Our good friend is looking for help deciphering her Father's Service Records. (Harry Delaney). She mentions the RAF and Green Howards, and the fact that Harry was in the second wave of D-Day and was at Creully in Normandy - I wonder if anyone can decipher this record for us please? Many thanks
Could really do with seeing the rest of the records in full, whats been posted only seems RAF to me, he may have "Disembarked Continent" on 29 Jun 1944 but need to see the rest TD I am guessing here but 8th Jun 1944 he is posted to 83 Group No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group - Wikipedia So difficult to see him in the "second wave" of D Day on 6th Jun 1944
Theres nothing there to show he was anything else but RAF. I note in January 1946 after 83 Group moved to BAFO PHU which is British Air Force of Occupation Personnell Holding Unit I think you need to get hold of RAF 'experts' to make clear what his job and role was in NW Europe, as it seems he would go ahead of the main bulk of the airfield perhaps to sort out new ones or set them up ready for the aircraft and crews etc TD
Thank you for that information, it's a start anyway. Can you advise how we could go about finding any RAF 'experts' to help us? We appreciate your help anyway. Many thanks.
It looks to me that he was an RAF Clerk attached to HQ 83 Group, so hewould have followed that HQ through NW Europe to final Victory in May 1945. Regards Tom
The service records look RAF start to finish to me too, KRE. The 6th & 7th Bns Green Howards, 69th Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, landed in the first wave on Gold Beach of D-Day, however, they were not looking to secure airfields. That was a task for the troops landing through mainly Juno Beach - the Canadians. If you look at the hand-written note at post No. 4, in the bottom left hand corner it states ‘Juno Beach’.
Clerk (General Duties) from enlistment to demob. Posted as admin duties from Movement Control to No.6 Personnel Transit Centre until just after D Day. Posted to HQ No.83 Group again as admin duties and followed this unit when embarked for France arriving on or after 29th June. Retained at unit while first tranche of demob happened post war end - as he enlisted Aug 1940 I suspect it was at his request and because of aptitude (superior assessment 12/45 pointer to this). Ross
You're all so knowledgeable and efficient so thank you! We'll digest the information you have all given us so far and come back with any questions, many thanks!
Kentish - in this thread D Day (Normandy) airfields up to 13 Aug 1944 and other D Day specialist maps there are the approximate locations of the early airfields in Normandy obviously from June 1944, perhaps tying some of those in with geographical co ordinates and where the Green Howards were in action may tell that part of the story, the two units may at some point have been 'close' TD
TD thank you, it's very interesting. Done a little bit of research and discovered the Green Howards were connected to the 83HQ Group. Apparently when Harry Delaney signed up in Sheffield, due to the toss of a coin - he lost and was sent to Belfast for 3 years or so where he met his future wife. Reason he got a desk job in the beginning is because he lied about his experience saying that he had been a bank clerk when really had been an insurance agent - Not sure that Belfast is mentioned on the Record, only Padgate which I assume was for training? Do you know if there is a War Diary to obtain for the RAF?? (I know there are numerous Army War Diaries because Drew has got them for us before). If this is the case as and when we go through the War Diary all will be revealed, hopefully!
Record does not support some of your family lore. His Form 543 lists occupation as Insurance Agent and it would have been available to those who determined trades/postings. His progression of posts does not give anything that matches a three year period or so in Belfast. On entry after attestation he was sent straight to No.3 Recruit Centre at Padgate ( common for those from North of England) Air Crew Holding Unit: 3 RAF Depot. Formed at Padgate (UK) in April 1939. Became 3 RAF... | The National Archives The shortness of stay at No.3 RC (only 3 days) shows he was quickly assessed and assigned to AirCharge Hand (General Duties) ACH (GD) and needed little more than uniform and drill. It is as this trade that he is then posted to No.16 Balloon Centre at Sheffield 16 Balloon Centre; formed at Sheffield (UK) 16 January 1939and disbanded 31 May 1943.... | The National Archives He is HHH ( Home Force, Headquarters Holding) eg not on the unit establishment but placed there as part of Balloon Command manpower reserve. During this time he is used for Clerk duties and is regraded into Clerk (GD) trade where he will spend the rest of his service - GD is all the mundane day to day stuff and excluded confidential file stuff. Next is August 1941 to the Air Ministry in London followed on Nov 1942 to No.6 Personnel Transit Centre, again in London, a few months after it was formed. 6 Personnel Transit Centre. Formed at the Endsleigh Hotel, London (UK) in September... | The National Archives He stays there until June 1944 until the No.83 Group HQ posting. NO 83 GROUP (124 and 129 WINGS): No 83 Group: historical account | The National Archives Probably came ashore on Juno and transferred to Group HQ at the Orchard east of Courseulles T.974848 which had been set up by No.83 Group staff who came ashore in groups from 18.00 hrs on June 6th. The Green Howard co-location starts here. Their initial duty was to restock and operate the refuelling and re-armament strip until more permament B. aerodromes had been established and Wing aircraft stopped being visitors for resupply and became based on the continent. Once in France he would have followed HQ relocations to Germany. Marriage on 31 March 1945 suggests he met his wife in the UK and if as per family lore it was in Belfast it was leave not posting. Ross
Wow thank you Ross, that's filled in a bit more then! We've been trying to work our way through all the letters/codes etc., but will have a look at all those links. Thank you so much.
No 83 Group HQ was located at Redhill Surrey and remained there throughout the war. Cpl Delaney returned to No 83 Group HQ on 6 September 1945 after service on the continent from 29 June 1944. By August 1944,No 83 Group had 7 Wings in Normandy,4 were RAF and the remaining 3 were RCAF.
No.83 Composite Group was organised to be highly mobile. It consisted of two HQ within its formation Advanced and Rear. Rear stayed at Hinton Daubney in the UK until end of August 1944 then it too moved to the continent and proceeded independently of Advanced HQ until 7 June 1945 when both HQ co-located at Schleswig See. Groups 70-106_P Ross
