Records of RAF Aircrew training in the US

[Stirrick]

I have the RAF Service Record for an RAF pilot who trained in the United States over 1941-42.

My understanding is that RAF trainees were integrated into the USAAF training program, so records of their training were held by the USAAF rather than RAF. Hence a big, black hole in his Service Record between August,1941 to March,1942.

Sorry if this has been asked before - I did look but couldn't find a previous post - but is there any way of finding out where he was trained in the US ?

[Andy J2022]

What evidence do you have to support the belief that the British trainees were intergrated into USAAF training programs during the period you mention? Don't forget that the USA did not formally join the war until after Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Prior to that date American cooperation had to be done under the Lend-Lease Act - ie at arm's length.

My understanding is that British trainees initially attended 'civilian' training schools set up and run by British staff and that there were 7 of them based across the USA. More details on this here and here. The second of those links is to a museum in the USA dedicated to No 1 Flying School based in Terrel, Texas. They claim to have "an archive that contains the most extensive record of the No. 1 British Flying Training Schools in existence".

If your man attended one of these schools, as I think is likely, any records relating to the actual training which still exist are possibly somewhere in the UK now, either at TNA or possibly the RAF Museum. It seems less likely that they would have been handed over to any American archives. Probably worth contacting the RAF Museum to get more leads to follow up. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/taking-flight/historical-periods/second-world-war-flying-training/

[Andy J2022]

Incidentally, I didn't mention in the previous posting (because it has very little relevance to your inquiry) that my father, who was in the Fleet Air Arm, spent 5 months doing his conversion training on the Vought F4U Corsair at the Quonset Point Air National Guard Station, Rhode Island in early 1943. That ties in with your understanding about British flyers being trained on US military bases, albeit after December 1941.

[Stirrick]

Thanks for that, Andy.

This does seem to be grey area.

I believe the British Government paid the USAAF to train its aircrew, which, of course, considerably expanded the RAF's training capabilities.

So these men were trained by USAAF instructors on USAAF bases, to USAAF training standards and using USAAF aircraft. Putting 'British' on the front of these training programs really just clarified who was paying the bills. Hence my understanding, rightly or wrongly, that they would have been administered by the USAAF.

I believe - sure I read this in a biography at some time - that at their graduation 'wings ceremony' the US authorities also presented aircrew who had gone through their training program with a set of USAAF wings as a goodwill gesture.

The USAAF outsourced its 'Primary' training program (equivalent to the RAF Elementary training) to contracted private flying schools. But I believe that these were US schools using US instructors.

That's my understanding, but happy to be corrected if someone knows better.

[martin hooper]

Over 100,000 aircrew were trained under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan - the majority in Canada. Google BCATP. He may have been part of that as well.

Martin

[rafcommands]

Arnold Scheme for BFTS run under USAAC

eg
http://www.5bfts.org.uk/articles/history/fullhistory.aspx

This is a good primer
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arnold-Scheme-British-Pilots-American/dp/1862274460

Towers Scheme for USN run schemes

Ross

[Stirrick]

Thanks guys, but we're straying off the point.

Does anyone know who has the records for RAF airmen (pilots specifically) who were trained by the USAAF in the United States ?

And does anyone know if there's a way to find out which Flying Schools this particular pilot attended ?

Presumably he transitted through Canada on his way to and from the US. Is there a way to track him that way ?

[rafcommands]

Individual
Service they enlisted with have their service records ie RAF

Only surviving record of postings are Form 543A

Usually mentioned between PDC/PRC posting groups

Level of detail varies as war progresses eg just USA or 5BFTS or nothing but time between PRC/PDC at Canada.

Formation
ORBS have various levels of detail, held at TNA
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_aq=british%20flying%20training%20school&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv

So I've told you were to look generally under scheme name - a good all round published work - told you that the record you say you have is the most accurate for an individual and where to look for the unit diaries in the UK.

On point?

Ross
Ross

[JustinL]

The training scheme you describe, Stirrick, was the Arnold Scheme or Plan aka the 4,000-pilot scheme.

You should find the overview in this report of interest.
Army Air Force Historical Studies no. 64, "Training of Foreign Nationals by the AAF, 1939-1945” http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAFHS/AAFHS-64.1.pdf

One of my father's cousins was trained under this scheme from December 1941 to August 1942. Letters and photographs place this young man at airfields in the southeast of the USA which were training sites under the scheme.

The last class of British pilots graduated from the Arnold scheme on 17th March 1943.

On which date was your RAF man awarded his wings? Have you found the notice in the London Gazette?

Your post has inspired me to revisit my research of this young bomber pilot. My next step will be to contact the Yorkshire Air Museum, to which the complete archives of the Arnold Scheme research society were donated in 2011.

Ross - thanks for the book recommendation. My copy should arrive next week.