Nope No.4158 Servicing Echelon Usually an RAF Servicing Commando unit working as part of No.2 TAF on the continent. Regards Ross
where would be the best place to find any history of the 4158 Service Echelon? i have found mention of the units in the 3000's on the combined ops website.
hello i am very interested in this potential commando link and had never heard of RAF commandos. Were all Service Echelons Commandos? or was it just certain ones, ie those in the 3000's? any advice on this would be appreciated?
Most were set up for the same mobility and intent eg Move forward with assault troops then prepare and provide forward servicing turnround for any type of aircraft that needs it. Also to be prepared to provide independent defence for the aerodrome against ground attack. The series No.3001 to No.3078 were formed on 14th Nov 1941. The No.3501 to No.3503 in July 1942 and No.3504 to 3508 in 1943. After that the series tended to have 4, 7 or 9 placed in front of the parent unit. This suggests that 4158 was associated with No.158 Squadron (a Bomber Command Unit). The units were mostly too small to maintain their own ORBs and relied on either Base or associated unit for record keeping/admin. The first three servicing commandos No.3201, 3202 and 3203 were formed early 1942. With the first two units being landed at dawn 8th Nov 1942 in the vicinity of Algiers and marched the 12 miles to Maison Blanche airfield. A SCU was split into 4 flights. Each flight contained 7 teams of fitter, rigger and armourer but each man was encouraged to turn his hand to any trade if his training allowed. Their tools were the standard personal tool roll of standard tools. Bomber command adapted the system when Base system of servicing was created with the 9 series undertaking minor inspectons and repairs beyond the normal squadron servicing staff turnound duties. A very little researched and published part of the RAF effort. Regards Ross
thanks for this further information, it is very interesting. its amazing to see the ww2 service coming to light, when compared to what we know of ww1 we still know little of ww2, who knows what else we will learn in the coming decades. or as you say, its known but not published. the man i am researching is entitled to a Africa star (bar n.africa), italy star, france and germany star, 39-45 star and war medal. it is exiting to think he may have been involved in the earlier Service Echelons. i have the 4158se information from a medal entitlement slip, not the one from the box, but a slip signed by a wing commander which has my mans name, number and rank and confirms his Star entitlement only and the date he qualified for the 39/45 Star. it is stamped RAF Stradishall 11/11/45 on the reverse. i have not seen this type of slip before, is this a common slip?
thanks for help so far, i have a further question: would all the service echelons be commando trained?
hello thanks for the information so far, i have a further question: would all the Service Echelons but Commando trained?
There is a History of the RAF Servicing Commandos think I have a copy somewhere in the mess but see also : Royal Air Force Commandos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
thanks for the link, would only the service echelons starting with 3 listed on the link be commando trained? or would the ones starting with 4 also be?
thanks for the link, would only the service echelons starting with 3 listed on the link be commando trained? or would the ones starting with 4 also be?
