Service Records

[aj4010]

I have my fathers service records, most of which I can understand. He was RAF, a dispatch rider. Unfortunately, the critical point of his record is undecipherable to me, as he told me first hand that he was attached to the American Third Army after D-Day.
If I could scan them and post, are there any wiser heads here that could decipher RAF records?

Kind Regards,

Andy

[Battery Command Post]

I would say it was likely we could work it out as a group on here.

Post it anyway, please, it sounds interesting!!

Rob

[aj4010]

Ok. I get the stuff until June 44, then a mystery. Aferwards, most of the stuff, hospital etc I understand too.

Regards,

Andy

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Andy, "STT" = School of Technical Training.

72 wing 60 group seems to be involved with radar:

Template: Masthead Layout

I cannot make out the next entry, but the one after that is again 72 wing.

No. 8 RAF General Hospital was in Brussels

4th Mechanical Transport Company

101 Personnel Despatch Centre.

Hope this helps?

Cheers, Ade.

[aj4010]

72 wing 60 group seems to be involved with radar:

Template: Masthead Layout

I cannot make out the next entry, but the one after that is again 72 wing.

Thanks, Ade.
He did tell me he was involved in running messages to remote "OBOE" stations on top of mountains/hills.


Kind Regards,

Andy

Edit: Just read your link right through. Thanks so much. Of note is the Battle of the Bulge reference. My father had very interesting tales of that time, and as he admitted he was very worried for a while.

Kind Regards,

Andy

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Andy, that sounds like it fits.

Just edited my previous reply as I added a bit more info.

Cheers, Ade.

[aj4010]

Thanks Ade, you are a gem.

Best Regards,

Andy

[Battery Command Post]

Hi Andy

I can add a little to what Ade has said.

72 Wing operated in N W Europe, but was not part of 2nd Tactical Air Force (the RAF support for 21st Army Group). 72 Wing, was part of 100 Group, and it's task was operating forward navigational aids, mostly for Bomber Command. It operated three pairs of mobile GEE-H stations, two OBOE stations and some "Light 100" stations which could operate as GEE, GEE-H or OBOE. This would fit in with the earlier conversation we had about OBOE.

I am still trying to identify exactly what 52008 D Unit was exactly Despatch Unit maybe?

Prior to that he was at RAF Chigwell it seems, which was definitely used as a training centre for mobile air traffic control and similar units.

I think the "60 Group" entry is actually a mistake which has been corrected with "72 WING".

Rob

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Rob, I was thinking along the lines of Despatch Unit too....

Cheers, Ade.

[aj4010]

Hi Andy

I can add a little to what Ade has said.

72 Wing operated in N W Europe, but was not part of 2nd Tactical Air Force (the RAF support for 21st Army Group). 72 Wing, was part of 100 Group, and it's task was operating forward navigational aids, mostly for Bomber Command. It operated three pairs of mobile GEE-H stations, two OBOE stations and some "Light 100" stations which could operate as GEE, GEE-H or OBOE. This would fit in with the earlier conversation we had about OBOE.

I am still trying to identify exactly what 52008 D Unit was exactly Despatch Unit maybe?

Prior to that he was at RAF Chigwell it seems, which was definitely used as a training centre for mobile air traffic control and similar units.

I think the "60 Group" entry is actually a mistake which has been corrected with "72 WING".

Rob

Thanks, thats fantastic info, thank you so much.
Any idea if he would have come under American command? The reason I ask is that he had to hand over to the Americans a German Officer who walked into his "shed" as he called it one night in the Ardennes, and surrendered. He was dressed in black!
It bothered him because the Officer, for obvious reasons at the time certainly did not want to surrender to the Americans, hence him searching for the RAF unit there.
Could the illegible entry below, followed by (A) be A for American?

Best Regards,

Andy