Can I get an idea of my father’s RAF service?

[Davedrave]

My father was born in June 1924 and served in the RAF. I remember him referring to Morse slip reading. Was he a radio operator? He was ground crew. I know he did training in Blackpool, Cardington and South Kensington. He went to India and was there when Japan surrendered. He remained in the Dutch East Indies ‘til returning home in 1947. My sister says he received his call-up at Christmas (1942?).

He mentioned attending a “Salute to the Red Army” at the Royal Albert Hall. Presumably this was during his time in South Kensington.

What I’d like to know (if possible) is the sequence of training in England and when he is likely to have gone to India. Would he have had any leave from abroad?

[CaroleW]

Post 1920 service records are still with the MoD.  You can buy a copy of his WW2 service record which should answer your questions

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

[Davedrave]

Post 1920 service records are still with the MoD.  You can buy a copy of his WW2 service record which should answer your questions

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

Thanks. I was just wondering whether anyone with a knowledge of the wartime RAF might know what sort of training was carried out in the places I mention, or how long people generally spent training before going abroad. If not, I’ll try the route you suggest.

Dave 

[candleflame]

Dave please note the rules see changing from 1st April 2023 and it implies there will not be charge.
Check out the latest information on the gov site here. Scroll down through the link.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

Once you get his record, you'll be able to see where he trained and for how long and you may even see the marks he got if he took any tests or exams.

[Davedrave]

Dave please note the rules see changing from 1st April 2023 and it implies there will not be charge.
Check out the latest information on the gov site here. Scroll down through the link.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

Once you get his record, you'll be able to see where he trained and for how long and you may even see the marks he got if he took any tests or exams.

Thanks for this information, not long to wait before applying. Seems odd though, going from charging quite a bit to charging nothing, especially at a time when the MOD is supposed to be strapped for cash.

Dave 

[rafcommands]

It is only the initial search fee that is waived.

If a record is found payment will be requested before release.

Blackpool is standard signals recruit centre, however Cardington and South Ken suggest a deviation from a standard signals trained WOp on morse tape transmissions.

Morse Slip Readers were mostly WAAF in the UK so this part may refer to overseas service.

His record will show dates and, if you request informal review of mustering when you apply for a record, all the trades he was mustered in.

Currently time to produce an RAF record via the online system is 3 to 4 weeks.

Ross

[Davedrave]

Thank you Ross for the information and clarification.

Dave 

[Andy J2022]

I think there's a fair chance he was an intercept operator in which case he would have received additional training in Japanese morse code which was different to Western morse. Slip reading involved transcribing the individual characters sent via high speed morse which was recorded using a machine called an undulator. This transcribed the signal as a series of peaks and troughs on a graph line on a long thin strip of paper. He may also have been taught some very rudimentary Japanese language so that he could understand, or at least get the gist of, voice communications between Japanese pilots and their bases.

[Wolseley]

In case you may not have noticed, may I point you in the direction of a thread I started: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=871587.0

I have been looking into my father's RAF record - he was also a wireless operator and it sounds as if your father was doing pretty much the same thing as my father did.  I remember him telling me that he had additional training in Japanese Morse Code amongst other things.  Most of his time was spent in India and Burma, although he also went to Singapore and Malaya and ended up in Hong Kong.

You need to get his service record, although unfortunately only the index cards survive, so you only get some basic information and you will have to piece together a lot of it yourself.  You will also find that a forum such as this is an invaluable tool in your research.

Jim