RAF records

[WelwynGC1]

Hello again Roobarb....

AC     Aircraftsman?

W/O   Wireless Operator  or maybe Warrant Officer.



When you say mechanical, maybe he was ground crew. They were usually referred to as Erks.....but were much appreciated by the aircrews for their vital role.

[Roobarb]

Ah, thanks Welwyn,  I think he may well have been ground crew. Erks eh?   

My brother night know a bit more about it, I'll have to see if I can find out.
Thanks for the info, all very interesting.

[DeeBoneham]

Sorry Roobarb.  Glad Welwyn stepped into the breech hes very good at that.  Have been performing MacBeth and am only now catching up on myself...

I meant Warrant Officer in my posting.

There are some books about life in groundcrew including:
Hornchurch Offensive: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, Its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff: Volume Two: 1941 to the Airfield's Final Closure
by Richard C Smith, Michael Donnet, Lieutenant (Foreword by), Peter Brown (Introduction by)

Aces, 'erks and Backroom Boys: Personal Stories from Britain's Air War 1939-45 by Edward Smithies

Erks Eye View: Memories of R.A.F. National Service
(ISBN: 1858580544 / 1-85858-054-4 ) by Russell, Eric W.
Dee

[bill247]

hi roobarb, like the guys say , dont be put off by the fee. i did it and found that my late dad was all over scotland and in malta and egypt on radar. some parts i knew other's i had no idea about.you soon find that you want to find out more. good luck.

[Roobarb]

Thanks everyone, very helpful stuff. 

[greensteam]

I would agree with the others about how useful the service sheets are. Some of what very very little my father did tell me was wrong anyhow!
Bill - my dad was in radar in the south of england and then Egypt, Libya, Jordan and Palestine, which I am still trying to unpick as the service record is sadly basic and I dont understand a lot of the acronyms.
Fortunately my mother kept his letters which are proving essential in putting any kind of location to the unit names.
If anyone can help with clarifying the following list of units from his service sheet, it would be most helpful.

1 ACRC
11 ITW
SHQ Susp section
216 MU
9 RS
BPSO HS
73 wing
Renscombe Down  GH Gers
RAF Thame MUE
RPDC
M East
21 PTC
219 group
AHQ(u) malta
ME
101 PDC Class b release

[WelwynGC1]

Hi Greensteam,
First two might be Aircrew Recruitment Centre and Initial Training Wing.

Sure you will have most of the abbreviations fairly swiftly, some great knowledge on here.

Theres your cue Dee!!!

[ScouseBoy]

MU stands for Maintenance Unit

[bill247]

hi greenstream, some info for you 1 acrc is air crew recruitment centre, 11 itw is initial trainng wing, 216 mu is maintenance unit, 6 rs is radio school , me is middle east 21 ptc is personnel transit centre 101 pdc is personnel despatch centre ( when you leave the service ) i think this is at kirkham near blackpool ?. ahq ( u ) is at valletta , malta,  73 wing from 17/ 2 / 41 was at barkston ash near chuch fenton on the east coast uk and was responsible for the ground radar units from the tees to the wash.
hope this info is of some use.
regards.
          bill.