Help interpreting RAF WW2 Service Records

[hintonsearcher]

Hi-
I am looking for help interpreting my late Grandfather's WW2 service records.
I am being hindered by RAF jargon and low-quality record reproduction! I have the standard list of abbreviations, but many of the ones I have are not listed.
Also, does anyone know how to interpret the numbers (eg 67/46 and 160/44)? The second number in the year,- is the first number a squadron number!?
As I think some of my problems are rooted in the difficulty of reading the handwriting, I shall attach a copy of the original, plus a copy of it with some of my interpretations.
Any help would be very gratefully received!

[nanny jan]

Welcome to Rootschat. 

This might help:

https://ww2memories.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/common-abbreviations-on-ww2-raf-records-as/

[hintonsearcher]

Thanks- I will take a look!
I have already interpreted much of it (see attachment) but am still struggling with the rest!

[rafcommands]

Authority is usually either an Air Ministry Form (denoted by F eg F96) or a signal reference xx/yy where xx is the xxth sequential entry in an undefined signal log started in the year 19yy.

Remember you are looking at what was essentially the quick reference index sheet to a pile of other documents either enclosed in the service file or in the vast General Registry of RAF Records Section of Ruislip/Wantage or Gloucester.

The other documents have long been dispersed or destroyed as unwanted paper records leaving only the index sheet which served to answer expected questions on service for medal or pension purposes.

The Public Record Act in operation when the Service Record was created only required most if the enclosures to be maintained for 15 years after the airman became non-effective. Only the Ledger Sheet (enclosure log) was to be permanently preserved.

Ross

[hintonsearcher]

Thanks Ross- yes, I realise it's never going to reveal much detail, but I had hoped to be able to work out the time line of when he went where and ideally his Squadron number.
So many parts of it are cryptic or illegible!
So frustrating!

[hintonsearcher]

"Authority is usually either an Air Ministry Form (denoted by F eg F96) or a signal reference xx/yy where xx is the xxth sequential entry in an undefined signal log started in the year 19yy."

I guess the numbers are going to remain a mystery for ever, then!

[rafcommands]

You have 99% of it or so in your hand written notes.

What was his mustering during the record ? - it looks like ground staff from the postings.

RAF was different to other services in that posting was to usually to establishment (trade skill requirement of formation) rather than to Squadron.

Every Formation had an establishment that set out what it needed for the role it was assigned. This ranged from the number of aircraft/vehicles it was permitted to hold down to the size of rug and type of waste bin that each office was fitted out with.

For personnel it was listed as Job Title/Permitted Rank/Number off/Required Trade or Branch for every position from Officer Commanding to lowest ACH.

If the Formation changed Theatre or Role then a new establishment was authorised and they gained/lost manpower and equipment as required. 

To prevent duplication higher Formations such as Command, Group, Wing and Station contained trades that were considered central use for any attached Squadrons/Flights eg Admin, servicing beyond 1st line turnround, Catering, Welfare etc.

So if his trade was technical his service record could have no squadron postings as your one.

To further confuse - a person could be posted to a Formation not to fill an establishment post but as part of the immediate reserve of manpower that the Command retained in Theatre. To all intents and purposes they did the same work and training as establishment posted men but Command could repost them at will.

Does that help?

Ross

[rafcommands]

Looking at his early RAF my observations are:

On entry to the RAF via Recruit Centre his first posting to Brize was before any trade training so it was a "placeholder" until space opened up at his muster trade training achool. At Brize he would have been used as an untrained man eg sweeping, message runner, fire watcher,  guard etc.

when the course at Manston School of Technical Training (men) - not School of Air Nav, commenced he would have been trained as either a Rigger or Engine Mechanic (his Trade section will reflect in change from ACH/GD to actual trade at the end of the course).

From Manston he was posted to Establishment as trade looking after the day to day maintenance of aircraft of the Flying Training School.   

Now while he was doing this the defence of Singapore had been examined and plans put into place to provide defence in depth. It was recognised that the island was vulnerable to attack overland. To counter this it was planned that the Army would move into the Malay peninsula to deny and be ready to move into Siam if required.

The small army force would be force multiplied (modern term) by extensive air support from RAF units which would be deployed to the Far East in advance of any hostility. This would allow ground to be held until support from Egypt, India and UK reached the ports.

Singapore was limited in the number of aerodromes and hence the number of aircraft that could be based there so the Malay air support would be carried out from a large number of new aerodromes that would be constructed in Malay.

During late 1940/early1941 the aerodromes were finished and set up with fuel, stores and munitions ready for the arriving aircraft. 

Events in Europe now conspired to create the ground work for the fall of Singapore.

The invasion of the low countries reduced the impact the Dutch would have on any Japanese expedition and the Fall of France contributed to Japan being able to use French IndoChina (Vietnam) as a forward supply and massing point.

The proposed aircraft to be based on the new aerodromes were diverted to home use to defend Britain against invasion.

Also the move of Italy towards Egypt and Ethipoia had to be countered to maintain the Suez supply line so supplies and equipment were diverted to Egypt rather than reaching the Far East. Some RAF units were withdrawn from Singapore and India and diverted to Middle East.

Eventually in mid 1941/autumn 1941 the manpower to service the proposed aircraft to defend Singapore/Malay was embarked. This corresponds to his Far East posting date.

The Hurricanes that were to be based in Malay were being flown and loaded onto shipping at Liverpool on 7th Dec 1941 when the Japanese invaded Siam and the Malay peninsula.

The army was wrong footed and without the air cover was inadequate for the task. The Japanese advance was further aided by fuel and munition supplies captured at the newly constructed aerodromes which the army and RAF ground forces were struggling to destroy and deny.

With nothing to service the new RAF ground trades were a burden on ration and were withdrawn to Oz and India as soon as possible.

So thats the background and you can see where his postings fit into the general way of things without specific assignment to squadrons that did not exist in the theatre.

Ross

[hintonsearcher]

Wow!
Thanks so much for that! I must admit I was a bit lost when you mentioned Formations/Establishments/Theatres etc, but now it's starting to make sense, along with the fact that he doesn't seem to have a Squadron number!
He was a metal worker by trade.
His trade is listed variously as ACH/MW, M/WKR CSM/WKR, CS4SM (?!)
His rank runs from AC2 in 1939 to LAC, T/lul(?), and CPL by 1947.

I know he repaired planes, never flew.
He told a tale of being posted in Malaya and being given the task of moving large quantities of 'stuff' down from a mountain, which the Japanese had put there. Later in life he met a man who job it has been to move the same 'stuff' up the said mountain in the first place!
At some point his wife received a letter from the army saying he was M.I.A., but later he turned up in England, having been in Australia! I guess this was some time around 1942, judging by his records.