Our speaker, Clare Wilson, started by asking us to let her know via Zoom’s chat function about our own RAF family connections. Then Clare talked about her own family with photographs. The first of her ancestors was in the Fleet Air Arm towards the end of WWI, her Great Uncle flew in WWII and her father served in the 1960s in RAF Air Traffic Control.
Clare talked about sections of the Air Force during WWII and what records we were likely to find about those who served in them. There should be Service Records for all personnel, WAAFs, ground crew, aircrew etc. but there will be a wider range of documents for those in Bomber, Coastal and Fighter Commands.
If you are an immediate next of kin or have the permission of the next of kin you can apply for Service Records from Gov.UK website. Currently RAF records take about a month to arrive, much quicker than Army records which can take a year. However, service records are currently being transferred to TNA (The National Archives). To help you with your search TNA have guides plus the National Library of Scotland hold Lists of Air Force personnel as well.
Recruits also came from the Commonwealth and many other parts of the world. TNA have digitised many but they may not be open unless you can apply as a next of kin. Check the subscription website for what they may hold.
War Medals are normally listed in the service record along with mentions in dispatches. Newspapers especially The Gazette may also list details. Next of kin can apply for British WWII medals from Gov.UK.
Next described were the RAF records held at TNA that are useful to search to find details about a man. Such as his squadron’s events, combat, intelligence, casualties, POW questionnaires etc. These are mainly in the following sets AIR 2, 27, 28, 29, 40, 50, 81 and WO 208, 416, 344. Statements in WO208 were by 'evaders’, that is those who managed to escape back home after being shot down.
Clare then gave a case history of the crew of 102 Squadron. The crew were all volunteers a mix of British and Australians. She said that it was common for most crews to be of mixed nationalities. Using TNA records Air27 she plotted their operations from 21st May to 28th June 1944 in the record of events files and showed screen shots of the information that is likely to be given in these records. She said there are several reference books devoted to War Diaries and to Losses mostly out of print and extremely expensive. But showed screen shots of what we would glean from a Losses book. Clare ended the case history when 102 Squadron had to bail out. Of the 7 crew members 2 were killed in action, one was captured and became a prisoner of war, whist the rest were listed as ‘evaders’ which meant they made it back home.
The British Red Cross collection hold information about prisoners of war. Whilst air crew who died behind enemy lines were often buried in local cemeteries and later exhumed and buried in War Grave cemeteries. There is always paperwork for this which may be of use to the researcher. Commonwealth War Graves Commission also hold details of RAF War dead with much the same information as that given for Army war dead.
RAF Air Historical Branch hold details of accidents and looses an email to them may reveal more. We were shown a combat report and Clare said if the Luftwaffe pilot who shot down an aircraft can be named further information may be available.
Clare suggested we searched all crew members because information in their reports as Evaders or PoW may include information about the person you are researching. She showed extracts from an Evaders report and PoW questionnaires, Inmate cards from a pow camp and newspaper reports.
Additional resources. All personnel were encouraged to write Wills if they died in service check for one. Check: Squadron Associations, Museums, Archives for home and overseas online groups and blogs.
Finally Oral Histories – Clare broadcast an excerpt from the International Bomber Command Centre website - we heard the voice of James Burchall a bomber pilot with 103 Squadron recalling how he was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner in 1944. A powerful and emotive memory to end this talk which was packed full of valuable information which most of us never knew exisited.
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Report by Tricia Baxter
This was Canterbury branch’s final meeting via zoom for winter 2023/24. The branch’s next meeting is on 8th March 2024 when we will be back in St Andrews Hall Watling Street. The talk will be about Aphra Behn Canterbury’s most famous daughter. Hope to see you there.