RAF 1945 Pomigliano and service record

[candleflame]

Hi
My father was in the RAF as a wireless mechanic serving with 576 squadron (at least for some of the time) and he worked on Lancs. We have his service record. He was sent to Pomigliano Italy in November 1945 and doesn't return till  April 1946. I have had a look on the web and I gather Operation Dodge took place after the war. Was it still going on in November through to 1946 or would he have been there doing something else?
The references on his service record at that time say Med Comm reason 93X and 1 LSU, 1 BTU ( which I gether means bomber training unit) then somthing that looks like 104 LRORU when he gets back to England.
Thanks

[Keitht]

Operation Dodge was the means of using a huge fleet of Lancaster Bombers and the attendant aircrews who were now "out of a job" in order to transport soldiers of the 8th Army back home from holding units in Italy - especially those who had been away from home for 4-5 years.

The pick-up points in Italy were Bari on the South east coast towards the bottom of the country and Pomigliano, near Naples and close to Vesuvius.

It seems that all of the 8th Army troops had been returned to the UK by the end of September 1945, which suggests that your father's unit was engaged in other duties between then and April 1946. The records section at RAF Museum, Hendon should be able to provide details.

Refards,

Keith

[ScouseBoy]

Before VJ day   and after  VE  day  it could have been possible  to re-deploy British soldiers from the Middle East  and Italy  to the Pacific theatre.           

[peterfc1]

I realise your initial enquiry was 11 years ago, candleflame, but I have only just come across your query whilst researching my partner Sue's father's wartime experiences. He was George R Miller and was in the RAF in the war and his records show exactly the same details as your father's in 1945 -  Med Comm reason 93X wef 27.11.45 then 1 LSU then 1 BTU from 15/2/46 then back home in April 1946.  until . We know he was based near Naples (as he had a Italian sweetheart - this is prior to meeting Sue's mum!) so assume it must be Pomigliano. Did you manage to find anything further about what your father's RAF duties were there?
Interestingly I also notice you're North East based as George (and Sue) grew up in Sunderland.
Best wishes
Peter

[candleflame]

Hi Peter
Thanks for the reply. The good thing about genealogy is a gap of 11 years doesn’t matter lol.
I’m currently writing up dad’s war experiences and haven’t got up to 45/46 yet. I am fortunate to have the letters between him and my mum from 1943 to 1946 so I’ve finally decided to read them.
I’ll make further contact with you when I get up to that time period ( I’m currently reading late 1944) but when he was at Naples he had his picture taken with Gracie Fields at her house during this time and we have other photos from this time too.
Best wishes
CF

[peterfc1]

Hi CF,

Thanks for getting back to me. Good luck with the write-up and look forward to hearing from you once the war is over, so to speak!

You're very fortunate in having those letters - my mother discovered letters from her father to her mother when he was in France in the First World War but burnt them as she said they were only meant for her mother. As I only just recall her father, my grandpa, who died when I was 4 and only recall her mother, my Grandma, as a rather difficult old lady, it would have meant so much to see them as real young people through those letters. Ah well!

Best wishes

Peter

[candleflame]

If you post another post somewhere on rootschat , either on this thread or another main one then we will be able to send messages to other people including you to me and me to you. There may be things we might want to share but don’t want them in the public domain.
I can identify with the letters are only for the recipient, which is why I’ve not read them till now.
I’m up to April 1945 and there is a comment about the Bridge at Remegan , which of course I recall from the film but it was interesting to hear my father comment on it ( he’d seen it in a newspaper).
CF

[ExpatPom]

Thanks for the emails stretching back years. I am also rewriting up my dad's war experiences and he was posted from Upwood Suffolk to Bari and Pomigliano, Italy with 2 LSU. I remember him telling me it was the most perfect location he has ever been to and he had a ball. He can't have been there long as later in the year he was at Hullavington with 3FrS.  Very hard finding out what these abbreviations mean!