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Messages - rafcommands

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 45
1
World War Two / Re: Help deciphering WW2 RAF Record of Service
« on: Friday 18 July 25 17:39 BST (UK)  »
If you would like to post images of it I suspect you will find that it far from useless.

Only a very few RAF service men served on a Squadron , most were in all the other units/formations that formed the RAF eg MU Maintenance Units.

Ross

2
World War Two / Re: Leslie Winn
« on: Saturday 12 July 25 15:47 BST (UK)  »
If he enrolled as an Other Rank then he will be probably listed in AIR78

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_cr=air78&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv

However there is nothing to differentiate similar names.

Marriage certificates sometimes contain Service Numbers for Husband.

A service number is not needed to apply for a Service Record for a deceased service person.

Ross

3
World War Two / Re: Help deciphering WW2 RAF Record of Service
« on: Saturday 12 July 25 11:50 BST (UK)  »
Nah - the foreman is only around for so long - good co-workers need to gain experience and step up when exercise opportunity allows.

ACAC - aircrew allocation centre.

Ross


4
World War Two / Re: Help deciphering WW2 RAF Record of Service
« on: Saturday 12 July 25 10:43 BST (UK)  »
Sorry Andy - no Lance Corporal rank in the RAF at that time.

Came in for RAF Regiment only in 2010.

The classification LAC is Leading Aircraftman

I think you will find that w/t is actually u/t - he never attended any Technical Training for r/t or w/t trade.

Ross

5
World War Two / Re: Wait for service records
« on: Saturday 07 June 25 19:09 BST (UK)  »
"I've been seeing on Several Forums complaints from Ancestors upon receiving their Ancestors WW2 Records are surprised to find that are not in English but in Military Codes and Abbreviations that they can't Decipher
Good Luck"

I find that a very blinkered view of Service Records.

They were intended for use by clerks and individuals who were trained in a particular admin system.

To expect these to have been recorded 80+ years ago in a format that would be understood by inexperienced recipient regardless of intended purpose is petty and selfish form of complaint.



Ross

6
Armed Forces / Re: RAF Radar Mechanic 1941-5
« on: Saturday 07 June 25 17:58 BST (UK)  »
Molly

RAF Museum has airfield/depot record plans for all RAF Stations - you can view them at the Hendon Reading Room for non active Stations.

Usually there is a general layout with annotated index to both use and drawing number of each building.

For example - Ibsley Aerodrome
https://nfknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/371.jpg

Ross

7
Armed Forces / Re: RAF Radar Mechanic 1941-5
« on: Friday 06 June 25 19:43 BST (UK)  »
If you look at units created at Kidbrooke then lodged in the early years you will find No.2 Installation Unit.

This was the embryo unit that built, calibrated and maintained the Chain Home stations on the surrounding coast.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=2%20installation%20unit&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv

He was not destined to be posted to this unit but it shows RADAR trades located here which also will have included instruction in the early embodiments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kidbrooke

Ross

8
Armed Forces / Re: RAF Radar Mechanic 1941-5
« on: Friday 06 June 25 18:50 BST (UK)  »
In special qualifications you get the date he passed his trade exam 5/12/41.

This was the point he remustered in trade to Radar Mechanic - The cropped parts of the posting record you have uploaded does not include dates so I cannot confirm where his trade training took place but I suspect it was at No.1 BC.

Kidbrook pre-war was an RAF Depot where a multitude of tradesmen passed through in a similar fashion to Uxbridge - 1938 and Munich Crisis saw the RAF expand RAFVR and depots were planned as the embodiment centres for kitting reserves on call up and bringing them up to current advances in trade since they had left RAF.

In London the biggest RAFVR intake was to the Balloon Squadrons and so No.1 Balloon Centre became the largest permanent formation at Kidbrook and this was a handy formation to provide messing, training, admin, pay etc for the early odd bod war intakes.

As war went on the training functions at Kidbrook were used as cadre to spawn off specialised Schools of Technical Training/Recruit Centres for establishment at new locations for the duration.

Ross

9
Armed Forces / Re: RAF Radar Mechanic 1941-5
« on: Friday 06 June 25 17:28 BST (UK)  »
HH is Headquarters Holding eg manpower reserve for the Command located on a Unit but not of unit ownership.

F for a UK unit can also be an indicator that posted to unit but assigned to Field unit either working up or being administered by the UK unit.

In the scale of things it means little - just the admin clerks finding a cubbyhole in existing systems to cater for a rapidly expanding admin world as RAF ramped up to war footing from peace.

Ross

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