Having repeatedly re-read the 1946 “Lend-Lease Settlement Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United States of America (https://www.loc.gov/law/help/us-treaties/bevans/b-au-ust000005-0164.pdf) I have to conclude that the U.S. never did (back in June 1946) and still hasn't relinquished title to the Lend-Lease aircraft it supplied us. Following are the relevant clauses:

4. (a) The Commonwealth of Australia hereby acquires, and shall be deemed to have acquired as of September 2, 1945, full title, without quali­fication as to disposition or use, to all lend-lease articles in the possession of the Commonwealth of Australia, its agents or distributees, on September 2, 1945, and not subsequently returned to the Government of the United States, other than lend-lease articles on that date .in the possession of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Australia.

6. (a) The Government of the United States, with respect to lend ­lease articles (other than those described in the Annex to this Agreement), and the Commonwealth of Australia, with respect to reciprocal aid articles, reserve a right to recapture, respectively, at any time after September 1, 1945, any such articles which, as of the date upon which notice requesting return is communicated to the other Government, are in the possession of the armed forces of the other government, although neither government intends generally to exercise this right...

I would be interested to hear if others here agree my interpretation?

Thanks

This post has been edited by bauple58 on Jan 9 2021, 02:28 PM