B-25 Mitchell with Royal Canadian Air Force

Last revised March 11, 2000


The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was an important user of the B-25 Mitchell, although most of the RCAF use of the Mitchell was postwar.

The first B-25s for the RCAF had originally been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell I, 42 Mitchell IIs, and 19 Mitchell IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at Rockliffe in May of 1944. They operated Mitchell IIs on high altitude aerial photography sorties. This unit gained official status in November of 1946 and became No 413 (P) Squadron in April 1947. They retained the Mitchell until October 1948.

No 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No 406 (auxiliary) which flew Mitchell IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No 418 Operated a mix of IIs and IIIs until March of 1958. No 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960.

In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make good attrition and to equip various second-line units.

Many post-war RCAF Mitchells encorporated a new exhaust system where the top S-shaped stacks were replaced by semi-collector rings.

Serial numbers of B-25s transferred to RCAF:

41-29848/29947		North American B-25D-1 Mitchell
				29877 modified as F-10.  Delivered to RCAF
					as 894
				29886 modified as F-10 - Delivered to RCAF
					as 891
				29924 modified as F-10 - Delivered to RCAF
					as 892.
41-30173/30352		North American B-25D-10 Mitchell
				30195 modified as F-10 - delivered to RCAF as
					893.
				30267 to RCAF as 5200.  Returned to USA 1953
41-30353/30532		North American B-25D-15 Mitchell
				30393 to RCAF as 5201
41-30533/30847		North American B-25D-20 Mitchell
				30548 to RAF as KL133 - retained in Canada
				30596 to RAF as KL134 - retained in Canada
				30637 to RAF as KL135 - retained in Canada
				30757 to RAF as KL136 - retained in Canada
				30758 to RAF as KL137 - retained in Canada
				30759 to RAF as KL138 - retained in Canada
				30760 to RAF as KL139 - retained in Canada
				30814 to RAF as KL140 - retained in Canada
42-87138/87452		North American B-25D-25 Mitchell
				87146 to RAF as KL141 - retained in Canada
				87288 to RAF as KL142 - retained in Canada
				87290 to RAF as KL143 - retained in Canada
				87352 to RAF as KL144 - retained in Canada
				87379 to RAF as KL145 - retained in Canada
42-87453/87612		North American B-25D-30 Mitchell
				87501 to RAF as KL147 - retained in Canada
43-3280/3619		North American B-25D-30 Mitchell
				3300 to RAF as KL150 - retained in Canada
				3301 to RAF as KL151 - retained in Canada
				3302 to RAF as KL152 - retained in Canada
				3303 to RAF as KL153 - retained in Canada
				3304 to RAF as KL154 - retained in Canada
				3307 to RAF as KL155 - retained in Canada
				3308 to RAF as KL156 - retained in Canada
					on static display as PBJ-1D at USMC
					Museum, Quantico, VA.
				3310 to RAF as KL157 - retained in Canada
				3311 to RAF as KL158 - retained in Canada
				3312 to RAF as KL159 - retained in Canada
				3316 to RAF as KL160 - retained in Canada
				3318 to RAF as KL161 - retained in Canada
				3412 to RAF as FW273 - retained in Canada
				3540 to RAF as FW220 - retained in Canada
				3557 to RAF as FW237 - retained in Canada
				3566 to RAF as FW246 - retained in Canada
43-3620/3869		North American B-25D-35 Mitchell
				3629 to RAF as KL146 - retained in Canada
				3634 to RAF as KL148 - retained in Canada
					later became CF-NWV.  Still airworthy
					with Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run
					Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan under
					civil registration N3774.
				3647 to RAF as KL149 - retained in Canada
				3686 to RAF as FW251 - retained in Canada
				3694 to RAF as FW259 - retained in Canada
				3695 to RAF as FW260 - retained in Canada
				3718 to RAF as FW274 - retained in Canada
					w/o Aug 1944
				3710 to RAF as FW272 - retained in Canada
				3751 to RAF as FW278 - retained in Canada
				3752 to RAF as FW279 - retained in Canada
				3753 to RAF as FW280 - retained in Canada
				3764 to RAF as HD310 - retained in Canada
				3779 to RAF as HD311 - retained in Canada
				3780 to RAF as HD312 - retained in Canada
				3781 to RAF as HD313 - retained in Canada
				3782 to RAF as HD314 - retained in Canada
				3783 to RAF as HD315 - retained in Canada
				3785 to RAF as HD317 - retained in Canada
				3786 to RAF as HD318 - retained in Canada
				3787 to RAF as HD319 - retained in Canada
					missing July 1, 1944
				3788 to RAF as HD320 - retained in Canada
				3790 to RAF as HD322 - retained in Canada
					w/o  July 1956
				3794 to RAF as HD323 - retained in Canada
					w/o July 1952
				3795 to RAF as HD324 - retained in Canada
				3796 to RAF as HD325 - retained in Canada
					w/o Dec 1950
				3797 to RAF as HD326 - retained in Canada
				3844 to RAF as HD331 - retained in Canada
					w/o Aug 1954
				3845 to RAF as HD332 - retained in Canada
				3846 to RAF as HD333 - retained in Canada
				3847 to RAF as HD334 - retained in Canada
				3848 to RAF as HD335 - retained in Canada
				3850 to RAF as HD337 - retained in Canada
				3851 to RAF as HD338 - retained in Canada
				3852 to RAF as HD339 - retained in Canada
				3853 to RAF as HD340 - retained in Canada
				3854 to RAF as HD341 - retained in Canada
					w/o Dec 1949
				3855 to RAF as HD342 - retained in Canada
					w/o Aug 1953
				3856 to RAF as HD343 - retained in Canada
					w/o Dec 1944
				3857 to RAF as HD344 - retained in Canada
				3858 to RAF as HD345 - retained in Canada
					missing June 1944
44-28711/29110		North American B-25J-15/17 Mitchell
				28847 to RCAF as 5206 in 1951.  Returned to 
					USA in 1953
44-29111/29910		North American B-25J-20/22 Mitchell
				29128 to RCAF as 5236 in 1952
				29699 to RCAF as 5278 in 1953
				29726 to RCAF as 5274 in 1953.
				29750 to RCAF as 5277 in 1953
				29903 to RCAF as 5283 in 1953
				29907 to RCAF as 5279 in 1953
44-29911/30910		North American B-25J-25/27 Mitchell
				30234 to RCAF as 5269 in 1953.
				30239 to RCAF as 5270 in 1953.
				30254 to RCAF as 5211 in 1951.  Became CF-MWC
				30259 to RCAF as 5276 in 1953
				30304 to RCAF as 5208 in 1951.
				30314 to RCAF in 1954
				30359 to RCAF as 5275 in 1953
				30366 to RCAF as 5280 in 1953
				30375 to RCAF as 5271 in 1953.
				30390 to RCAF in 1954
				30391 to RCAF as 5207 in 1951
				30402 to RCAF as 5209 in 1951
				30421 to RCAF as 5272 in 1953.
				30439 to RCAF in 1954
				30442 to RCAF in 1954
				30444 to RCAF in 1954
				30449 to RCAF in 1954
				30478 to RCAF as 5219 in 1951
				30479 to RCAF as 5213 in 1951
				30481 to RCAF as 5214 in 1951
				30483 to RCAF as 5217 in 1951
				30485 to RCAF as 5215 in 1951
				30599 to RCAF as 5266 in 1953.
				30601 to RCAF as 5259 in 1953.
				30612 to RCAF as 5264 in 1953.
				30615 to RCAF as 5263 in 1953.
				30625 to RCAF as 5267 in 1953.
				30629 to RCAF as 5265 in 1953.
				30639 to RCAF as 5261 in 1953.
				30645 to RCAF as 5268 in 1953.
				30652 to RCAF as 5262 in 1953.
				30786 to RCAF as 5281 in 1953
				30791 to RCAF as 5273 in 1953.
				30812 to RCAF as 5202 in 1951
				30828 to RCAF as 5260 in 1953.
44-30911/31510		North American B-25J-30/32 Mitchell
				30935 to RCAF as 5210 in 1951.
				30947 to RCAF as 5212 in 1951.  Became CF-NTP
				31491 to RCAF as 5245 in 1952
				31493 to RCAF as 5249 in 1952
				31494 to RCAF as 5232 in 1952
				31506 to RCAF as 5228 in 1952
44-86692/86891		North American B-25J-30/32 Mitchell
				86697 to RCAF as 5223 - possibly not received
					also listed as RCAF 5239
				86698 to RCAF as 5248 - became CF-NWU
				86699 to RCAF as 5244 in 1952
				86724 to RCAF as 5203 in 1951
				86725 to RCAF as 5224 - possibly not received
					also listed as RCAF 5243
				86726 to RCAF as 5237 in 1952
				86727 to RCAF as 5230 in 1952
				86728 to RCAF as 5221 - possibly not received
					also listed as RCAF 5247
				86729 to RCAF as 5220 in 1951
				86730 to RCAF as 5235 in 1952
				86731 to RCAF as 5216 in 1951
				86733 to RCAF as 5222 - possibly not received
					also lsted as RCAF 5239. w/o July 1955
					also listed as RCAF 5282.
				86735 to RCAF as 5227 in 1951.  w/o Feb 1957.
				86736 to RCAF as 5233 in 1952
				86738 to RCAF as 5229 in 1952
				86820 to RCAF as 5204 in 1951
				86879 to RCAF as 5205 in 1951

Sources:


  1. B-25 Mitchell: The Magnificent Medium, N. L. Avery, Phalanx, 1992.

  2. Medium with the Mostest--The B-25 Mitchell, Jerry Scutts, Air International, Vol. 44, Nos 2 and 3, 1993.

  3. Boston, Mitchell, and Liberator in Australian Service, Stewart Wilson, Aerospace Publications, 1992.

  4. Famous Bombers of the Second World War, William Green, Doubleday, 1959.

  5. North American's Flying Gun--The Story of the B-25 From Paper Airplane to Legendary Bomber, Jack Dean, Wings, Vol 23 No 4, 1993.

  6. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  7. United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

  8. North American B-25A-G Mitchell, Aircraft in Profile, Doubleday, 1966.

  9. Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century, Michael J. H. Taylor.