Daring young RAF men in flying machines

[paulmcmillan]

Stuart ‘1941’. Is only estimated enlistment date based on service number

[Chas]

Thanks Chas, but I must be searching incorrectly because I only found one Black, "Black, John – Blackford, William Walter"

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. That's a link to a file which will contain hundreds of index cards. The Blacks start here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/C15623726 and run into the next batch https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/C15623727 They are free to download but it will take you quite a while to go through them all!

[stuartblack]

The more I read, the more questions I have. I will start with a few simple ones -- because I noticed when I cut and paste from a word document, the formatting clutters the page:

How do you know which RAF Command someone was with: Coastal, Bomber, Fighting? And where does Personnel and transport service fit in?

After training in UK, Canada US, and back in the UK, my father (Donal James Black 1809430) was posted to:

1. 1334 TSCU Baroda, India (Sept-Oct 1945); I think CU stands for Conversion Unit but what does "TS" stand for? Transport Service?
2. Mingaladon, Rangoon, Burma with 267 Squadron (passenger & freight transport, 12 Nov 1945 to 25 June 1946);
3. Kallang, Singapore with 48 Squadron (transport, 10 July 1946 to January 1947)

[bvs]

Hi Stuart

1334 TSCU = Transport Support Conversion Unit

From https://www.214squadron.org.uk/PDF_a..._1945_1947.pdf

to 1334 TSCU (Transport Support Conversion Unit) at Baroda in the north of Bombay Province. There we were to be
indoctrinated in Far Eastern flying conditions and the gentle art of supply dropping

.

[stuartblack]

BVS, that link is very helpful. it provides a "missing link" explaining what sort of missions my father was flying while stationed in Baroda, and later in Mingaladon, Rangoon, and Changi, Singapore. Thank you very much. Gerhard Heilng passed away in 2014, but he is likely to have known my father.

[stuartblack]

I just received my father's RAF Record of Service (Donal James Black) and am comparing it with his Flight Log book. I have a few questions that I hope someone on this forum can answer:

1. Under Miscellaneous: "Rec. for the USCC": What was he recommended for? US Corps of Cadets? RAF Reserve Civilian Component?
2. Under Miscellaneous: "Rec. For a commission": Paul MacMillian noted earlier that L.A.C. Donal James Black #1809430 was later "commissioned" with same service number 25 June 1948. Was he recommended for a commission on the RAF Reserve upon recruitment, perhaps because he was an ex-ATC member, or perhaps this was a later entry after training?
3. What is the significance of RAF ACSB numbers? My father was recruited to “Euston”, which I assume is Euston House, Eversholt Street, London NW1. Malcolm on this forum indicated that certain numbers are associated with Aviation Candidate Selection Board, (Nos 11, 13, 14, 15 & 23). Is one of these the number for Euston?
4. His RAF Service Number was 1809430 - I saw elsewhere that enlisted numbers are given in blocks depending on location (Euston?) and date (Sep 1942)
5. Under "Units to" his Record of Service has a few entries that don't match his Flight log:
a) "1332 Heo" (no date) but immediatly after his posting to No. 6 (P) AFU (20 Mar 45) Advanced Flying Unit at Little Rissington listed in his Flight Log and prior to Morecambe (below)
b) "Morecambe" (27 Aug 45) appears to be No.9 School of Technical Training (but this does not appear in his Flight log). Perhaps this is one of a series of flight training schools that he attended on returning to the UK after training in Canada and US (Grosse Ile and Pensacola, Aug 43 to April 44) -- (7 PRC, Whitley Bay, 4 EFTS, 3 School of General ReConnaissance, and No 6 P AFU)
c) "ACHS HQ (U) 229 Group" (1 Sept 45), this is not in his Flight Log but appears just prior to his overseas posting to 1334 TSCU Baroda India.
6. After returning from Burma and Singapore (267 and 48 Squadrons, the entry on his Record looks like "101 PDC" (which aI assume is 101 Personnel Dispersal Centre, Kirkham, UK), 4 Feb 47.
7. Class A Release (29 April 47)
8. G1 reserve (30 April 47)
9. Discharged (12 May 48)
I thank you in advance for any help identifying any of these, but particularly: #1, #2, #3, 5a, 5c.
Regards, Stuart

[bvs]

BVS, that link is very helpful. it provides a "missing link" explaining what sort of missions my father was flying while stationed in Baroda, and later in Mingaladon, Rangoon, and Changi, Singapore. Thank you very much. Gerhard Heilng passed away in 2014, but he is likely to have known my father.

Hi Stuart

Sorry forgot to reply to this.
Gerhard seemed to be quite a character,he wrote at least 2 autobiographical books about his flying career as both a W Op and Pilot (Circuits and Bumps + More Circuits and Bumps),he surely must hold the post war record for the number of Airlines/Companies he worked for :)

regards baz

[bvs]

Re #2 and # 9 on post #16

When people were commissioned in the RAF/RAFVR - they were 'discharged' from non commissioned service and 'Re Engaged' (rejoined) as an Officer,this was merely a paperwork shuffle
but possibly they were officially a civvy for a few minutes 'in between'.

[bvs]

5a

1332 Heo perhaps = 1332 HCU (heavy conversion unit) ?

[stuartblack]

Thanks. I think your suggestion about HCU is correct. His skills flying medium sized aircraft (Catalina) were "converted" to heavier Oxfords being used in his next posting to 1334 TSCU Baroda. I also found out that ACHS is probably Aircraft Hand (not sure what the "S" stands for, or where HQ fits in) but "V" is "unskilled" and 229 is "No. 229 (Transport) Group" (formed 16 December 1943 and disbanded 31 March 1947), which fits with his postings:
1. Baroda's transport conversion unit (15 Sept 45),
2. Squadron 267 (Mingaladon, Rangoon, Burma 6 Nov 45)
3. 48 (Kallang, Singapore 11 July 46)
It would be great if anyone has any group photos of these squadrons during those dates.
Stuart