44 (Rhodesia) Squadron - Lost Lancaster Bomber Crew

[rafcommands]

Sign up to a free account at The National Archives if you have not yet done so and download for free these Air School ORBs

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17370781

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6361542

Ross

[rafcommands]

The date on your photo confirms taken at No.1654 CU.

As an aside just look at the dates in general.

2 years from entry to operational.

by 1944 this had been cut to 1 year.

A recent talk by RAF medical branch compared flying hours to take a 20year old from civi street to pilot in command of a Lancaster (50 flying hours) to similar age and experience today to become operational on the Typhoon jet (48 hrs).

Medic said limit was motor skills and repetitions to get muscle memory so was confident that training in both eras was as refined as possible.

By 1944 aircrew replacement was seemless - on one night in Nov 1944 Bomber Command lost more aircrew on one raid than Fighter Command lost in the whole 3 months of the Battle of Britian. In three days Bomber Command had replaced all the lost crews and aircraft and were back to full operational strength on the squadrons.

Ross

[Dannemois]

Hi Ross

You asked if I got the mustering section of trades and dates? I'm not sure what this looks like.
 
I have attached another small section of the form I received and that's all of it.

Thanks for the links to AIR-54 - 172 and 182.  I've gone through both but have not found any mention of Digby by name or service number.   

Regards, Roy

[rafcommands]

Mustering - that's the section.

I was trying to figure out when his trade was changed from Observer to Bomb Aimer.

You can see from the dates he was Observer/WOp AG for the duration of his training but at CU he is reclassified as Navigator/Bomb Aimer.

This followed a change in RAF title for the pre-war trade of Observer to the rename Navigator. So he remained as trained just the title that changed.

His secondary duty of WOp AG changed to Bomb Aimer and it was the duty he was assigned to on the Operational Squadron.

Must have had too many Navigators at CU and not enough Bomb Aimers to form the crews.

Ross

[Dannemois]

Ross, sorry to be a pain but can you explain what the two postings 1ACR? and ACDC (A) are all about.

I presume the abbreviation ACDC (A) is Air Crew Despatch Centre but unsure what (A) means.

Thanks in advance
Roy

[rafcommands]

No.1 Aircrew Receiving Centre - Lords Cricket Ground

https://www.stjohnswoodmemories.org.uk/content/amenities/clubs-societies/lords-cricket-ground/royal_air_force_in_st_johns_wood_in_the_2nd_world_war

A usually means attached - rather than being posted here for duties or RAF induction it was more a large scale unit with space for accomodation and messing until he was sent to the convoy massing area for trooping to South Africa.

Ross

[Dannemois]

Hello Ross

I really appreciate your help with Digby's records and I can not thank you enough. 

Kind Regards
Roy

[Dannemois]

RAF Recruitment:  Having passed the interview and medical to join the RAF VR in 1941, a civilian was accepted into the RAF, placed on reserve then sent back to civilian life with a lapel badge to await a space on the appropriate training scheme.

Can someone please give a description or show a photo of the badge?

Thanks

[rafcommands]

https://heartsanddaggers.co.uk/british-and-commonwealth-militaria/3099-ww2-royal-air-force-volunteer-reserve-rafvr-lapel-badge.html

Ross