RAF service record help please

[ardchronie]

Hello.  I have just received my grandfather's RAF service record and am trying to decipher it for my Dad.  I am particularly trying to work out events in 1940, when the family story goes that Grandad was in Norway and due to having to stay behind to make sure any records were destroyed before the evacuation, missed getting on HMS Glorious (and hence why we are probably all here today!). 

My problem is that there is no mention of Norway on his service record, although the dates for two movements do tie in with the beginning and end of the Norway episode.  He was apparently at Stn N Weald from March 1938, then moves to HQ 4 Base Area on 21 April 1940, and then to UK on 10th June 1940.  Does anyone know where or what HQ 4 Base Area might be?

Also, Grandad, despite a long RAF career starting in the RFC, never flew.  At this time it looks like his rank was Flight Sergeant working in the Accounts section.  I am a complete beginner where the armed forces are concerned, so wondered how things worked with clerical support staff - for instance, would he have been assigned to a squadron as "their" accounts clerk and been posted with them, or would he have been sent where he was needed and thus been in any number of different squadrons?

I'm sorry if these questions are a bit daft - I'm learning more every day, but still very much a novice where forces records and workings are concerned.

Thanks very much

[barryd]

Presuming he (and wife) are now dead, it would help if you gave us the name of your Grandfather and someone may be able to find more details of his life. Where was he born and when, and did he marry and his wife's name and finally his death!

[lowanslow]

No. 46 Squadron was formed at Wyton in 1916, disbanded in 1919 and reformed at Kenley in 1936.

For the early months of World War Two, No. 46 Squadron defensive patrols with Hawker Hurricanes were flown to cover convoys off the east coast. In May 1940 the squadron formed part of the Expeditionary Force in northern Norway, augmenting the handful of Gladiators operating from improvised airfields. The Hurricanes were embarked on HMS Glorious and assembled at Bardufoss. After providing fighter cover for the Narvik area, the situation in France resulted in the evacuation of all forces from Norway and on 7 June, the squadron flew its Hurricanes on to the deck of the Glorious, despite their lack of arrester hooks. Ground crews embarked in other ships ( HMS Vindictive, SS Monarch of Bermuda) and re-assembled at Digby but HMS Glorious and her destroyer escort encountered German battlecruisers en route and were sunk.

By the end of June 1940, No. 46 was operational again and early in September moved south to relieve a squadron depleted by continuous action during the first stages of the Battle of Britain. No. 46 remained here until the end of February 1941 when it was moved to Yorkshire for day and night defensive patrols. In May the Squadron embarked to the Middle East and acted as a maintenance unit as its pilots were flying from Malta. On 8 May 1942 the Squadron moved to Idku where it began reforming as a night fighter unit with Beaufighters patrolling over Egypt and coastal shipping both by day and night. In July 1944 some Mosquitoes were received but in December the Squadron returned to the UK, being reformed at Stoney Cross on 9 January 1945 as a transport unit with Stirlings.
Airfields No. 46 Squadron flew from.

 Hope this helps, pinched it from the wartime memory project, so it is thanks to them for this information. I would just put 46 sqd in the search engine and the info will pour out. Yours lowanslow. Happy Hunting.

[ardchronie]

Thanks very much for your replies. 

The information about 46 Squadron looks very interesting and I will certainly have a Google, although just on a quick look I'm not sure that the subsequent locations match up with the service record.  This was partly why I was wondering if he would stick with the same squadron or go where he was needed in his role as Accounts Clerk.

He was William Frederick Hazle when he served in the RAF, born in 1901.  The rest of Grandad's life details I'm pretty well up on, thanks to my Dad - it's just this mysterious reference to HQ 4 Base Area in 1940 that is intriguing me, as I wondered if that might finally confirm the story that he was in Norway.

Thanks very much you for your help and pointers - I can see many interesting hours ahead! 

[apwright]

Operations Record Books of RAF Bases
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-1893413&CATLN=7&accessmethod=5
"4 Base Area, formed at Uxbridge (UK) then moved to Harstad (Norway) in May 1940; unit reformed at Marseille (France) in October 1944"

Adrian

[ardchronie]

Oh that is interesting - thank you very much, Adrian.

I never thought about the National Archive - a trip to Kew coming on, I think.

Thanks very much for the info

[DeeBoneham]

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