RAF abrreviations

[Alex Crawford]

Hi,

I'm going through some docs I was sent on 6 Sqn during ops in Palestine 1938. Part of the disposition of the squadron in Jan '38 has the following;

RAMLEH: Headquarters. 'A' and 'C' Flights.
Armament and Signal personnel.
8 I.E. aircraft. 3 I.R. aircraft.
Officers – 7. SNCO’s –10. Airmen –42.

What does the I.E aircraft and I.R aircraft refer to? At this stage 6 Sqn were converting from the Hart to the Hardy.

Any help appreciated.

Alex

[AdrianR8]

Initial Equipment and Immediate Reserve (to allow the IE numbers to be maintained when allowing for servicing and losses).

[Alex Crawford]

Hi AdrianR8,

Many thanks for your quick response, much appreciated.

Alex

[David Duxbury]

Alex,
I agree totally with AdrianR8 in his "translation" of IE and IR. Not particularly relevant in this instance, but there were other initials used in describing unit aircraft establishments (common to most British Commonwealth air forces at this time, and well into the postwar era) although some may be purely of the postwar era. UE = Unit Establishment (IE + IR = UE). There were also others such as SR (Stored Reserve, usually for remote units far from an MU) and WR (meant Workshop Reserve so far as I know). These are all part of the vocabulary of the equipment and stores language of the RAF, with establishment meaning the authorized strength of any unit, broken down into personnel (Officers and OAs) broken down by Branch (officers) or trade (airmen/Airwomen, and sometimes also civilians. Then there were the equipment establishments, including aircraft (where applicable), MT, and Marine Craft (where applicable), plus miscellaneous equipment such as type writers (computers these days), tools other than those held by tradesmen, aircraft handling equipment (if not on charge of the Station or Base), etc, etc.
David D