Helwan-based No 45 Squadron, which had re-formed at Heliopolis in April 1927 with D.H.9As, operated IIIFs from August 1929 to December 1935, carry- ing out patrol duties in Egypt and Palestine. It had detachments at Amman, Gaza, Ismailia, Hinaidi, Mosul, Shaibah and Eastleigh. As with other IIIF squadrons mentioned earlier, its aircraft made annual long-range training flights, flying from Egypt to West Africa and back in 1929 and 1931.

No 47 Squadron at Khartoum, which received IIIFs in place of its D.H.9As in April 1928, co-operated closely with the Sudan Defence Force in regular frontier patrols and took full advantage of the IIIF's capacity to operate on floats, flying its seaplanes (which were converted back to landplane configuration when required) from the River Nile.

Perhaps the most outstanding example of IIIF floatplane use, aside from that in the FAA, of course, was that of No 202 Squadron, based at Calafrana in Malta, which had as its prime task co-operation with the Mediterranean Fleet from July 1930. Rather oddly, during its tenure of IIIF seaplanes, it was described in the official Air Force List as a flying-boat squadron. Over five years were to elapse before the designation was given reality by the arrival of Supermarine Scapa flying boats in August 1935.