The different variants and operational service of the RAF’s maritime Shackletons are detailed by Dr Kevin Wright.
Squadron numbers were sometimes applied to the Shackleton’s fuselage, as this MR.3 from No.201 out on patrol shows. Key Collection
The Avro Shackleton’s 40-year RAF career saw it reach every corner of the globe, flying a wide variety of missions well beyond the original maritime patrol role for which it was designed. Perhaps best remembered for its final 19- year ‘temporary’ role as the RAF’s airborne early warning (AEW) platform, it should not be forgotten that first and foremost it was a ‘state-of the-art’ submarine hunter and played a major role in search and rescue (SAR) and disaster relief operations.
