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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: JulietDelta on Tuesday 25 June 24 12:27 BST (UK)

Title: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: JulietDelta on Tuesday 25 June 24 12:27 BST (UK)
I have been looking at my Father's RAF Service Record from WW2 that I received recently.  I am having trouble interpreting his movements through the war.  There are several redactions in the record, I have an inkling that they are around D-Day.
Is anyone able to shed any light on the movements and acronyms and codes on the record?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: mmm45 on Wednesday 26 June 24 22:22 BST (UK)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._85_Group_RAF

TAF is Tactical Air Force some of the units in the Wiki above

PHU could be Prisoner Handling Unit

Ady
Title: Re: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: Andy J2022 on Wednesday 26 June 24 22:45 BST (UK)
Hi JulietDelta and welcome to the forum.


MMM45 has explained the main ones I suspect you might have had trouble with. RC stands for Recruit Course, and AEAF stands for Allied Expeditionary Air Force (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Expeditionary_Air_Force). All the other seem to relate to his employment in the RAF Police. Provost is just another term for service police. The event dated 22/7/44 is his disembarkation, ie return from continental Europe  - see posting below from rafcommands. Please let us know if there are any other abbreviations you don't understand.

I suspect the reasons for the redactions is that they refer to medical events. The entry towards the bottom dealing with his discharge includes a reference to KRs which are Kings Regulations. The only reason why part of the KRs, which were the authority for his discharge, would be obscured is because it referred to his medical condition.

Since you are a close blood relative you can ask for an unexpurgated copy of his record if you wish.
Title: Re: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: rafcommands on Thursday 27 June 24 07:03 BST (UK)
1 PHU - No.1 Personnel Holding Unit, RAF Innsworth for demob.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101363

Rather than return from continent - 22/7/44 was when he landed in France and was assigned to No.85 Group which was construction and defence of beach head forward aerodromes initially.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._85_Group_RAF

Ross


Title: Re: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: rafcommands on Thursday 27 June 24 09:16 BST (UK)
Clause 652 4(b) in KR&ACI is Invalided, Physically unfit for air force service.

This gave all the normal service demob benefits eg leave, gratuity, retention of personal clothing and plain clothes allowance and usually had the note "although fit for employment in civil life"

Ross
Title: Re: Interpreting WW2 RAF Service Record
Post by: JulietDelta on Saturday 29 June 24 12:50 BST (UK)
Thanks everyone.  Things are getting clearer.