AURI Catalinas

In the absence of an AURI specialist on our Air-Britain Specialist Listing, is there any member that can help with a query concerning AURI serials. I am struggling with serials applied to the AURI Catalina fleet. Photos show that they had large ‘serials’ painted on the hull in the range PB-501 to PB-505. My question is, is there any evidence that prior to that sequence any other numbers were used? I have seen a photo of an amphibious Catalina with what appears to be an Indonesian tail insignia and an indecipherable four-figure number on the tail and under the port wing. There is no PB-50* serial on the hull and underwing long-range tanks might suggest that the photo is either pre-delivery or during delivery.

On AURI Catalinas generally, I have never satisfactorily ascertained their origin (ie: c/ns or previous identities) although have discounted some of the theories I have read. Any thoughts welcome.

David Legg
Air-Britain Catalina Specialist
Editor: The Catalina News, The Catalina Society