3 Sqn Bristol Bulldog Pilots 1930 to 1936

[Mehitabel]

Sept-Dec 1931: J9578, K1096, J9569
1932: as above, plus J9583, K1089, K1082, J9582.
That logbook runs out in Sept 1932, and then I'm missing the next one and I can pick up again in Jan 1937 when the first plane he flies is Bulldog K1607. I can carry on if you like!

These are all the Bulldogs he flew altogether (I've been going through the logbooks and making notes of all the numbers of everything he flew, on the offchance I can go and pat the noses of any survivors) - he was in 3 Squadron from September 1931 (passed out of 5 FTS in August) until January 1938, when he moved to CFS as an instructor.

Bristol Bulldog

J9569, J9576, J9578, J9582, J9583, K1082, K1089, K1096, K1607 (photo: poss Jan 1937 ‘formation for new pilot' entry), K1632, K2226, K2872, K3177 (Photo of K1628)

Photos (that are definitely Bulldogs, I am not a plane buff so I only know the ones where I can see numbers or people have told me) linked below - and if anyone is interested and wants to look through the rest of the album, if any of the other people, planes or photos can be IDed I'd absolutely love to know. I've got a 'farewell dinner' menu from when the squadron was in Port Sudan, and all sorts of 'desert' photos that might be there, might be Iraq (he was at Habbaniya in 1941) or might be Zimbabwe, where he went after Iraq.

https://flic.kr/p/2jwx9nQ
https://flic.kr/p/2oRU9Pm
https://flic.kr/p/2oRWegx
https://flic.kr/p/2oUsdaj

[Don Clark]

Image 1: Agree, camel, and (drum roll, pls Cecil) not Sopwith (tish)

Image 13: Two seater so not a Bristol Bulldog. No rear cockpit armament: Armstrong Whitworth Atlas dual control trainer?
Image 14: Looks to be 2 Sqns, with 9 and 10 aircraft that might be Armstrong Whitworth Atlas aircraft at "dress": awaiting formal inspection, maybe?
Image 15: Two seater, serial J9, possibly Atlas.
Image 21: 8 or 9 aircraft, possibly Bulldog 2A from the fin form, K serials
Image 44: Agree, Hawker Hurricane, apparently the Feb 1936 prototype K5083 (note undercarriage door form)
Image 46: Gloster Gauntlet, left, serial K7864 65 Sqn 15 Dec 36, 111 Sqn 3 Aug 37, 213 Sqn 21 Mar 38, then Maintenance Units finally at 19 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School 5 Aug 39
Gloster Gladiator, right, glazed cockpit framing visible, K serial not resolvable
Image 47: Not Hawker Tomtit, from tail fin, which looks to be...Bristol Bulldog to me
Image 48: Agree, Hawker Audax K7525 of 4 FTS from c Sep 1936 at Habbaniya, Iraq, 'C' Sqn Habbaniya Striking Force May 41, damaged by ground fire nr Habbaniya 2 May 41, repaired on site, then 52 Sqn, 173 Sqn, 267 Sqn, 201 Group Communication Flight, Struck off charge 26 Jul 44.

That's as far as I got. Quite open to correction on interpretation...

Sources
Text and images in
Halley The K File: The RAF of the 1930s (AB 1995)
Thompson & Sturtivant RAF Aircraft J1-J9999 etc (AB 1987)

Postscript
A fine album of the period and of considerable enduring interest, with well captured images of sometimes rather difficult images. Much appreciate seeing these.

[Mehitabel]

Thanks for these! i will go through the album and make changes. I've been researching grandad's career these last couple of years since mum died and I found all these photos, logbooks, medals etc in a cupboard where they'd been sitting untouched since my grandmother died! Fascinating stuff, especially the Habbaniya period. Watch out for us on the Swanage-filmed Antiques Roadshow in the autumn! (Which was what started me off - I do wish I'd found out more before the filming so they could have talked about Habbaniya on air.) I am going to do a post at some point about how to find out what 3 Squadron was up to in the missing logbook.

[Don Clark]

You're welcome.

On the period Sept 1932 to Jan 1937 (and 3 Sqn, eg), in case you've not got this far yet, you might like to scroll through the 3 Squadron Operations Record Book - only the Summary Form 540 pages at this date. See National Archives UK digitised set in AIR 27/32/1 for 1924-1939 (Sep 32 from image 71 onwards), see
https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/C2502663
These are shown watermarked.
You can also download a free clean copy just by registering your email - just follow the green panel info left above the image.

In case you would like to check formal details of the unit postings and dates, promotions etc for your grandfather James Watson 590089 and 45116 and have not already got his formal RAF Service record,
if he died more than 25 years ago, you can request a copy of his remaining Airman and Officer Personnel forms - 2 large pages for each - here
RAF Service Record request notes/forms:
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

If he died in the last 25 years, you'll need NoK permission to request, or they can only give you a heavily summarised postings list.

Best wishes with your project

[Mehitabel]

Thankyou again - I hadn't heard of that ORB but I will investigate next! I've got his official service record thanks to mum a few years back, 5 out of 7 logbooks and this massive pile of photos - I've been going through the logbooks making a proper document about him for the family. I've spoken to a couple of people at the 3 Squadron association who've been really helpful and are doing some asking around.

So I know where they were but it's been so interesting with the rest of it figuring out the day to day of what he was actually doing, I appreciate without a logbook I won't get that level of detail but for instance I know they were in Port Sudan for the Abyssinia Crisis but haven't so far managed to work out why or what they were doing, if there was any action, etc etc.

Then after that my next stop is what used to be the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, where he was in the 50s during the other missing logbook time! I am hoping it will turn out to be as interesting as it seems.

[paulmcmillan]

an example of while the Logbook like this is important

J9568 (7323); Completed 29.4.29; tested 8.5.29; TOC A&AEE 4.6.29; 3 Sqdn .29 - .30; MKRS (mods); 3 Sqdn 5.6.30 - 11.30; 41 Sqdn 10.31

The offical record has no info about J9568 in Sept to Dec 1931 - last 3 Sqn 11.1930 - as your grandfather flew it Sept to Dec 1931 - we now know it was on the books of 3 Sqn until at least Sept 1931

Paul

[Mehitabel]

Hi Paul - there's J9578 and J9569, not J9568. And I also just spotted J9503 and J9583 hidden in October (I can do photos if it's easier to check it all?)