Quick RAF Squadron Question

[Flakdodger]

Yes, the service number is in a batch issued March 1938
Dave

[adicol]

Hi Flakdodger,

I must say this has really thrown me.
Talking to my hubbys Nan we were given the impression that John signed up after war broke out.
I assumed he was over 18 when he did sign up because his parents were furious with him and said he couldn't enlist without there signature. He argued saying he was old enough and he did so without a signature required.
March 1938 would have made John 17, he was born Jul-Sep 1920.

John worked on the railways as an apprentice and his father was clerk at the same railway.
Can I ask how early the talk of war began; because I am confused as to why he would have joined up prior when he held good employment.

Thank you so much for being able to give me the enlistment time period.

Kind Regards

Colleen

[Flakdodger]

Colleen,
I have looked again at the service number list, And I had better apologise for such a brief answer! In more detail, the service number is one of 44,720 in the 610000-654720 batch that began in March 1938 and could well have stretched into the outbreak of war.
I am more familiar with the 900000 series that commenced in September 1939.
Talk of war could be said to have spread into the public consciousness after the Munich Crisis of September 1938, when the fate of Czechoslovakia was sealed, and Chamberlain waved his paper for the newsreels and declared that it was 'peace for our time'.
When Germany commenced to dismember Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the feeling that war was inevitable seems to have taken hold.
Dave

[adicol]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the clarification on the dates.

I am sorry to be such a pest, but John was born in Fazakerley which I believe had an RAF Base...what would the chances of him being stationed there been.

This may sound a really dim question but did locality figure or would he have had to train elsewhere etc.

Kind Regards

[DeeBoneham]

No worries about slow reply I sometimes dont get on the net for days on end... Life happens doesnt it. 

Ref RAF Fazakerley try the following for a starter:
http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-F.htm
www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/14/a2496314.shtml

Dee

[Flakdodger]

Hello Colleen,
absolutely no link between the geography of where one lived and a nearby RAF establishment (training or otherwise).
John would have entered into a massive organisation, somewhere in the UK.
You will really not know until or unless you have his service record, sorry.
Dave

[WelwynGC1]

Flakdodger is spot on Coleen, go for it with the service record. I only knew the end of the story with my Uncle, that being his operational details....once l obtained his service records l knew the details from when he joined up and all his training details. Takes awhile to decipher some of the codes, but there are plenty of kind folk on here who will help so as l said......Go For It!!....and do let us know how you get on.
Costs £30 and you need next of kin authority but its well worth it.

Steve.

[DeeBoneham]

The RAF still has the habit of sending you exactly where you dont want to go!  You ask for Wittering they will send you to Leuchars...  Hope your rellies records will help you.  The lads and lassies at Cranwell records are really helpful and will get them to you asap.  They have to wait till they come back from where they are stored and sometimes this can be why there is a delay.
Dee

[adicol]

Hi All,

We have looked into sending for his records, but hubbys Nan is Next of Kin. This wouldn't be a problem but she is blind and also partially deaf so can not sign the Kinship forms etc.

Can her son my hubbies father do the Kinship form?

Kind Regards

Colleen