Author Topic: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record  (Read 944 times)

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #18 on: Monday 13 May 24 16:22 BST (UK) »
The first image shows his postings/employment and the second has his movement details.
Image One.
16 RC - Recruit centre. At RAF Ouston
116 Squadron  This was an anti-aircraft calibration unit. They flew sorties to allow the Army's ground based anti-aircaft gunners to calibrate their guns for various altitudes and speed of aircraft. The Sqdn was split up across the country, but he appears to have been based at RAF Digby.
No 2 School of Technical Training. From image 2 we know that his trade was Flight Mechanic (Aircraft) (FMA).
He was then posted to 41 Squadron which was part of Fighter Command and equipped in Spitfires. The Squadron was then based an RAF Llanbedr, in Wales.
5 PDC Personnel Distribution Centre. A place where service men were brought together prior to moving by sea on overseas postings.
He then served in 322 Maintenance Unit (Cawnpore, Uttar Pradesh, India) and 12 General Mainenance Unit
117  Sqdn, also in India and supporting operations in Burma.
3  REC  - not sure but seems to be an embarkation centre ready for his return to the UK
104 Personnel Distribution Centre for final administrative details prior to being demobbed.
The Qualifications section shows the aircraft he was qualified to work on. I can't make out the first entry. The next is Hurricane, and the last is the (Douglas) Dakota.
Finally for the first image, his ranks.
AC 2 is Aircraftman class 2 (lowest rank), LAC is leading aircraftman  and then he reverts to AC1 Aircraftman class 1, followed by another stint as an LAC.


I have to go out now and so unless someone else does the second image in the mean time, I'll do that later. However you should be able to make sense of it based on the contents of image one.
 


 

Offline KathrynBryant1

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #19 on: Monday 13 May 24 17:08 BST (UK) »
Andy, thanks a million, you're an absolute star.   It will take a bit of time for me to digest all of this.  It's great to see what Dad was up to.  He sadly passed away in early 1961.  I was quite young then and have, after all these years, only just applied for his Service Record.  I am trying to decipher where he would have been in the late 1942's up to at least August of 1943.  Apart from those years it's really good to know what he was doing for the rest of his Service.

No rush for the remainder, as and when you have time.

Once again, thank you.

At least now I know how to minimise pictures if, in the future,  I  find the need to upload some to a post!!!

Regards,

Kathryn

Offline Andy J2022

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #20 on: Monday 13 May 24 22:51 BST (UK) »
I think it might be best if you say which bits you would like explaining. I may be able to do most of the abbreviations, but that doesn't necessarily mean you understand the full version.

Just for starters,  on the image ending 2836, your dad was awarded the Burma Star (for his time with 117 Sqdn I'm guessing), and the 1939/45 Star which was awarded to all servicemen/women who served in an operational theatre of war for 180 days. Then in the centre of the image he was awarded the War Service Increment (WSI) initially for 3 years when he was on active service, which was then increased to 5 years (ie from 1940 to 1945) to also cover his time on the reserve. This was cash gratuity, in part to help service personnel resettle into civilian life and pick up their old job etc.

Then on image ending 3348, you will know most of the details anyway. ACSB in the centre bottom is the Aircrew Selection Board.

Let me know if you want anything else explaining.

Offline tonepad

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #21 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 05:25 BST (UK) »
No 2 School of Technical Training in WW2 was at RAF Cosford, Shropshire:

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


Tony
Aucock/Aukett~Kent/Sussex, Broadway~Oxfordshire, Danks~Warwickshire, Fenn~Kent/Norfolk, Goatham~Kent, Hunt~Kent, Parker~Middlesex, Perry~Kent, Sellers~Kent/Yorkshire, Sladden~Kent, Wright~Kent/Essex


Offline KathrynBryant1

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #22 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 10:07 BST (UK) »
Morning Tony.  Thank you for the information you provided.  You'll have to excuse my ignorance but do you know when Dad was at this place please?

Regards,

Kathryn

Offline KathrynBryant1

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 10:55 BST (UK) »
Morning Andy.  Once again, thank you for the information you have provided me.   My brain is trying to understand everything and it's really helpful to have an insight of my Dad's movements.   The one thing that I am more interested in at the moment is where was Dad was based etc between July and September 1943.  I don't know if there would be another Record held anywhere that might be more specific or whether my query can actually be deciphered from the Record I uploaded? 

Please excuse my ignorance.

Kind regards,

Kathryn

Offline tonepad

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #24 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 12:57 BST (UK) »
Morning Tony.  Thank you for the information you provided.  You'll have to excuse my ignorance but do you know when Dad was at this place please?

Regards,

Kathryn


Abbreviated as 2 S of T. T. on the records.
Two postings on 17/2/42 and then 16/12/42 (if read correctly)

Tony
Aucock/Aukett~Kent/Sussex, Broadway~Oxfordshire, Danks~Warwickshire, Fenn~Kent/Norfolk, Goatham~Kent, Hunt~Kent, Parker~Middlesex, Perry~Kent, Sellers~Kent/Yorkshire, Sladden~Kent, Wright~Kent/Essex

Offline KathrynBryant1

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #25 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 13:16 BST (UK) »
Thank you Tony, much appreciated.

Regards,

Kathryn

Offline KathrynBryant1

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Re: Help please in deciphering my Father's WW2 RAF Service Record
« Reply #26 on: Tuesday 14 May 24 15:47 BST (UK) »
Sorry if I'm becoming a pain, but what does D2E mean against 41 Squadron on Dad's Record in 1943 please?

Regards,

Kathryn