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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: sushi on Saturday 09 August 08 15:59 BST (UK)

Title: RAF question
Post by: sushi on Saturday 09 August 08 15:59 BST (UK)
There never seems to be many questions on the RAF, so I though I would ask one - though my information is vague!
My uncle - Geoffrey Hamblin - was in the RAF serving in India. He used to service  Lancaster Bombers. He lived and died in Warwickshire. I would love to know more but there are no more members of the family left to ask, and thats all I know. Is it impossible?
Title: Re: RAF question
Post by: bigmagicdog on Saturday 09 August 08 16:17 BST (UK)
After typing in the name the closest I got was this:

Ronald Geoffrey Hamblin
Birth Date: 29 Nov 1928
Death Registration Month/Year: Mar 1999
Age at death (estimated): 70 
Registration district: Birmingham 
Inferred County: Warwickshire 
Register number: O11B 
District and Subdistrict: 0611O 
Entry Number: 255 

Dates would help.
Title: Re: RAF question
Post by: sushi on Saturday 09 August 08 16:29 BST (UK)
Hello BMD,
Yes I found that on Ancestry, but I think that was his son Ron. He was also in the RAF. Are there not many records from the RAF ? It only shows military and Navy on Ancestry.
Thanks for that information anyway.
Sushi
Title: Re: RAF question
Post by: kyt on Saturday 09 August 08 19:16 BST (UK)
A couple of things:

1) If he was servicing aircraft he was either attached to a squadron or a Maintenance Unit. Both were different entities and so looking for an individual is rather difficult without further information

2) There were no Lancasters in the South East Asia Command (SEAC) during WW2. He may either have been working on Lancs in the UK before being transferred out to India, or he worked on other 4-engined aircraft out there - the most likely being Liberators.

K
Title: Re: RAF question
Post by: sushi on Sunday 10 August 08 09:48 BST (UK)
Oh! thanks for that kyt.
I knew he had served in India, and know he worked on Lancasters - so I put two and two together and obviously made five! The information that you give  is very interesting anyway.
I think I will have to give up on that one then!
thanks again,
Sushi
Title: Re: RAF question
Post by: percy porter on Sunday 10 August 08 10:52 BST (UK)
If you have enough detail you may be able to get his service records and that will give you a lot of information. It should give you units based at and if on strength, a squadron number as well.

Frpm my experience full name, date of birth, address and name/s of NOK should be enough to get you close.

Alan NZ