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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: IanBrooke on Friday 14 March 14 19:46 GMT (UK)

Title: RAF Service Record
Post by: IanBrooke on Friday 14 March 14 19:46 GMT (UK)
Hi,
I have been studying my late mother's WWII RAF service record and have noticed something I do not understand.

I have Form 543 - 2 large brown sheets.  On sheet 2 (which may be the reverse of page 1) is a column headed "Occ. M. Qtrs".  I am guessing that this means Occupying Married Quarters.  Is this correct?

This column is empty apart from one entry sometime in 1942/43 which has a circle with a dot in it.  What does this mean? 

The same row as the circle/dot has in the date column "5(P) AFU".  I believe that AFU means Advanced Flying Unit, but what is 5(P)?

If she is occupying married quarters can I assume that she is married?  Page 1 contains nothing in the Marriage box and next of kin is her mother.

Thank you for any help on this puzzle.  If we do not know a definitive answer, is there anywhere that I can go to for an answer?

Ian
Title: Re: RAF Service Record
Post by: rafcommands on Friday 14 March 14 20:15 GMT (UK)
No.5 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit

The pre war WAAF quarters were limited due to the small number of single WAAFs posted to a station.

Wartime substitution saw an increase of WAAFs beyond the space in the WAAFery.

To provide accommodation surrounding houses and un-used MQ were used to pack several WAAFs into each room.

Hence she was billeted in MQ as a single woman.

Regards
Ross
Title: Re: RAF Service Record
Post by: IanBrooke on Friday 14 March 14 20:54 GMT (UK)
Thank you Ross, that's very interesting.