Regional Control Officer?

[jonny]

Dear all,

Whilst looking through the 61 Sqn ORB today ref the loss of Manchester R5789 from RAF North Luffenham, I saw that the crew composition noted P/O Lancaster (of an 8 man crew) as being a 'Regional Control Officer'. Can anyone tell me what that means please?

TIA

Jonny

[CZ_RAF]

Hi all,

I would like to re-open this old thread which I have found why looking for the answer to the identical question.
I have Regional Control Officer in connection of possible unauthorised flight when a Wellington has landed at Honington after raid and shortly afterwards flew to East Wretham

So far my presumptions are:

1. this was and officer responsible for the air traffic so I would say something like present air traffic controller?
2. region means there was one for some area covering seveal airfileds?

TIA

Pavel

[Richard]

Hi Pavel,

My first thought was Flying Control, but AP3024 only details roles and responsibilities for Airfield, Base and Group Controllers, plus the arrangements for Central Flying Control at ADGB, Bomber and Transport Command. SD158, which details air movement and recognition procedures, refers to 'Movement Liaison Sections' based at ADGB Fighter Group HQ's and covering the same boundaries, but doesn't mention anything to do with 'Regions'.

Second thought is that the RCO might be part of the Anti-Aircraft control structure. Flak Liaison Officers often flew on bomber ops. However, tSD158 also details procedures for AA liaison, but no mention of Regions or Region Control.

Not much help I'm afraid, but either RCO is a short-lived term that doesn't appear in the versions of AP3024 and SD158 that I have, or we're looking in the wrong places.

Richard

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

I am currently working through a number of Bomber OTU ORBs and personnel being posted in for Regional Control Duties are a common entry. and I had assumed it was something to do with Flying Control.

Malcolm

[CZ_RAF]

Richard and Malcolm, thank you for your posts. It seems to me we all have the similar understandig of this role.
I met this role in late 1940 and early 1941, it was also mentioned in another form in my book based of J. Gellner DFC diary:

https://books.google.cz/books?id=qgV...ontrol&f=false

Pavel

[jonny]

For what it is worth, the Plt Off Lancaster that I referred to in the first post was part of an 8 man crew engaged on an operational sortie against Cherbourg. The ORB lists him as Regional Control Officer. I find it all rather odd that a ground based Flying Control Officer would be hitching a ride in a 61 Sqn Manchester with a full bomb load and hostile intent, but stranger things happen in war.

[CZ_RAF]

Jonny I agree it looks strange he was aboard but you know, many members of the ground staff wanted to make at least one sortie... Other possibility is that there was some service reason for his presence aboard...

Unfortunately I am still unable to find any details about the Regional Control, for example division into regions, where Regional Control Officer was based, was it at some selected airfield or somewhere else?

The mystery remains...

Pavel

[PeteT]

May be a red herring, but thought I would throw it into the debate:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...0RAFVR&f=false

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Pete, thanks for your idea.
Going you way I have found:

https://books.google.cz/books?id=uCP...0RAFVR&f=false

But much more interesting is this one (which is unfortunately not available in full):

https://books.google.cz/books?id=f1m...maARMQ6AEILzAB

I am pretty sure this article would be able to give us the answer...

Pavel

[malcolm_raf]

I have just come across an entry in the 19 OTU ORB which refers to a new form of flare path being found entirely satisfactory from the 'regional control' point of view.

This seems to confirm it was an early form of ATC. Further evidence seems to be that in the various ORBs I've seen so far the term 'Regional Control' seems to stop being used around the time 'Flying Control' comes into use

Malcolm

PS further along the document there is a monthly summary which states "...the Regional Control Centre, over 1200 aircraft being worked on RC frequencies, and over 100 radio assisted landings"