RAF Squadron Location

[Simon Mead]

Hi All, I've had no luck in finding where Balloon Barrage Squadron 985 was located during WW2. I think it was in or near Jarrow but no reference to it that I've managed to find shows a location. Does anybody know where I could look?

[Craclyn]

The barrage balloons were often run by women, so maybe try searching for WAAF records.

[IMBER]

Balloon Command official records are held at the National Archives, Kew:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2068

There’s a general introduction here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Balloon_Command.

The RAF Museum should be able to point you in the right direction. They are usually very helpful:

askcollections@rafmuseum.org

Imber

[IMBER]

More details here:

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

Imber

[IMBER]

Looks like 985 may have been based at Brindisi, Italy, at some point:

http://www.bbrclub.org/BATTLE%20ORDERS-BALLOON%20BARRAGES%20AND%20SQUADRONS.htm

Great website here with contact details:
http://www.bbrclub.org/Site%20Directory.htm

Imber

[Simon Mead]

Thanks all. I finally found out what I wanted to know from Peter Garwood at the Balloon Barrage Reunion Club - who knew there was such a club?
However the plot now thickens and whilst studying the service record of the person in question this time I noticed an annotation that said FGCM - which turns out to be Field General Court Martial.
Of course I'd like to know more about the reason for said court martial and it does seem that it's theoretically possible to find such records at the National Archives, Kew.
However both my past and current visits to this site have failed to find anything at all. I have to say that I find the site quite intimidating
Has anyone had experience of navigating those records and would they be prepared to give me some tips/help?