Any one Identify these RAF Personell?

[GreenandGolden Bellfrog]

G'Day All,
 I know it's a long shot but can anyone recognise these Raf personell?

The photo was taken in Blackpool 19/06/1942, (shortly after my father married)apart from wings on their shoulders there are no other badges, they could be still in training?

Far left is my Father, F/O Eric Ledwidge, I am still waiting on his record, so I dont know what Squadron he was in. I believe he went to Ceylon!

Heres hoping,
Graham

[DeeBoneham]

Hi Graham

Cant help you with the faces but ref the photograph yes he would have been in some sort of basic training to be in Blackpool.  They seemed to do a lot of training in the coastal places maybe because they had a lot of accomodation.  I remember reading in someones book about technicians being trained in Blackpool to do with radios or radar will have to go raid my box of books to find out!

Might be worth registering with rafcommands.com and putting a copy on there as well though one or two of their experts check this site out too.

Let us know what happens with this. 
Dee

[Flakdodger]

Hello Graham,
these chaps look like recruits. No trade badges to be seen. When you get your Father's record the date that you have will fit into the list of postings. You will probably find it as 9RC (Recruitment Centre). When you get his record you are welcome to PM me for assistance with abbreviations.
Blackpool was an RAF town during the war, a transit and training area. My Dad had two stints there, both in transit.
Cheers
Dave

[WelwynGC1]

Good morning, looking at my Uncles service records for around the same time it says he was at RDU Blackpool and had two stints there early in his training.Looks like the first place he went approx six months after joining up.

Radio Direction Unit??

I would like to know more about the place.

[GreenandGolden Bellfrog]

GDay All,
Thanks for your replys Dee and Dave, I have signed up for rafcommands just waiting for confirmation, before posting.

I recieved some information from my sister in England: He was RAFVR, ID.1537721 no 139115 Rank F/O enlisted 26/11/1941 at Padgate Selection Board.

Still no sign of the records, have to give my sis the hurry up. she was supposed to order them!

Regards,
Graham

[kyt]

139115  E. W. LEDWIDGE was in the Adminstative and Special Duties Branch rather than the General Duties Branch. It was in the latter branch that aircrew were listed. The A&SD branch covered a lot of the specialist, groundcrew roles.

K

[DeeBoneham]

Good morning, looking at my Uncles service records for around the same time it says he was at RDU Blackpool and had two stints there early in his training.Looks like the first place he went approx six months after joining up.

Radio Direction Unit??

I would like to know more about the place.

Yes I would think Radio Direction Unit too
Dee

[Flakdodger]

I think RDU is Recruit Disposal Unit.
Radio Direction Unit (which I have never encountered - but hey, what do I know) sounds a bit too specialist an outfit to be part of initial training.
Certainly a lot of signals training at Blackpool but this was the initial listening to Morse Code before the Airman passed on to E & WS (Electrical & Wireless School) (later known as SS - Signals School).
Dave

[WelwynGC1]

Hi Dave, l am sure l got Radio Direction Unit from somewhere after l got the service records and was doing the usual digging.
For me it fits because a great many Gunners trained as wireless ops too and it made sense to me.

No slight on what you say though, sure someone will put us right.