`:::::::Well naval air squadrons are a bit schizophrenic. They are really just administrative arrangements but they also have an identity like any other naval unit such as a ship and is thought of that way. In other words a squadron's identity still exists even when it is not currently in commission. The idea of simply transferring squadron identities in this way would be entirely natural. To do anything else would have seemed perverse. Remember that, at that time, the RAN was much more closely aligned with the RN. The RAN had sent VAT Smith over to the UK to prosecute the case for what really amounted to buying a fleet air arm. The RN had all these squadron's lying around doing nothing with their identities intact and just needing re-commissioning. Why would they want to create more? It would have been seen as akin to not completing the Majestics and ordering the constriction of completely new hulls to the same design instead.BTW there were differences between the squadrons in RN and RAN service - under the British system squadron's starting with an 8 were front line squadron's whilst those starting with 7 were second line. My father, who was part of the loan program of men and materials to the RAN in the 50s, tells of his disappointment on discovering that his posting to 851 was not to a front line squadron. As an aside I  believe he and I were the first father and son to serve as aircrew officers on the same Australian naval air squadron. My claim to fame. -     `