During World War II these rescue boats, armed with light anti-aircraft guns for self-defense, saw extensive service with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).

Even after the introduction of rescue helicopters such as the Westland Dragonfly in 1953 the RAF continued to operate a fleet of Rescue/Target Towing Launches, the last of which was not retired until 1986.

[7][8][9][10] A few 63-foot boats were built post World War II, noted as Mark 2, 3, and 3 models.

[11][12] Around the 1960s, Captain Ed Berlin operated Claire II, a re-purposed Herreshoff Manufacturing 63-foot (19 m) crash rescue boat, on the Bronx River in the Bronx, New York.

[13] For the 1962 movie PT-109, several 82-foot (25 m) USAF crash rescue boats were converted to resemble 80-foot PT Elcos when the few surviving PT boats were found to need too much work to make them seaworthy for use during the film.