« on: Sunday 08 January 17 22:48 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,
I recently sent of for my maternal grandfather's WW2 RAF service records & received them 4 weeks later! I have since been trying to decode/translate the records. I have I think been reasonably successful with this, but am not 100% certain. This is where hopefully RootsChat comes in!
Below is what I have worked out so far from both the 10 page document I received with the service records & from googling!
My grandfather was John Phillips (1923-1981), service number 1603323 & the below are his list of postings.
Unit From Unit To Date of Movement
Oxford 5-1-42
Oxford Reserve 6-1-42
Res? 1 ACRC
(Air Crew Reception Centre) 13-7-42
S. Rhodesia 24-8-42
ITW Boulawayo
(Initial Training Wing) 27 EFTS
(Elementary Flying Training School) 1-3-43
21 SFTS
(Service Flying Training School) HE
(Home Embarkation) 17-12-43
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 16 EFTS
(Elementary Flying Training School) 17-3-44
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 14-4-44
3 EFTS?
(Elementary Flying Training School) 21-4-44
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 12-5-44
24 ? 17-5-44
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 14-6-44
Hornchurch (a) ? 19-6-44
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 21-7-44
A 22 EFTS
(Elementary Flying Training School) 8-9-44
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 18-10-44
4 S of TT
(Technical Training Depot) 71 Base 29-12-44
Sturgate (A) ? 29-12-44
71 Base
550 Sqdn
(Squadron) 24-3-45
7 PRC
(Personnel Reception Centre) 12-4-45
2 ACSEA
(Air Command South East Asia) 264 MU?
(Maintenance Unit) 11-2-46
Fighter Sector. H.A West ? ? / PLT?/258 18-2-46
Met.? Sect? 16-8-46
100 PDC
(Personnel Despatch/Dispersal Centre) 26-9-46
The entries in black are what I have transcribed/read the entries as on the original. The entries in blue are what I have hopefully correctly decoded the abbreviations to be. First time I've had a go at this type of thing, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if I've made a mess of it!
Can anyone fill in the blanks (where the question marks are) for me please?
I don't really understand what the records are telling me. My grandfather seems to have spent a lot of time at flying training schools of one type or another. Another thing that I have noticed is that after his return from Southern Rhodesia, he never seems to be anywhere for very long at all, why?
Below should hopefully be snips of the original list of postings.
Many thanks in advance.
Kind regards
David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)