RAF LAC 80 SIGS Wing (Artillery)

Correction: I meant to say I have been surfing the internet, not website!! extensively.

 

RAF Station New Camp is an area of Gibraltar in a similar way that RAF Station North Front is - all are on the rock and only separated by a few miles..

RAF Gibraltar

Gibraltar was staging for Operation Torch but with the shortage of space for all the units and equipment needed some units went direct to the invasion area - All RAF Movements would consist of three parties - Advance, Main and Rear.

Advanced was small and consisted only of essential equipment and manpower to carry out limited role with minimal support. Main would follow when directed and would usually contain the bulk of the Admin and HQ staff along with remaining equipment and manpower to fully maintain/service role. Finally the rear party would join after they facilitated either hand over of old base to a new unit advanced party or closed down the old location.

So looking at time line No.333 Group was officially formed 1st Sept - your relative was transferred to PDC and paper transfer 28th Aug .

Advance party sailed 13/11/42 from Avonmouth on SS Orontes and disembarked 23/11 to Hussein Dey. The Main party arrived 6/12/42.

The RAF was trying out a new tactic from lessons from Crete where RAF Servicing Commando units would go in early to the assault beaches and were expected to advance rapidly to seize and hold against counter attack the designated aerodrome areas. They would be augmented within a day or so from beach landed units of RAF Regiment who would then take over aerodrome defence duties allowing the Servicing Commando Units to concentrate on aircraft replenishment/servicing tasking. The advance party of No.333 Group was within two weeks of the initial capture of aerodrome with Main party a fortnight later.

ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, 1939-1943.

THE OPERATION TORCH, NOVEMBER 1942

2721 FIELD SQUADRON – OP TORCH 1942 - RAF Regiment Heritage

AHQ normally controlled subordinate Groups which were role based in their establishment. Groups may or may not have Wings below them - it depended on scale of effort but Groups or Wings were made up of Squadrons. Subordinate to Squadrons were Flights and finally Units. All down to Flights produced a daily Record Of Events and Monthly Summary along with Appendices which were preserved for historical purposes and reside in the TNA as Operations Record Book or ORB. Detail in these is variable.

Once in North Africa No.333 Group stayed in the same general area until the other forces pushed West. The date of posting to RAF New Camp is around the time when the AHQ controlling No.333 Group was effectively redundant as the battle area was set to move with Husky into southern Italy..

No.333 Group under AHQ Algiers was absorbed into Eastern Air Command 19 Nov 1943 and personnel sent to other units or stations. In your relatives case it was a posting to a Station rather than another active unit.

Looking at dates he was still at New Camp when Husky and the subsequent push up Italy happened only being posted to the mystery AHQ a month before D Day in the North of France.

Ross

 

Was looking for this journal online.

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/docume...y-Journals/Journal-32-Joint-US-UK-seminar.pdf

Page 36 onwards is a good overview of the Joint air control of Torch

Ross

 

Ross, I can't thank you enough! Here is the enlarged version of Form 543 which you asked for.


I hope this is what you wanted to have a look at. Denis.

 

Sorry Denis,

Even with this the handwitten entry eludes me - however I will hazard a guess as to the initial Operation and general area.

The date of posting as 1st May 1944 suggests the formation date and manpower embodiment for a entirely new AHQ rather than a posting to replace a bod from unit establishment.

Initially Normandy was to be in addition to another pincer invasion (Operation Anvil) but it was decided that both could not be supported as the same time so the southern invasion was postponed until August.

I suspect his AHQ posting was to one of the AHQ in the ORBAT for Operation Dragoon.
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon order of battle

Most of the MAAF flew from Corsica and Sardinina but lesser AHQ did move to Southern France eg
BBC - WW2 People's War - The Other Invasion of France - 15 August 1944

This would tie in with no recorded posting to Formation outside initial NWA and it's descendants which would need an entry in records ie he was still under the control of the original Field Force he had been posted to from Home.

You see this before his Posting to RAF Earls Colne and No.100 Personel Despatch Unit. eg
HE - paper transfer to Home Echelon/Estabishment
Station Earls Colne - paper transfer to Station while in transit

Corsica/Sardinia/South France would also tie in with return to Gibraltar just prior to VE day.

Ross

 

Good Morning Ross,
Thanks again for your research. I am very appreciative of your assistance. I have two questions before I turn my attention to another uncle who was in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese, but who escaped to Java with some Australians and then sailed on to Australia.

Q #1.Does NWA mean North West Africa?
Q# 2. My uncle told his daughter that he was injured and he spent nine months recovering in England. Could the break between 1944 and 1945 when he returned to Gibraltar be that period. It is approximately nine-ten months. Is that a clue to where he might have been during that time? His injury was a bullet graze across his face which blinded him for a long time. He took the opportunity to study SMAE while on sick leave.

My uncle's stories (very seldom told, I might add, and usually when he was drunk and depressed) certainly gave the impression that he was aircrew, had been shot down and rescued and had seen children killed in an air attack. I have to verify these stories somehow, or not as the case may be, so I think I will wait until TNA opens up again after Covid to get some help with personalizing his experience as much as possible. I simply do not seem to be able to link 333 Group with any specific squadron or activity which would have emanated from Gibraltar. I think I have gone as far as I can for the time being with certainty. A lot further than when I started on WW2Talk, thanks to you and others who have contributed.
If you can help me with the two questions, I would appreciate it.

Sincerely, Denis.

P.S. I will be back with LAC Neville Leon Foster!!

 

Yes NWA North West Africa - although the official abbreviation for the Command between 17/2/43 and 20/2/44 was NAAF - Northwest African Air Forces

Service records are usually meticulous in recording extended periods of when an Airman was NE (non effective) as it was a way for the unit to get a replacement in establishment to cover his duties. So you usually see a transfer to SSQ (Station Sick Quarter) for ailments that can be treated locally or a transfer to IGH/BGH (Indian General Hospital/British General Hospital) for ailments that needed specialist care.

Neither of these terms appear in his record so any injury sustained did not mean a lengthy stay in SSQ and certainly did not impair his ability to carry out assigned daily tasking for any length of time.

The only time he was Non Effective was demob - when the entire file was stamped NE in the top corner.

Remember that a unit was usually co-located at a geographic location with other RAF units and, in the field , with other arms of service.

In the case of Hussein Day, Tunisa over the same period
No.333 Group
No.135 Air Stores Park
Eastern Air Command
No.218 Group Communication Flight
No.146 Maintenance Unit
No.351 Maintenance Unit
HQ RAF North Africa
No.331 Wing - this is the operational formation but they were only at this location for a month.

As you can see co located units at this location was HQ / Support and transit only - you will not be able to find what was not there.

Ross

 

"From TNA. 333 Group RAF Regiment, West Kirby (UK). Formed 1 September 1942, moved to Algiers 8 November 1942; became HQ RAFR Eastern Air Command; moved to Maison Carree (Algeria) 23 November 1942; moved to Constantine 20 M.arch 1943; became HQ RAFR Northwest African Air Forces; moved to La Marsa 16 August 1943. The RAF Regiment was formed to provide ground defences for RAF airfields after the battle for Crete showed the weakness of airfield defences."

Harry sent me this information. It appears from what Ross has deduced that 333 Group would have been involved in both Operation Torch and Operation Husky. LAC D.K. Foster's return to Gibraltar could read 28/8/43 although it is difficult to make out. This would tie in to both operations.




Would he still have been with 333 Group in Gibraltar? I am really hoping that someone can decipher AHQ ? Does the movement date 1/5/44.give a clue? And what does the A in AHQ stand for?

Best wishes,

Denis.

 

AHQ - Air Headquarters

Service record lists postings - at RAF Station New Camp or RAF Station Gibraltar he was NOT at No.333 Group

"Once in North Africa No.333 Group stayed in the same general area until the other forces pushed West. The date of posting to RAF New Camp is around the time when the AHQ controlling No.333 Group was effectively redundant as the battle area was set to move with Husky into southern Italy..

No.333 Group under AHQ Algiers was absorbed into Eastern Air Command 19 Nov 1943 and personnel sent to other units or stations. In your relatives case it was a posting to a Station rather than another active unit.

Looking at dates he was still at New Camp when Husky and the subsequent push up Italy happened only being posted to the mystery AHQ a month before D Day in the North of France."

So no I did not deduce No.333 Group involved in Husky and I went out of way to point out that your relative was not involved with Husky with another formation.

No.333 Group was formed to take part in Operation Torch, it did not move or become one of the units for Operation Husky

Ross

 

Thanks, Ross. It gets a bit confusing for me to try to follow. I apologize for my confusion with Operation Husky. I have gone as far as Operation Torch and will hold off until TNA opens up again. I think the mystery AHQ, 1944-1945, is a key to the conclusion of his service. I do have one more question, however. seeing that he was stationed in Gibraltar from 43-44, what role did Gibraltar continue to play at that time? I have learned that it was important for protecting sea routes for the Allies, but did it continue to remain important as an air base for the allies in any other way?

 

Military history of Gibraltar during World War II

Air raids by Italian AF, Italian frogmen chariot attacks on harbour shipping - summer 1943

Abwehr sabotage missions to blow up infrastructure - summer 1943

Not until 1944 that active threats receeded and Gibraltar ceased to be "front line facing"

Concentration of shipping through straits to italy, india, burma, far east to supply war effort in theatre attracted short range U-Boat attacks from Biscay U-Boat bases until Autumn 1944.

Air resupply route for aircraft and material to Far East UK - Gibraltar - Malta - Egypt etc essential all through war and beyond.

It still has a defined air role today for air support to operations
RAF Gibraltar | Royal Air Force

Ross

 

Thanks, Ross. This will help me paint the picture. I am sure when TNA opens up again I will get more information on his movements.

 

Hi Denis,

I got a chance to consider this again and took another look at dates - in particular his posting to the AHQ in question May 1944.

If it was associated with Operation Anvil then Corsica was the main build up area - however around May 1944 was the time that Operation Anvil units were also grouping at Sardinia.

Now on Sardinia were a number of airfields originally used by the Italian Regia Aeronatica up to Sept 1943 - one in particular attracted two severe air raids and left it unserviceable for an extended period.

Milis (ITAL/Sardinia) (40 01 35 N – 08 37 25 E)
https://www.ww2.dk/Airfields - Italy Sicily and Sardinia.pdf

Milis does not come up in TNA Discovery searches relating to May 1944 AHQ locations but given the connection of Sardinia to Operation Anvil, similarity of name to the handwritten AHQ entry and lack of any other solutions its worth exploration when you go to the TNA.

Ross

 

Don't know if this on any use -
12.8.40. - No.200 (Coastal) Group RAF was transferred to Coastal Command and assumed command of all flying boats and maritime land-planes based on Gibraltar. It was disbanded on 21st December 1941 and reformed as AHQ Gibraltar.

 

Sorry, I've only recently joined the forum, hence not seen this thread until now. In the hope that it is still live, I can confirm that the service record does not say "Artillery" but rather it is, as Ross notes above, a reference to one of the outstations of 80 Wing. In this case, it is the Meacon station at Ditchling. A meacon, or masking beacon, was a site that re-radiated German direction finding stations used by German aircraft for navigation purposes and thereby made it difficult for German aircraft to find their way back home.