Help interpreting RAF WW2 Service Records

[hintonsearcher]

I don't suppose you know what the missing abbreviations are do you?

5 E.D. (13/3/42)
ANKA GARAGE (renamed?) S.E. Asia!?!?
R.F.E.R. (2/9/45)

Thanks again!

[rafcommands]

Equipment Depot (possibly a corruption of Equipment and Supplies Depot - ESD) - remember this is the time where adhoc temporary units are being thrown up and disbanded in reactive knee jerks to suit the fluid situation so it may not be a clerical error but a short lived actual unit.

Anka Garage as above but as the situation solidifies reporting order is restored by the creation of South East Asia Air Command to control all RAF units in India, Burma and Ceylon - later to become ACSEA. Basically a paper transfer - everyone stayed in the same place and job - just changed the letter head on correspondence.

Not sure about RFER but in Sept 45 same knee jerks and short lived units as per Japanese Invasion but even more so on the surprise surrender after the A-Bombs.

Mountbatten was so short of manpower to police all the previously occupied territory he even used Japanese troops to prevent local factions filling the power vacuum.

T/lul(?) is T/Cpl or Temporary Corporal eg got the rank and responsibility but not confirmed as promoted (pay thing as a Temp may be with our without pay)

ACH/MW is Air Charge Hand/MW ie lowest of the low pending training as Metal Worker
M/WKR now trade trained as Metal Worker
CSM/WKR, CS4SM (?!) as war progesses new trades are created and older trades amalgamated to suit new aircraft construction materials so he is now "Coppersmith and Metal Worker or on the record CSM/WKR" and later Coppersmith and SheetMetal Worker.

See its all written down - just needs no preconception of what we think it should mean today - just need to interpret with our 1939 to 1945 clerical heads on to prevent going down dead ends.

Seemples.

Ross

[rafcommands]

Just had another look at your R.F.E.R. (2/9/45) in the general posting flow.

since it's back in Blighty I think this is AAEE which is Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment

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

Ross

[hintonsearcher]

Thanks again Ross, for all your help!
I have forwarded your replies on to my father- he will be most grateful too!
It's a fascinating subject, once you get started

[bill247]

Hi , It's Bill 247 here and I am wondering if someone could assist me . I have my Late Fathers RAF service record and I need a helping hand . My Fathers name was William Crawford and No 1007047.
RAF Padgate enlisted here  ,   Was recommended for GD then sent to RAF Drem for training as Radio Operator.
RAF Drem till 27/08/1940 moved to 13 MU RAF Henlow till 9/9/40 then moved to Malta arriving 10/11/40
RAF No 504 COL AMES Dingli Cliff till 21/4/43. Moved to Ames reserve pool RAF Helwan Cairo then to No 3 Signals Unit also at RAF Helwan till 1/9/43 then home embarkation on 1/2/44
After H. E.  22/2/44 moved to No 72 wing Dollarbeg house HQ of Scottish Radar till 8/5/44.
Moved to Bunchrew house Inverness HQ of  Radars covering Scotland & N. Ireland till 13/6/44.
Attached to No 2 recruits centre. Cardington took General Service Training exam here till 13/7/44
Returns to 70 wing HQ at Bunchrew house Inverness till 3/ 10/44
Attached to RAF Warden Signals Station Pembroke till 18/10/44
Back to 70 wing Bunchrew house Inverness till 10/10/45
Moved to 101 personnel dispersal Centre Kirkham Lancashire.

Mustering on his Service form are
ACH/ GD 22/6/40
ACH / Radio Op 5.  31/7/40
Radio op 4 .    15/8/40
RDF OP .  21/5/42.
Radar Op 2. 2/9/43
Rad/ op  (pp1 ). 6/9/52.  Dad was recalled from 6/9/52 till 20/9/52 and was stationed at Radar unit at West Beckham in G reserve. The form No 3576.

His trade column reads.
31/12/40 ACH/opt
31/12/41 R opt
31/13/42 RDF / opt 2
31/12/43 R opt
31/12/44 Rad / Op.

I would like if someone could explain as to how my Father may have been  trained as I believe that there was no training facility at RAF Drem which is where I believed that he was trained to be an RDF Operator on Radar. Also I am not sure but is it possible that he was trained on site at the Radar unit in Malta.

Thank you for taking the time to try and work this all out as a lot of it is still a mystery which I don't think I will ever solve especially the area of Dollarbeg , Bunchrew house as they were HQs for Radar for Scotland / N England and N , Ireland  and there was no Radar units at these locations and I can only think that my Father did some kind of clerical Duties.
I have no idea what he done at the Signals depot at RAF Helwan either.
The only part I have had success is I know where the Radar stood at Dingli Cliff Malta
  Thank you again.
    Bill 247

[rafcommands]

In the early part of 1940 the RAF training mechanism was struggling to keep up with the demands of training newly inducted aviation candidates and taking over the role of OTU from the operational squadrons.

The main effort was to fix this training bottleneck and produce aircrew rather than ground trades and so a large part of trade training in Spring/Summer 1940 was undertaken "on the job".

This is evidenced in his mustering going from AirChargeHand u/t Radio Operator Trade Group 5 to trained Radio Operator Trade Group 4 within 16 days or so.

RDF crews were accomodated at a local RAF base and in this case Drem was the unit for the Chain Home Low Cockburnspath station that became operation on 26th Jan 1940.

This was used with Anstruther to cover the approaches to the Firth of Forth anchorages and Rosyth RN base.

The original name of RDF - Radio Direction Finding points to the genesis of modern Radar and that for the RAF it was a development/application of radio theory and equipment and as such needed this trade to maintain/adjust not only the main transmitters/receivers but also the associated test and calibration equipment.

The Wings supplied not only clerical function but also did bench servicing and calibration of equipment and it would be more usual for trained Operators to be used for bench work rather than purely clerical but by 1944 the service was stuffed with manpower that needed to be kept occupied so I would not fully discount it.

Ross   

[bill247]

Hi Ross, Thank you so much for your assistance in interpreting some of my Fathers R.O.S.
I had not came to the conclusion of my Father doing bench work possibly at No 3 Signals unit at  Helwan after spending almost 3 yrs Radar op in Malta. The other part that baffled me was his movement after returning from Malta & Helwan. Dollarbeg house was the HQ of the Radars initially then it was all moved to Bunchrew House in Inverness and my Father was there on 3 occasions ranging from a few weeks to his last posting there to almost a year. I had a researcher Mr Thomaselli at Kew check it out , however unless you were above the higher ranks you got no mention and he believed that my Father possibly did a clerical job as this was a Radar HQ for Scotland & N.Ireland.
I was also baffled by them sending him to RAFWarren Signal unit for a few weeks , I can only think that he was there either for a course or as relief operator. Anyhow Ross , I can only say a Huge thanks for your time and effort to try and get my Fathers Record of Service sorted out for me.
Before I finish , don't know if it means anything but in the column marked reason  a HH was marked beside RAF Drem.
I am very grateful for your assistance.
     Regards.
       Bill 247

[rafcommands]

HH is Headquarters Holding.

A bod could be posted under a variety of conditions

P is posted but in most cases the clerical scribe omits this from the records - it means that the man has been posted to the unit to fill an establishment position. Within reason the unit will use him as it sees fit within his trade. They are also responsible for pay. messing, training, equipment, clothing etc.

A is attached. Here the bod has been assigned for a short time to the receiving unit and they are responsible pay, messing and training but he is not counted as part of their establishment. He can be paid from the new location but it must claim the money paid out back from the original unit.

HH is Headquarters Holding. In this case the bod has not been posted to the unit to fill an establishment post. He is there as part of the Command/Force manpower reserve and can be withdrawn and posted elsewhere as HQ sees fit. The Unit listed is obliged to provide training, pay, messing etc while they have him and to keep him gainfully employed. (not to be confused with H which is Home Force or HH/H which is usually first holding job on entry)

As Eccles from the Goon show says "everybody got to be somewhere!"

This should help you understand attachments in that he never really left the supervision of the original unit.

Ross

[bill247]

Ross,
Thanks again for your time .
Very informative and a great help.
Much appreciated.
   Bill.