RAF records, gaps in service locations

[lyndhurstlad]

I’ve just received the records of my parents from their service , and can see the challenges in interpretation first hand.  I will use the provided resources as well as anything else available to make the best of it.

But my reason for posting here is particularly related to my father’s records.  I can see in the records that he was in Aden pre-war, and in Austria at the end of the war.  But I know he was extensively in  Abyssinia, some brief time in South Africa, Goa and several other locations, but there’s no indication of any of those phases of his service in what I’ve received.

I had hoped to create a document creating a chronology of his service, but it appears that what I’ve received isn’t going to be of much use.

If anyone with more understanding can say, “that’s all you’re going to get”, then I will have to accept that and realize my quest is fruitless.  I had thought to follow up with some dialogue with the appropriate departments, but if I’m wasting my time I need to know.

Sad in Canada, Neil Kilmartin

[MaxD]

Are his units and date brackets discernible?

MaxD

[rafcommands]

RAF as a service was formation centric.

His service record can be considered an index wrapper sheet to further documents in the RAF Central Registry and was never intended to be a standalone chapter and verse individual history for future family historians.

So the wrapper gives the formations he was posted or attached to and the date he was effective on a formation establishment.

No gaps in the service record.

The Air Ministry generally knew where each formation was in the world from their other records and did not need to duplicate this on individual service records.

You are expecting the record to contain detail it was never supposed to contain. The detail of were a formation was on any given day and what it was doing is on another record - typically the Operations Record Book (ORB) and specifically Form 540 and Form 541 if rendered to Central Registry at the time. These survive in the National Archives in the AIR series.

So you have the prime document - now you need to read the supporting files to get the full picture.

Ross

[lyndhurstlad]

In response to "MaxD", I'm just getting my head around interpreting this kind of document, bear with me.  I've attached a screen capture of the most critical part of my Dad's records I obtained.  Perhaps you can comment.  (I hope I have attached the image properly!  Old man, not too tech savvy!)  I can see that Dad spent a fair bit of time in and out of the hospital in Aden!  Probably accounts for some of the stories he told me regarding dysentry! 

As far as the comment by "rafcommands", I did a preliminary looksee at the records available on the National Archives, noting that it will likely take some experience to figure out how to find anything relevant on there.  For instance, I can see my Dad was in the 8th Squadron, but when I put that in, there's lots come up, but it's not the 8th Squadron.  I guess I'll have to keep visiting that site, trying various things to find what I need.  I will be creating a timeline, trying to fill in details, whether they're specific to my Dad or to the Squadron, that remains to be seen.  And I can readily see whether he changed Squadrons during the course of the war.  No others are evident to me, but as a novice, I might be missing things.

Neil in Canada

p.s.  I have tried attaching an image of the relevant part of the document, with no success. It keeps telling me my message is too big.  I've done all within my limited abilities so far.  I'm open to any tech advice as far as doing this task. 

[MaxD]

A couple of general thoughts.

Have a look at this Rootschat thread:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=825235.0

This shows something similar to what you are looking at, a list, with dates, of the units your father was either attached to or posted to where if each set of unit titles can be "translated" can then perhaps lead to some sort of unit record.

The search term at the National Archives for 8 Squadron is 8 not 8th and the Operations Record Books being what rafcommands was referring to, try seeing what you get when you use the search as here:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanced-search?_q=8%20squadron%20operations%20record%20book&_p=1925&_srt=3. 

Limit the date bracket accordingly when the results come up.

There is a tutorial here on images:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,130922.0.html

I've sent a personal message.

Don't despair!

MaxD