Sector Operations Rooms

[dav1dward]

I've been researching my grandfather's war record base on some letters we found from him.

Many of his letters are posted from SOR's (eg 33SOR, 12SOR) or HQs (HQ 249 Wing, HQ 267 Squadron etc) however it's clear that, at least initially he was not performing any kind of administrative role. I can infer that because on his transfer to 267 Squadron HQ he remarks they've got him working in an office and he's never done anything like it before, although he eventually becomes the SD Duty Clerk for operations.

I'm unclear on what kind of activities would be undertaken by air personnel who were not actively doing this kind of bureaucratic role, but still seem to be attached to an SOR or HQ. Does anyone know where I could learn more about it?

Many thanks in advance!

David

[jonny]

David,

I'm afraid that you may have to provide more information for anyone to be able to offer an informed opinion. What was his trade in the RAF? It sounds like he was a a clerk Special Duties to me, but you infer that your grandfather was 'air personnel.' Are you saying he was aircrew - not groundcrew?

Rgds

Jonny

[dav1dward]

Thanks Jonny.

Unfortunately I don't have access to his service record, as my father requested it years ago and can't find it. So I don't have his trade numbers. My assumption was that he wouldn't have been a clerk Special Duties before 1944 as he remarks at that point he hasn't been working in an office. Indeed he often complains about being used as a general dogsbody. But he was definitely ground crew/staff, not air.

Since he wasn't attached to squadrons etc in that time, my assumption is he wouldn't be servicing aircraft and so on. But I wasn't clear which tasks a HQ or SOR would require which weren't office based.