308 Maintenance Unit Help Needed.

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by dlesto, Jul 17, 2016.

  1. dlesto

    dlesto Member

    Im looking for any information regarding 308 Maintenance unit. My Grandfather was stationed with them for most of the war in Allahabad, India. There is virtually nothing on them other than they were stationed in Allahabad, even that I'm not 100% sure of.

    Can anyone shed any light on this forgotten MU? Other then the National Archive, is there any where else I can look?
    Does anyone specialise in MU's on here?
    Were MU's moved around or were they stationed in one place for the duration of the war?

    Sorry for all the questions but I'm a little stuck.

    Many thanks


    Dan
     
  2. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Not much help but the closest hit in the AWM archive

    https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P04454.001


    Group portrait of members of No 10 Pilots' Course. Identified, left to right, back row: Lieutenant (Lt) Ballard; 401175 Pilot Officer Alan Gibson Swann; Lt Jones; Lt Richardson. Second row: Lt Leech; 407756 Pilot Officer (PO) Jack Trenberth; Lt Chapman. Front row: Lt Beesley; Sergeant (Sgt) Minchin; PO Hickey; Lt Dorner.

    PO Trenberth, of Bondi, NSW, was killed in an aircraft accident on 13 July 1942 near Allahabad, India, whilst attached to 308 Maintenance Unit RAF.
     
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  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  4. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    It wouldn't hurt to add your GF's details - his name etc - to this thread


    Long shot, but attached are some names of unit members
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    According to the description given for the unit's Operations Record Book, it was based at Bamrauli, Allahabad and Phaphamau between 1942 to 1947.

    Lee
     
  6. dlesto

    dlesto Member

    Thanks for the responses guys.
    Really appreciate it!

    My Grandfathers name was Alfred James Ives.
    Service Number: 846806

    He joined the unit in 43 so the crash and the photos would be previous to that. I will cross check the photo to the ones that I have to see if the same men were still in the unit. would also put names to faces.

    Its also on the list for my trip to the National Archive.

    If anyone has anymore leads or ideas, keep em coming!

    ​Many thanks

    Dan
     
  7. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Just come across this thread.
    308 MU was formed in May 1942 at Bamhrauli (Allahabad) as an Aircraft Storage Unit. It disbanded 11/46. This comes from RAF Flying Training and Support Units Published by Air Britain. Unfortunately that is the sum total of the information therein. As no movements are listed I would expect that this unit stayed in the one place throughout its life as most (but not all) MUs did.
    This unit was just one of over 50 Maintenance Units spread across India looking after everything from aircraft (assembly, storage and repair) to all forms of other equipment used by the RAF including transport and explosives.
    They were part of the very unglamorous logistics tail of the RAF in India / Burma necessary to keep the fighters and bombers on the front line flying.
     
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  8. Marilyn Appleyard

    Marilyn Appleyard New Member

    My father was in MU308, there is a gap in his service records but it shows he was with an SAR flight at the end of war. Where stationed I do not know and cannot find any info with certainty. Maybe your relative was assigned to an SAR flight?
     
  9. Marilyn Appleyard

    Marilyn Appleyard New Member

    My fathers name, Ivan Phillips service number 772513
     
  10. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Oddly the Imperial War Museum Oral History Collection shows it has two interviews where 308 MU is indexed, but neither person served in WW2. It might be worth asking them why the error is shown.

    A RAAF death dates their possible location: ELLERS Frederick Leonard 406142 | Aviation Heritage Museum

    A little history here:
    From: 1943

    They were still active 12/11/1946, from a Mosquito crash report: http://ww2f.com/threads/dh98-mosquito-loss-records.51595/page-2

    There is an old thread: RAF 308th Maintenance Unit

    This thread indicates 308 MU was part of 21 Ferry Control in India; their role being:
    From: RAAF Ferry Command Losses

    Some photos: Ronald Watson LAC 307,303,308 MU | WW2Talk

    See Post 20 for a 308 MU crash: The first seven days of peace

    An 2000 entry on a previously unknown website:
    From: Air & Ground Research - units section

    A RAF Sgt posting temporarily to 308MU:
    From: IAW Gilmore

    Two smaller items:
    From: EL Wood

    This helps to explain 177 Squadron's part:
    From: https://tt.ciwanekurd.net/11041-no-177-squadron-raf-second-world-war.html

    A hint as to 308MU's workload:
    From 30/6/2010 post: What RAF Squadrons flew the C-45 (Expeditor)?:

    Another role revealed:
    Within a book: Eyes for the Phoenix Allied Aerial Photo-Reconnaissance Operation in South-East Asia 1941- - PDF Free Download

    Regarding the time with a SAR unit, presumably in India, I did spot whilst searching the TNA website that RAF SAR units do appear; my focus was North Africa and nowt was recorded.
     
  11. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Have you tried searching old copies of Dekho for mentions of it? They are online.
     

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