Lists of Logbooks Held by the RAFM and National Archives

[AndrewClark]

I understand that both of these institutions hold some WW2 aircrew logbooks, but I am wondering whether any forums members have a list of whose they hold? I asked the RAF about one person's logbook back in March, and still haven't had a reply, presumably due to the Covid-19 situation. If anyone can help at all, I'd be very grateful. Cheers, Andrew

[cozzy711]

TNA Log books can be found by searching the AIR 4 files.

I was supplied with a list by the RAF Museum in July 2019. It was in relation to a request I made for information on Sunderland aircrew. Much of the list does contain information on Sunderland crews, but much of it doesn't. My list runs to 33 pages of A4 with about 7-13 entries per page. I suspect they have considerably more than that in total.
I'm happy to have a look for any names though they are not in alphabetical order.

Chris

[dennis_burke]

Way way back in the year of 2007, forum members got the RAFM list, just dug it out there. 219 pages long of names.

It should be on the end of this link I hope.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBb...w?usp=drivesdk

[AndrewClark]

Thank you both for your useful replies and I'm pleased to say that dennis_burke's link worked! Cheers and thanks again, Andrew

[Don Clark]

Further to earlier Flying Log Books notes
#9 at http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...739#post154739
and
#18at http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...873#post154873
and also #3 in this thread:

Why it should be so I have no idea whatever but repeated search results at RAF Museum Navigator and at Imperial War Museum now produce very different results.

In contrast to my earlier note #9 link above, an IWM search on
"Flying Log Book"
now lists no less than 524 items, either as Flying Log Book as such or as included in the content description of numerous Private papers items: see
See
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/s...0Log%20Book%22

Further and as puzzling, rechecking RAF Museum Navigator http://navigator.rafmuseum.org/simpleSearch.page.do again on
"Flying Log Book"
or
Flying Log Book
now returns NO results - cf the 160 found in my earlier search

Mercifully, a repeat TNA Discovery Search https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ on
"Flying Log Book"
still lists the 65 items previously noted at #9

As for the 2007 RAF Museum list noted #3 above: a remarkable find indeed and sorry am I to have missed it. Saved.

The file lists 5621 items at 25 per page for 291 pages, by name.
The actual number of individuals or individual log books is harder to tell:
many individuals have more than one Log Book (ranging from 2 to 7 on a quick look) and
some items have clearly been duplicated in some form.

Nevertheless a most useful resource.

PS: the RAF Museum holdings may possibly have increased since 2007, by bequest or donation.

[PNK]

I assume you have trawled through the large online collection that the IBCC hold? Most are good quality scans of F540s but some, just as useful, are handwritten diaries.

https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/

I have found RAFM Navigator wanting too. Some of my regular searches also come up with nothing or not what they did before. It has obviously been "improved to enhance the customer experience". A euphemism if ever there was one!

[AndrewClark]

Thanks again Don, I'll have a look at the links you've suggested. Cheers, Andrew

[AndrewClark]

Thanks PNK, I've had a bit of a poke about on the IBCC website, but haven't exhausted it yet (I'm looking for around eighty people!) but thanks for the reminder. I am filled with fear whenever anything involving technology is improved!!! Cheers, Andrew

[PNK]

As the IBCC archive is added to regularly it is worth regular revisits as log as you remember what you have already looked at!

I still use an old program from 2001 - it loads in two seconds and does everything I require of it. The modern stuff does a dance before it loads - too slow, already lost interest :)

[Don Clark]

Noted, many thanks.

At some point in the past, for whatever reason, I had largely discounted the IBCC as such.
A mistake, even if my own long research is unrelated to Bomber Command.

Though not altogether missing the significance of the IBCC Digital Archive, I found that Search there gave "muddled results" (See #18 here)

However, the IBCC Digital Archive is a remarkable achievement, as it shows easily accessible pdf copies of a very great range of Bomber Command related documents, personal and otherwise, including numerous Flying Log Books.

The beauty of the IBBC approach is that original personal items are only borrowed, to be scanned and presented as a digital copy -a pdf file which ought to be easily accessed by anyone with minimal PC skills.
Once digitised, the originals are returned to the lenders.

The IBCC Digital Archive (https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/) Search box on that page still takes some getting used to, as a search on
"Flying Log Book"
with or without quotes, produces the same startling result: 3412 total items in 137 pages.

Checking backwards from p 137 soon shows this to be a quirk, as the vast majority of the 3412 hits have nil Flying Log Book content.

Search on exact match variants via the non-intuitive flyout options produces odd results as well. All in all, a rather disappointing, as noted.

However, patience rewarded :
Page 1 of the original 3412 hits is all Flying Log Books.

Selecting any one of these leads to the item's title/description page.
Scroll down the description to Type:
Then click on the field Text. Log book and record book
This produces a list of 265 total items in 11 pages, a better focussed result: the vast majority of these are indeed Flying Log Books.
List here: Flying Log book

Note: clicking on the Browse by tag stub does offer Squadron no selection, but again quirky in the results shown.

Anyway, once you have a Flying Log Book's title/description page open, clicking the image for that Log Book opens it's PDF file.
With my set up, on broadband, the PDF opens all but instantly in my browser, Firefox.
There are several options to magnify the pages to a legible size.

Quirky, but another 260 odd Flying Log Books, easily read: a really commendable achievement.

Footnote:
Of course, holdings for (non-Bomber Command) 211 Squadron - nil.

Postscript:
Edit to resolve own errors of recall, cf #18 here)