Note - Photographic Reconnaissance Unit camouflage does not necessarily conform to standard, nor are the the national markings invariably carried in the orthodox positions or painted in standard colours
7. Prototype and experimental aircraft and aircraft attached to experimental establishments (i) Power driven	Temperate land scheme, temperate sea scheme or day fighter scheme	Yellow	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. or equivalent (night).	Standard marking	Fuselage - Letter "P" in yellow, encircled by a yellow ½" yellow ring of equal diameter to fuselage roundel.
(ii) Gliders	Temperate land scheme, except wing tips, which are yellow for a distance of 8 ft. from the tip. The tips are covered when the glider is on the ground.	Yellow with black diagonal strips	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	Fuselage - Letter "P" in yellow as above.
8. Merchant Ships Fighter Unit	Temperate sea scheme	Sky	Red and Blue Roundels	Red, white and blue roundels.	Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	-
9. 1425 Flight Liberator aircraft	Temperate sea scheme or temperate land scheme	Azure or night	Red and Blue Roundels		Red, white, blue and yellow roundels. Registration no. (night).	Standard marking	-

A.664/42 APPENDIX II

Detailed Colour schemes and markings for Naval Aircraft - not relevant

A.664/42 APPENDIX III

Detailed Colour schemes and markings for Civil Aircraft - not relevant

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AMO's AP 2656A