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Development of Squadron Markings and Codes 1939 - 1945

By 1944 most of the developments in camouflage, colouring and markings had been incorporated into Air Publication 2656A  The details given below amended up to and including Amendment List No 8 (AL8) of October 1944.

Chapter 2     Table 1 - IDENTIFICATION mARKINGS on aircraft

Type of aircraft or operational role National Marking - Roundel Colour of Code Letters 'A' Serial Numbers

Additional recognition markings and remarks
Upper surface of wing tips Under surface of wing tips On both sides of fuselage Pattern Colour
Air observation I I III Dull Red B Night  
Air/Sea Rescue I II III Dull Red B Night  
Ambulance I None III and IV Dull Red B Night "Geneva" Red Cross (National Marking IV) to be applied immediately aft of the fuselage roundels.
Amphibians I (top plane) III III   C Night  
Anti-aircraft co-operation I - III   B Night  
Army Co-operation - - - - - - Markings should be as for previous role.
Auto-giros - - -   - - Markings should be as for the particular role.

Bombers - see Day bombers or night bombers
Coastal I None III Light Slate Grey B Light Slate Grey  
Coastal (Special duties) scheme 'A' I None III Light Slate Grey B Night These marking schemes correspond with camouflage schemes 'A' and 'B' (see Chap. 1 of the Section)
Coastal (Special duties) scheme 'B' I None III Dull Red B Red
Communications (Monoplane) I II III Dull Red B Night  
Communications (Biplane) I (top plane) II (bottom plane)) III Dull Red B Night  
Day Bombers (Bomber Command) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Day Bombers (Desert Areas) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Day Bombers (Other overseas areas) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Day Fighters (Fighter Command) I II III Sky B Night A vertical band of Sky 18 in. wide. should be applied around the fuselage immediately forward of the tail unit
Day Fighters (Desert areas) I II III Sky B Night
Day Fighters (Other overseas areas) I II III Sky B Night

Fighters - see day fighters or night fighters or intruders

Gliders

 I None III Dull Red B Night  
Glider trainers I II III Dull Red B Night The upper surface of the wings should be yellow for a distance of 8 ft. from the extreme tips.
Intruders (Fighter Command) I None III Sky B Night  
Intruders (Desert areas) I None III Sky B Night  
Intruders (Other overseas areas) I None III Sky B Night  
Meteorological (Service allotted) I - - - - - Markings should be as for previous role.
Meteorological (Special duties) I None I Dull Red B Night  
Naval aircraft (Monoplanes) I None III As appropriate to type C Night National marking II on wing tip undersurfaces of day fighters only.  The words ROYAL NAVY should appear on rear of fuselage of all Naval aircraft in letters 4 in. high, 2 1/2 in. wide and colour Night.
Naval aircraft (Bioplanes) I (top plane) None III C Night
Night bombers (Bomber Command) I None III Dull Red B Red  
Night bombers (Desert areas) I None III Dull Red B Red  
Night bombers (Other overseas areas) I None III Dull Red B Red  
Night fighters (Fighter Command) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Night fighters (Desert areas) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Night fighters (Other overseas areas) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Photographic reconnaissance aircraft ( high flying) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Photographic reconnaissance aircraft ( low flying) I None III Dull Red B Night  
Private venture aircraft I II III None None -  
Prototypes (including prototype gliders) I II III None B Night  
Target (pilotless) aircraft I None III Dull Red B Night  
Target towing aircraft I II III Dull Red B Night A vertical band of Sky 18 in. wide. should be applied around the fuselage immediately forward of the tail unit
Training aircraft (monoplanes except glider trainers) I II III Dull Red D Night  
Training aircraft (biplanes) I (top plane) II (bottom plane) III Dull Red D Night  
Transport aircraft I II III Dull Red B Night  
Tugs I - - - - - As for their normal role

Camouflage, Colouring and Marking of Aircraft

  1. The following regulations, which take effect immediately, apply to all aircraft of the Royal Air Force at home and overseas, and supersede those contained in all previous Air Ministry Orders on this subject.

  2. Modifications of, or additions to, the standard schemes of colouring and marking of aircraft, other than PRU aircraft, may be made only with the prior approval of the Air Ministry. Approval is to be sought by application to the Air Ministry, Whitehall
    (ACAS/TR).

  3. No aircraft, other than a PRU aircraft, is to be flown without standard national markings applied in accordance with DTD Technical Circular No 360, unless special permission is obtained from the Air Ministry. If permission is granted, clearance is to
    be obtained for each individual flight from the appropriate defence authorities.

  4. Aircraft of photographic reconnaissance units are normally coloured and marked in accordance with the instructions in DTD Technical Circular No 360. The camouflage colouring may, however, not necessarily conform to a standard scheme nor are the
    national markings invariably carried in the orthodox positions or painted in the standard colours.5. The colouring and marking of aircraft is clussified in the following categories:-

    1. Camouflage and colouring: - Full details of the authorised camouflage and colouring schemes for all aircraft, according to their role, are set out in DTD Technical Circular No 360.

    2. National markings: - Full details of national markings, their size and positions are set out in DTD Technical Circular No 360.

    3. Tactical markings: -

      1. Code letters: - Aircraft belonging to units authorised  to do so, carry code letters to indicate the unit to which the aircraft belong and to distinguish individual aircraft within the unit. Details of the code letters are contained in instructions issued by the Air Ministry (Sigs. 5), who are responsible for the allocation of code letters to units. Particulars of the size, colour and position of code letters to be painted on aircraft are contained in DTD Technical Circular No 360.

      2. Special markings to distinguish between different rôles and for other purposes may be authorised by command headquarters, subject to the overriding authority of the Air Ministry. Details of such markings are to be notified to the Air Ministry,
        who will promulgate them by signal or postagram to all concerned.

    4. Individual marking and emblems: - Individual markings and emblems to distinguish particular aircraft, presentation aircraft or nationality may be painted on the sides of the fuselage, forward of the trailing edge of the main plane, on the authority of command headquarters, provided that the marking is not larger than nine inches by six inches. The same markings may not be carried by more than one aircraft in any one unit, except in the case of Allied national emblems, which may be
      carried on all aircraft of the unit, provided that the same marking is carried by all aircraft of the same nationality, and that such aireraft are not limited to one squadron.

    5. A general guide to the colouring and marking of RAF, British civil, USAAF and USN aircraft, to assist the defences to recognise them, is contained in the publication on recognition issued by the Air Ministry (Ops.(AD)6).

(AMOs A664|42, A1096|42 and A1377|42 cancelled.)

Source - Air Ministry Order A864/44 dated 7 September 1944

This entry was last updated on 08/11/26©

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