RAF service numbers

[lsd]

Just found a metal dog tag for an RAF serviceman - his/her number is J8204***. Internet not being very helpful in indicating year of enlistment/ place or trade. No serious reason, just curious as my tags were red circular and green octagonal, neither being metal; and not showing blood group unlike this metal one.
Any info appreciated - I must have too much time on my hands, many thanks

[Pypard]

Number appears to be a recent one (circa 1980s/1990s)? Metal dog tags were IIRC a recent -ish dvelopment, circular is shape.

The service number sounds familiar. Technician Apprentice or Fitter maybe?

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I joined in 1978 with a "81" number. My guess would be early eighties for a "82" number.

[chevvron]

I joined in 1978 with a "81" number. My guess would be early eighties for a "82" number.
Doesn't always go like that.
My brother joined in '61 and his number was 7 digits beginning '19' whereas when I joined a few years later my number was 6 digits beginnining '21'.

[Rebus]

For what it's worth I joined as an apprentice airframe fitter in 69, my no. was P8010***.

[DuncanDoenitz]

One presumes that you will be handing them in "at any service establishment or police station"?

(Myself, similar chronology/numerology to Rebus btw, 8018***)

[lsd]

For DD, will do and let you know the degree of interest (or more likely, the lack of) shown.
Thanks for your responses guys.

[Dan Dare]

I think that would not be a regular service number, more probably reservist or officer cadet.

[Pypard]

I think that would not be a regular service number, more probably reservist or officer cadet.

I'd disagree: I'm sure that some of my fellow Halton Brats from later entries had similar numbers.

[JagRigger]

*822*** start of 85, so probably a year or two before me. I orginally had the red / green ones, but they got replaced by the round metal ones later, so if your 'man' stayed in a few years they would have got them too

[BANANASBANANAS]

Mine begins 802 and I joined in 81.

[stevef]

I have it on firm authority that Service Number *800**** was part of an early 1971 allocation block. (Prefix asterisk = an alpha.)

[Krystal n chips]

I have it on firm authority that Service Number *800**** was part of an early 1971 allocation block. (Prefix asterisk = an alpha.)

800 numbers were used well before 71...at least at Halton. I think they varied slightly at Locking / Cosford / Hereford.

The prefix of a letter caused a great deal of confusion with the Army, or rather an Army M.O who was more concerned as to why my number included a letter than my condition....the Germans however, had no such concerns and prescribed medication... that worked.

[ShyTorque]

I joined as a direct entrant officer cadet in 1976. Trained at Henlow. My service number began J802****.

On graduation as an officer the prefix J was retained, but moved to the end of the number.

[clarkieboy]

1977 Halton Brat, my number started D8020***, if that helps, or adds to the confusion?

[Walter28]

Yes, me to. 216 entry September `69 with T8010...

[ZH875]

Mine begins 802 and I joined in 81.
Mine begins 802 and I joined in 76

[ORAC]

Officer cadet at Henlow in 1974, No prefix, 7 digits beginning 802 with the suffix T. 802xxxxT

Remained unchanged until I left in 1999.

[Coltishall. loved it]

Hope this may help? My service number was : C8204@@@. Techie not appo, Joined Jan 1981. Had the original cardboard dogtags and later got the round metal ones with the neck chain, not sure when? maybe circa late 90's

[wub]

I enlisted in 1971 and my number was A809xxxx. When I was commissioned my number changed to 809xxxxA. Never had dog tags.

[NRU74]

I enlisted as an Officer Cadet at South Cerney in '61, we (young) ex civilians had 423 followed by numbers up to a seven figure number, the former airmen , brats etc as Officer Cadets retained their original numbers. We didn't have any letters attached - I think that came later.

[brakedwell]

Ditto. I joined as an Officer Cadet in 1955 with a seven figure number starting 417

[Haraka]

IIRC the letter was a check item on the correctness of the entered number on a computer based system , which also then displayed your Service origin. It failed hilariously on my and many friends' cases. From being an ex RAFC Cadet I was identified as a Commissioned NCO -(well we were technically airmen initially)
The Service history print outs thus generated were fun reading..........

[Herod]

Similar to NRU74 and Brakedwell. Joined Dec '64, with a 423 number and no prefix/suffix. Left in '76 and joined the VR(T) in '84, retaining the old number, still with no letters

[ItsonlyMeagain]

Joined initially as a cadet pilot on a UAS in 77 and almost immediately changed to a Cadetship. At that time all UAS numbers began with 262 followed by another number; 5 for me on ELUAS. Had my cadetship started at Cranwell, it would have been different, but I maintained mine. So, I guess there was some logic to their issue. A letter suffix (for officers) appeared a few years later, airmen having had a prefix previously.

Re dog tags. As above, I initially had the green and maroon coloured one which were worn on my flying suit. Whether true or not, it was said one to survive fire and one to survive chemicals …..(?). Come the Gulf War, they changed to metal on a chain with the addition of blood group. Hope that helps a little.

Me

[plans123]

I take it they looked like the image below? (image found on search engine)

I joined in mid '87 and was B828****

I was given a set like this in '89, then mine were replaced by metal ones in the'90's I think.

I was told once that they were made out of vulcanised asbestos fibre. Both were worn and in the event of you being killed the red tag was removed and the green one was left with the body, if there was enough time it was to placed in the mouth.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/186x186/oip_c10d2cbc907b4928387842b5c59039b2246766f0.jpg

[Haraka]

IIRC One ws acid resistant, the other fire resistant.........

[teeteringhead]

I joined as a direct Entrant at the beginning of '68 - first course NOT to go to South Cerney. My number was (Is!) 8024***

[ZH875]

IIRC One ws acid resistant, the other fire resistant.........
I believe they were both the same material, the disc would go into the admin system to prove death, and the lozenge with two holes stayed with the body. If worn correctly the disc would have been fastened to the lower hole on the lozenge, and the upper hole on the lozenge was fastened around the neck.

[Helena Handbasket]

Back in 1957 when the earth was still cooling, 87th Entry at Locking were all 6 digit numbers. 683***.
When the RAF discovered the computer, a two character prefix was added. FO683***.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Further to Plans123's image. Having joined in 1978 I was not issued with these until my first RAFG tour at Wildenrath in the early '80's. They were to be worn only during TACEVAL or the real event. Despite them being fireproof/bulletproof/radiationproof they were fastened around the neck on a piece of string.

[gopher01]

Joined in 1965, second entry of Craft apprentices ( 202nd Entry ) and my service number was O1960***, somebody fairly quickly realised this could be read as 01960*** and it was changed to P1960***. I seem to remember it was changed before the next entry formed and as I was well down the alphabet probanly not to many to change after me. What happened to all the other ' O's ' in the entry I am not sure of.

[rolling20]

Joined initially as a cadet pilot on a UAS in 77 and almost immediately changed to a Cadetship. At that time all UAS numbers began with 262 followed by another number; 5 for me on ELUAS. Had my cadetship started at Cranwell, it would have been different, but I maintained mine. So, I guess there was some logic to their issue. A letter suffix (for officers) appeared a few years later, airmen having had a prefix previously.

Re dog tags. As above, I initially had the green and maroon coloured one which were worn on my flying suit. Whether true or not, it was said one to survive fire and one to survive chemicals …..(?). Come the Gulf War, they changed to metal on a chain with the addition of blood group. Hope that helps a little.

Me
I joined in 81 and I had a 262 number, preceded by an L ,IIRC.
One day, on visiting the SSQ to see the MO about an ailment, I was promoted to Corporal.
The female MO having never come across the C/P abbreviation!

[bonajet]

Similar to Teeters; direct entry in 1971 with 802****. As Officer Cadet I think the letter was on the front and moved to the end on commissioning. No shiny dogtags at all, just the asbestos lozenges.

[ShyTorque]

Similar to Teeters; direct entry in 1971 with 802****. As Officer Cadet I think the letter was on the front and moved to the end on commissioning. No shiny dogtags at all, just the asbestos lozenges.

As per mine; @#14

I think my “dog tags” were issued during basic flying training in ‘77, rather than immediately on commissioning, to be clipped to flying overall) and the metal one being issued quite some time after that.

[Warmtoast]

I joined up in March 1951 with my service number beginning with 406***

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/601x427/image_6486e05ba222673ba4b9f6ef61029cefd63da656.png
No. 7 School of Recruit Training (RAF Bridgnorth). 20 Flight, Hut 245 dated 10th May 1951.

On the 4th April 1951 I arrived at No. 7 School of Recruit Training (RAF Bridgnorth) for six weeks of “square-bashing.” This nearly end of square bashing photo is of 20 Flight, Hut 245 and is dated 10th May 1951.

WT

[NRU74]

Were you the only one without a webbing belt ?

[Warmtoast]

No not me!

[stevef]

Proper uniforms, those No 2s, even if they were a bit itchy when new.
Only two or three managed to master shaping the new-fangled beret by the look of it, though! :)

[NutLoose]

812 was mine March 76 at Swinditz, first letter was pretty much meaningless, it was just one up from last person... as an example (not mine) the first got A8124 then 001 next person got B8124 002 and on.


You could look on facebook as there are groups asking were you part of a specific group etc, like were you at Swindditz in March 76 and were in the 812 range?.

[NutLoose]

Hairy Mary's went out in 76, and we were issued with the Thunderbirds outfit at Swinditz, some of the WRAF that were on courses at the same time at St Athan had been issued with the old Hairy Mary's and would beg us for pyjamas to wear under them, though other courses coming through had gone over to the new style, those girls in the older kit suffered and 76 was a roasting hot summer, it must have been their basic training stores clearing old stock.

[Quemerford]

I was in the school CCF around the time that the Hairy Mary uniform was being phased out of RAF use; we wore it until I left in 1979 and ALWAYS wore pyjama trousers underneath. I can confirm that in hot weather it was near unbearable, and even worn with pyjama trousers you could feel the prickliness. That stuff was also near impossible to iron and whoever thought it would be suitable as a clothing material must have been a sadist or an idiot.

By the time I got to Swinderby in 1980 thankfully the Thunderbird jacket and pseudo-lightweight trousers were the norm, though even those trousers were uncomfortable. I continued wearing pyjama trousers with my No.1 uniform until the day I left.

[CharlieJuliet]

Don't see many Colonials posting here. I joined up in Nairobi in '63 and was 52004** - those at Cerney with me from the UK were 423******* etc. Once attested my father took me straight round to the NAAAFI at Eastleigh to take advantage of my new access to duty free!! I believe Rhodesians/South Africans were 52002**, and I think Aussies/New Zealanders also had a unique number.

[lsd]

Took ID disc to local police station, where after initial surprise at such an unusual situation, the reaction was to put it into lost property and adopt a DFK/DFC attitude.
For future reference, any personal input across the station counter requires name,DOB, address, sex, ethnicity, etc by which time both parties had lost interest in the matter and bade each other good day - at least, he was humorous enough to admit it was the most exciting event that Saturday morning.

[teeteringhead]

That stuff was also near impossible to iron Soap on the inside of the trouser creases!

[Sue Vêtements]

I read in someone's memoir once that during the Second World War there was a parade or something where people had to give their serial number. One person quoted three digits which caused a wrathful response from whomever was asking as apparently it was considered 'cool' to just quote the last three.

He repeated that the three digits were in fact his full serial number as he had previously served in the First World War as well

A respectful silence filled the room


Anyone know where that came from?

[Innominate]

He repeated that the three digits were in fact his full serial number as he had previously served in the First World War as well


I have a vague recollection of reading that in John Bushby's book "Gunner's Moon" - I last read it a couple of decades ago, so I may be wrong.

It was pointed out on Twitter recently that one of the WAAFs who were awarded Military Medals at Biggin Hill during the Battle of Britain also had FWW medal ribbons, having rejoined when the WAAF was formed.

[Sue Vêtements]

I did read that book, so that probably is where it came from