Looking for more info - Flying Officer in RAFVR

Hey everyone,

As the title suggests I'm looking for a bit more information on my great grandfather. I'm new to this, so apologies if this could have been posted in a more relevant thread, etc etc.

I started doing a bit of digging today after years of wanting to get into it, and whilst I have uncovered some information that was available online, I was hoping for a bit more.

These forum's seem the best place for like-minded and passionate people for this kind of thing, so any assistance or information would be amazing.

My great grandfather was a Pilot during the Second World War and afterwards.

Here's what I know:

• He flew with the RAFVR's (at least during 1945)
• He was a pilot of a Lancaster Bomber (at some point, at least)
• He was a Flying Office, later promoted to Flight Lieutenant (post-war)
• He trained in Canada
• I know his service number

I suppose I was wondering where might be the best place to look further? I've scoured Ancestry, The National Archives and Forces-War-Records, all of which have some but limited information. My next step was to visit Kew and spend a day researching, however I'm overseas for a year so wanted to do as much as possible online.

I also was wondering, as he was with the RAF Volunteer Reserves, when he was flying during war time would he have been part of a normal squadron or was the Volunteer Reserves a squadron within itself? I would love to find a bit more information on the Squadron he flew with and the type of missions he undertook.

He passed away when I was too young to ask the questions I wanted to know the answers to, so I'm really keen to put together something for my family so his story lives on!

Would mean a great deal to receive some pointers from the more experienced!

Any questions or advice would be welcomed.

Thanks!

 

His name is Peter Andrew Watkins, service number 166820.

 

Apply for his service records here Get a copy of military service records

Date of birth and death cert is all that is required

You will not find info on the internet on paid for sites so dont waste your money


Regards
Cluve

 

Joel,
Follow Cluve's (or even Clives) advise - its the only place to start with his official records. His death cert should have his date of birth so that should kill 2 birds with 1 stone

Was he born in 1923? - died 2007?

TD

 

Thanks CL1 - appreciate the reply.

I will definitely get started with that process, seems like the next logical step.

TD that’s correct - what would one expect with official service records? Date entered service etc etc?

 

For Army I have some expertise but for RAF and associated branches and Naval I would not venture an opinion, but I would assume fairly detailed. They should also provide a skeleton onto which you can fill out the details by checking out War Diaries for the presumably various squadrons or stations he was in/at and when

Just make sure you fill out the right forms

England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2018
Name: Mr Peter Andrew Watkins
Gender: Male
Age: 84
Birth Date: 1923
Last Residence: Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England
Postal Code District: WV6
Death Date: 24 Aug 2007

Others more specialised in RAF matters should be along to help

TD

 

Thanks TD, hugely appreciate your input and supporting info. Without forums like these I’m sure I would have hit a dead end.

thanks for your expertise & bringing this project to life a bit more!
Have a good one.

 

Looking at P A Watkins RAF service number,it appears that he joined the RAF at Penarth,South Wales in November 1941.

As he joined the RAF after the outbreak of war 3 September 1939,he would be designated as RAFVR as all RAF entrants were during the war.

Joel, you need to contact RAF records at Cranwell to ascertain his service record.These records can be very informative but were written by RAF admin clerks and their hand writing can be difficult to read at times.Contact as below:

RAF Disclosures Centre
Room 221b
Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG 34 8HB

If you request the service record as the NOK,you should be exempt from the £30 fee.Go online to the government website where you will find further information available via the MOD section.

Sorry Clive, I missed your service record advice given to Joel.

 

Not quite. From the MOD instructions:
The administration fee of £30 will be waived for applications from those who were the spouse or civil partner of the subject at the time of death (or parent if there was no spouse or civil partner).

Tim

 

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. If he rose to commissioned rank you ought to find various entries about him in the London Gazette.

Steve

 

London Gazette shows 1587732 LAC Peter Andrew Watkins commissioned Pilot Officer 6 October 1944. New officer's number 166820. NCO number shows a September 1941 enlistment at Weston-super-Mare

Page 511 | Supplement 36902, 19 January 1945 | London Gazette | The Gazette

Promoted Flying Officer 6 April 1945

Page 2568 | Supplement 37083, 15 May 1945 | London Gazette | The Gazette

Regards,

Dave

 

Dave I slipped up there in misreading the number digits leading to an incorrect Penarth entry interpretation while the service number quoted turned out to be that of a commissioned officer.

One thing is clear LAC Watkins,LAC being the final rank on passing out of flying training,was immediately commissioned on completion of his flying training and selected for Bomber Command, rather than passing out as a Sergeant Pilot.He would appear to have been fortunate if he was posted to an operational Bomber Command squadron as many other aircrew graduates found themselves as spare bods as the Air Ministry cut back on flying training after ascertaining that there would be a surplus of aircrew in the closing stages of the war.

From his service record,it will be interesting to which squadron he was posted to...have two late colleagues who passed out in Canada as navigators at the same time and found that they were spare bods when they returned to England.

 

I hope the OP goes through and requests the records. For some reason I have a feeling he served in the Middle East.

I stopped looking at war's end but F/O Watkins stayed in the RAF post war, relinquishing his commission (F/Lt) 21 June 1954.

 

Thank you everyone who has taken the time out to reply with information and advice - apologies about the late reply as I've just woken up here (currently in Australia).

This is more information than I ever could have imagined.

I will definitely request the service records from the RAF, that will be my next step, and will post the results here for anyone that may be interested.

To confirm some information provided above - Harry, was his NCO number 1587732, and when commissioned 166820? I believe (from the stories he told to myself and my family) that he was at least at one point in an operational squadron - I hope to find that the documents do support this. Thank you for explaining LAC - this would have gone over my head.

Alieneyes - I'm glad to see he stayed in the RAF post war. He also flew for many years after relinquishing his commission, as his daughter (my grandmother) has fond memories of him flying by the house when she was younger.

 

Thanks Tim for the correction.

However it does pose the question of family line...is the NOK inherited down the family line,say in the case of a grandfather who was killed over a hundred years ago?.I can think of two uncles,one killed in the Great War and the other serving in the RN during WW2 who died leaving no issue.I am the eldest of the surviving nephews and nieces.

I will have to look at the requirements in depth.

 

Harry,
I'm sure you know it but have just forgotten. NOK Forms only apply for persons who have died within the last 25 years. If they died over 25 years ago anyone can apply and get the same info.

Tim

 

https://assets.publishing.service.g...24-request_service_details_NOK_part1_v6.2.pdf

TD