Hi. I finally received my Grandfather's RAF records yesterday, this was no mean feat with his next of kin living in Tasmania, trying to arrange some paperwork with my dear old Gran all that way-a-way was a challenge to say the least, but it's all here now at last. Rght, I have managed to semi work out his postings but there is a couple of entries that i can't figure out, hoping the lovely sorts on here could help? I shall write down as I have, 1 Depo Uxbridge 22.2.38 3rd SoTT (M) H 13.?.38 (is this at RAF Manston?) 3rd Wing Henlow 20.7.38 3rd Wing St. Athan 30.9.38 4th Wing St. Athan 1.11.38 (did he originally go in 3rd wing in expectance of it being borne of 3rd Wing at RAF Manston being disbanded, then moved to 4th because 3rd never did disband, if you follow?) AAEE RAF Martlesham Heath 19.5.39 (Then looks like something at possible Duxford, the writing is in thick pen) 7.7.39 AAEE RAF Boscombe Down 3.9.39 3rd Wing Cosford 3.5.40 (can't fathom this one out) Hospital Cosford 6.8.40 (Then unless i read it wrong) 222 squadron 27.3.41 Discharged (Hospital) 29.11.40 129 squadron 18.6.41 ACD Blackpool 29.11.42 (which is hospital again?) Admitted (what looks like) Fatherwell?? Hospital 19.1.42 Discharged 24.1.42 Grimsetter (A) 18.1.43 (Orkney's?) 3023 S.E 1.8.43 (Where was this? Thought I found it but my dates don't add up) 185 airfield 15.11.43 (can't find reference to this) 12 APC 26.1.44 (Armanent practice camp?)Location?)) 135 AFHQ 5.2.44 (Again u able to nail this one down) 6349 S.E. 20.5.44 (As per the other service echelon above) 6184 S.E 18.8.44 (This I know to be 184 sqn as we have snaps of him at Kastrup with J.Bartley and Flt Lt Bob Hornall DFC) Any other help on the other issues I have mentioned would be massively appreciated though, no matter how small. We knew he was originally connected to the Spitfire, but didn't know a bean about his whereabouts before his 184 tenure of the Tiffy's, so the record has come up real trumps! Be nice to find a snap of him with a Spit but, thats another task in hand. Any questions please fire away! Regards, Tyler.
Tyler - it probably would be best to scan the documents and add them to your post, we can guess answers to some of the queries but if you have read the entries wrong or misinterpreted them then we could be heading down a blind alleyway. Some of the gurus on here will spot things you didn't because they have read dozens (if not s) of similar records. cheers Dave
Tyler, reading this is like watching a squirming puppy - PLEASE give us his Name! Your earlier posts seem to relate to yet another grandfather and he switched Regiments apparently! So I assume that the Service Records you now have are completely unrelated to Calm down and scan the Records for the grandfather in the RAF
Howdy! Kevin, I'll sort you out first . You are correct in saying that this is a different Grandad. Not to thread drift too much, but I'm still not getting ANYTHING from his next of kin, my Nan, so it's slim pickings getting his service records currently, which is a chronic shame for not least of all his legacy, my interest but also my dear Mum who has never had (or will) have contact with him -_- . So back onto the current trend, my paternal Grandad. This thread is also on other forii just in case you stumble upon them too. His name is Thomas Roland Gibson LAC F/Mech. What I already know is that he was, as mentioned, with 184 sqn in Kastrup from 1944 at least according to some photos we have of him. If you have a look on 184squadron.com he is in several snaps, knicknamed "Hoot" (a famous american cowboy actor called Thomas Gibson I believe?) and is seen with George Burton, J. 'Curtley' Bartley (a few times so I think they were quite brilliant mates) in various settings. The most special one for the family though is one with Bartley and Bob Hornall DFC infront of the Typhoon, presumably Hornall's own. My Gran in Tasmania has some of the originals including this very one, which includes the writing "All the best for you and the family, Bob". If I recall rightly Thomas was asked to stay on or something to do with Bob but my Grandad chose to be with his family. As mentioned, my Gran lives in Tasmania and only last November did my parents go over to visit her and my Aunt. with this I made sure to ask them for some certificates and declarations etc to be able to process his record request. Quite a feat with family members nudging 70 and my Gran bein over 90! But I have them now, to piece together what happend to Thomas prior to his know 184 involvement, here's why. My own father joint the RAF as a boy entrant in 1964, 107th entry, passed out in 1967. Then was all over the world for a few years chasing the Vulcan. During which time obviously contact with home was limited, coupled with his sister later on in the 70's persuading the parents to emigrate to Oz for a better life. Because of this, time that my Dad spent with his Dad was clearly cut short and he sadly passed away in 1994. Thomas didn't much speak of the war (as many didn't) other than what we know. Thus I have taken it upon me to piece it all together for the family, primarily my Dad. If you look here, http://www.vulcantothesky.org/smf/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;sa=topics;u=1152 you can see I did a similar thing for him. Right enough rambling now, I have taken a photo of his movements that are requested, so hopefully we can together put this puzzle together. http://postimg.org/image/ac84qtn81/ I sincerely can not thank all those who help no matter how small, enough. Time is valuable, thanks for sharing!
