Barotrauma
8th May 2006, 10:44
I'm hoping the collective minds of PPrune may be able to help....
My grandfather (Alfred Mettam) flew as a navigator in 223 sqn during WW2. He is approaching his 96th birthday and I have been going through his old diaries that he wrote at the time. Unfortunately this is not as easy as it sounds as the entries are mostly in his own shorthand (only the weather for every day between 1939 to 1945 is in the Queen's English!) and he has forgotten most of his code.
I have done a fairly extensive search on the web but most of the information as could be expected is regarding the aircraft's specification.
I therefore have a few questions for you all....
Is there a way to see the squadron's flight record book as this could be very useful in marrying in with my grandfather's diary records?
There doesn't seem to be an association for this squadron - is this correct?
Do any of you have photos of a Baltimore that I wont have seen on the web or any photos of servicemen that were in 223 sqn during the war?
Many thanks
Barotrauma
Archimedes
8th May 2006, 12:11
Squadron record books are at the National Archives, Kew - although I've done a quick online search and can't find the exact reference for the squadron in the Air 27 series, bar one dated 1959-64. The old-fashioned paper catalogues in the reference room are sometimes more helpful than an on-line search (no need to scroll down 230 pages to find the reference you want...).
You might also try the Air Historical Branch and the RAF Museum; the latter may well have photographs in its archive collection.
Barotrauma
9th May 2006, 12:12
Many thanks for the replies. I think a visit to Kew is in order. However as I have never been there before, what do I ask for in relation to the squadron's flight record book? Archimedes- you mention the "Air 27" series.Is this the correct designation of what I am looking for?
Many thanks
Barotrauma
Archimedes
9th May 2006, 16:45
Barotrauma,
a 2-part posting.
1. Getting to use the archive
2. What you need to dig out (now I've had time to search properly)
Kew first -
General info can be found here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ on
When you get to the PRO (sorry, 'National Archives' now), you'll need to stop for a quick bag check done by the nice chaps at a desk as soon as you go though the door.
Then, go to the front desk and get a reader's ticket (won't take long); take ID with you, and, to make things speedier, go to http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanceorders/?source=ddmenu_visit3 and fill out the reader's details form to take with you.
You'll need to take a pencil (no pens alllowed) for note taking, although you can photocopy and print out microfilm (cash needed, and copying is quite expensive). You can also take digital photos of the paper records, but the Squadron ORBs tend to be on microfilm.
Once you're in the reading room area, you can either do a search on the computer (which is the same as searching from home) or find AIR 27 class list from the big green folders in the room with the computers and the info desk. You can then find out whether your computer search missed anything (e.g. a typo in the computer record so that a search for 223 suqadron [sic] was in fact required - not likely, but could have happened with several million catalogue entries!) and order up the individual file.
That said, the best bet is to go to the info desk and ask for help - the staff, in my experience, are only to happy to assist people on their first visit. You order files via the computer system there - type in reader number, seat at which you're sitting and the document reference, and the documents will be brought up for you. There are a series of large, glass fronted cupboards into which the documents are put - thus, if sitting in seat 27G, you order the documents and after a short while go to the cupboards. Find the cupboard bearing your seat number on the door, and remove the document... Simple as that.
If the stuff is on microfilm, go to the microfilm reading room and retrieve the relevant microfilmfrom the shelf, and then embark on the joyous process of feeding the film into one of the microfilm readers...
Documents:
You will want to look at the following files
AIR 27/1374
AIR 27/1375
AIR 27/1376
These are the ORBs for the period 1935-1941, 1942-1944 and 1944-45 respectively
You may also want to look at
AIR 27/1377
AIR 27/1378
AIR 27/1379
AIR 27/1380
AIR 27/1381
These are the enigmatic 'appendices' to the ORBs which can contain things of great interest or rather dull stuff. The catalogue entry for Air 27/1377 suggests that it contains material relating to the 1935-1945 period, while the other files contain material relating to specific periods in the war. Whether the info is duplicated between these files and 27/1377 can only be ascertained by looking at them.
Finally, you may wish to look at Air 27/1382, which contains photo records of bombing ops in the first eight months of 1944.
I get the feeling that these documents (and certainly the photos) may be paper based, but don't be surprised to have to use a microfilm reader! Again, the staff will assist with using these and printing out from them if required.
Sorry for the long-windedness, but hope that helps.