The outbreak of war in 1939 spelt the end of commercial flying in Europe for some years. With no aircraft designed specifically for transport, at the outbreak of the war the RAF relied on a wide range of converted bombers or requisitioned airliners, such as this Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign, for aerial movement of troops and supplies, as well as communications duties. The following list shows the aircraft types that were requisitioned from Imperial Airways by the RAF for war service, but does not include aircraft taken over for ground instructional use only.

Armstrong Whitworth Atalanta Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign De Havilland Albatross Handley Page 42 Short 'C' Class flying-boat Short S26 'G' Class flying-boat Short Mercury

The de Havilland DH 91 Albatross Franklin. This aircraft was one of two long range mailplanes, which were tested by Imperial Airways crews. This aircraft went to No. 271 Squadron as AX904 (BJ-W), but crashed during landing in Reykjavik in April 1942.

Two S.23 Empire Flying Boats, Clio AX659 (G-AETY) and Cordelia AX660 (G-AEUD), in 1941. The Imperial Airways Empire Flying Boats were pressed into service with Coastal Command. They carried early ASV radar.

Seven HP42s were in service with Imperial Airways in September 1939, comprising of three H.P.42Ws in the UK and four H.P.42Es in the Middle East. The H.P.42s were given coats of camouflage paint and pressed into service for military transport duties. Three H.P.42Ws were used for ferrying supplies and personnel to France. However, it was the four H.P.42Es based in the Middle East that were earmarked for official impressment. One of these was destroyed on the return trip, presumably over the Arabian Sea. The remaining three were allocated to No. 271 Sqd for transport duties, and by December 1940 all three had been withdrawn from use after forced landings or, in the case of AS982, destruction by gale-force winds.

This photograph shows H.P.42 Helena, G-AAXF/AS983, in use for aerial movement of troops and supplies