Help with RAF Service Records

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by bubblegumyum, May 22, 2012.

  1. bubblegumyum

    bubblegumyum Junior Member

    Hi I wonder if someone may be able to help me decipher my grandads service records or can point me in the direction of a book or website that might be able to help me.
    Below is a timeline I have put together from the information on his service papers. The information in Black is what comes from the records, the red is information I have gathered from google and the blue is things im not sure about and the rest is a complete mystery to me.
    I never knew my grandad as he died the year b4 I was born and I never asked my dad while he was alive so I have no idea what his job was in the raf.
    From his papers so far I work out he was an aircraft hand who trained as a ground gunner, he never served abroad in the war but in 1948 he was posted to RAF Selectar for which he received the General Service Medal with the Malaya clasp. On his death certificate under occupation it is written retired Batman.
    I would especially like to know more about the maintanance units and what he might have done ... what was Douglas? and A.A. Flt Sutton Bridge ...what dd squadron 2780 do.... so many questions sorry :)
    I would be ever so gratefull for any help and advice received.
    Thanks in advance
    Ros :)

    Enlisted 20.04.1939 – Aircraft Hand
    26.08.39 Cambridge TC – Training Command
    27.08.39 Stn Duxford
    01.03.40 A.C.1 – Aircraft Hand 1
    14.06.40 Stn Sutton Bridge
    25.06.40 56 OTU G.D.G.S (A) North Coates – 56 Operational Training Unit – Group Defence Gunnery School
    01.07.40 Sutton Bridge
    01.07.40 L.A.C. – Leading Aircraft Hand
    11.10.40 T Corporal – (Temporary ??? Corporal)
    28.12.40 56 O.T.U - 56 Operational Training Unit – (11.1.41-7.2.41 Drill Course)
    30.06.41 1.G.D.G.S (A) - 1. Group Defence Gunnery School (RAF Ronaldsway ????)
    24.07.41 56 O.T.U – 56 Operational Training Unit
    09.09.41 Douglas A
    56 O.T.U - 56 Operational Training Unit
    1.G.D.G.S (A)- 1. Group Defence Gunnery School (RAF Ronaldsway????) (1.7.41-22.7.41 Ground Gunners course)
    23.09.41 56 O.T.U - 56 Operational Training Unit
    1.11.41 T SGT – (Temporary ??Sergeant)
    12.41 A.A.Flt Sutton Bridge
    26.08.42 Good Conduct Badge 1st A
    12.09.42 2780 Sqdn
    29.09.42 Grantham
    26.10.42 2780 Sqdn – (03.10.42 – 13.10.42 Weapon Training Course)
    8.03.43 Shoreham @
    12.04.43 2780 Sqdn
    29.04.43 ACH/GD – Aircraft Hand General Duties
    24.05.43 28 M.U
    16.06.43 Grantham
    07.07.43 28 M.U.
    30.10.43 Marham
    29.04.44 Swannington
    18.08.44 9(c) O.T.U. D211 renamed 109 O.T.U.
    18.08.44 – U/T Clerk /GD – Under Traning Clerk General Duties
    07.12.44 s of aT Kirkham
    07.12.44 U/T E asst
    01.02.44 13 M.U. (Henlow?)
    22.01.45 EG asst
    22.01.45 AC2 – Aircraft hand 2
    01.05.45 – L.A.C. – Leading Aircraft Hand
    Discharged from RAFVR on 20.11.46 under ? act para 65.2 an enlistment into Reg air force
    01.07.46 – 1st Good Conduct badge under NPC HEF
    21.11.46 LAC (Sgt D’) – Leading Aircraft Hand (SGT D’)
    28.11.46 Acting CPL (p) – Acting Corporal (P)??)
    15.06.47 T . Corporal – (Temporary Corporal??)
    01.08.47 T. SGT – (Temporary Sergeant???)
    10.08.47 STN Henlow
    29.11.47 5 P.D.C – 5 Personel Deployment Centre Posted to - received the General Service Medal with Malaya Clasp
    11.12.47 ACFE –Air Command Far East
    04.01.48 389 M.U – RAF Selectar
    16.06.48 Renamed OM Base Selectar
    21.10.48 – Good Conduct Badge 2nd in accordance of AMO A842/48
    12.04.49 H.E - Home Embarkation
    09.05.49 3 M.U Milton – 3 Maintenance Unit RAF Milton
    01.01.51 – No 18 Supply – Supplier II
    01.01.51 – SGT Supplier II
    16.10.52 Enlisted in class E reserve
    21.04.53 Trans to No 61 Grp CRC
    20.04.54 61 GRC Henlow
    01.05.54 Henlow 61 GRC Kenley
    25.04.55 - 06.05.55 Att’d to Henlow
    30.06.57 Disharged E Res Serv no longer required
    20.11.57 Transferred to Class G Res under prov sect 5 (2) of armed forces (c of s) Act 1939 Expiration of Reg Service Remob STN (G) 5RC
     
  2. chick42-46

    chick42-46 Senior Member

    Hi Ros

    Welcome and I hope I can help with some of this.

    "A.A.Flt Sutton Bridge" is anti-aircraft flight, Sutton Bridge. As a ground gunner in 1941,
    your grandad would have been involved in defending airfields and other RAF ground stations.

    "2780 Sqdn" is No. 2780 Squadron, RAF Regiment. The Regiment was formed Jan/Feb 1942 with the primary task of airfield defence and many ground gunners were transferred from airfield defence flights to the Regiment.

    There's a link to a history of the RAF Regiment in this thread - http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/32868-through-adversity-history-raf-regiment.html. It's a free pdf of the book.

    I'm a bit of an RAF Regiment nut but my books are all in boxes in the loft at the moment as we're "re-decorating". Otherwise I might be able to tell you more about 2780.

    "28 MU" is, I think, 28 Maintenance Unit. MU's did various "maintenance" type things. Your grandad seems to have left the RAF Regiment and become a fitter of some sort.

    Hope this adds something to what you already know. Others on the site are sure to chip in soon with more detail.

    Cheers

    Ian
     
  3. bubblegumyum

    bubblegumyum Junior Member

    Thank you for that Ian, that has certainly helped. Will definitely have a good read of that book it looks very interesting.

    Thanks again for taking the time to post

    Ros
     
  4. chick42-46

    chick42-46 Senior Member

    My RAF Regt books are still in the loft but I found this on rafweb.org (Regiment Sqns 2700-2850)

    2780 Squadron
    Formed as No 780 Squadron at Penrhos on 19 December 1941, having been unnumbered from the previous April. On 1 February 1942 all RAF Regiment Squadrons had 2000 added to their numbers. It moved to the RAF Regiment Depot in 1942, converting to the Light Anti Aircraft role in May 1943 and disbanding in April 1945, by which time it was located at Smith's Lawn.

    The National Archives at Kew also have the Operations Record Books for the squadron - The National Archives | The Catalogue | Full Details | AIR 29/94

    That gives a bit more information about the squadron's movements:
    2780 Field Squadron RAF Regiment, Penrhos (UK); moved to Grantham 30 September 1942; moved to Boulmer 26 Octyober 1942, with detachment at Brighton; became Anti-Aircraft squadron 17 May 1943, with detachments at Charterhall, Millfield; moved to Hartford Bridge 10 August 1943; moved to Boscombe Down 29 September 1943, with detachment at Smith's Lawn Windsor; disbanded 31 March 1945; includes misfile of 2782 Anti-Aircraft Squadron, Sullom Voe May 1945; moved to Thornaby 17 June 1945; disbanded 1 July 1945.

    Cheers

    Ian
     
  5. chick42-46

    chick42-46 Senior Member

    Also now found this on Sutton Bridge - RAF-lincolnshire.info :: Sutton Bridge. See the links to 56 OTU (operational training unit).

    Here also from rafweb.org again - OTUs 41 - 63

    No 56 Operational Training Unit
    Formed at Sutton Bridge from No 6 OTU on 1 November 1940 within No 81 Group to train fighhter pilots for Fighter Command, using Hurricanes. In March 1942 it moved to Tealing and in April 1943 it passed to the control of No 9 Group. It disbanded on 5 October1943 when it was redesignated No 1 Combat Training Wing (later changed to No 1 Tactical Exercise Unit). In the event of a German invasion the OTU's 'E' and 'F' Flights would have become No 556 Squadron to operate within the Peterhead Sector.
    The unit reformed on15 December 1944, again at Miilfield in No 12 Group, equipped with both Typhoon and Tempest Vs until disbanding on 14 February 1946.

    And just from googling around, found this, which relates to an Indian pilot who trained with 56 OTU - Indian Air Force | Sqn Ldr M S Pujji DFC - In defence of Great Britain [www.bharat-rakshak.com]

    Enjoy the search!

    Ian
     
  6. bubblegumyum

    bubblegumyum Junior Member

    Thanks again Ian ....i'm on a day off today so i'm going to read up on the links you posted.

    Ros :)
     

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