RAF List 2002/ 2003
 

G'day All,

I'm trying to track down the bona fides of person who claims to be an ex RAF officer. According to his profile he left the RAF in 2003.

Obviously it's a sensitive issues and I don't want to cast aspersions publicly if his bona fides check out but a copy of the RAF list from (say) 2002 and/or 2003 would be very helpful.

I'm not ex military but spent 20 years in the Australian Air Training Corps/ Australian Air Force Cadets until 2010. You can view my posting history mostly in Dunnunda and Godzone forums.

Thanks for any assistance anyone can provide.

Keg

Keg, a particular year might be hit and miss. Try searching the London Gazette. That should have all you need.

Thanks Pontius. That came up a blank for the name I was after- which could be a clue or could be my finger trouble and not knowing how to search it properly.

Hence my mind turned to the RAF list.

I appreciate the input though. :ok:

Keg

If you type the following in google before what you want to search it will find who you're looking for in the London Gazette:

site:thegazette.co.uk plus the name and initials of who you are searching for

If you get nothing then suspect bu11sh!t...I just searched for a few people I know and I had a 100% return from 7 searches.

LJ

I also find that his service number will help in the search in the Gazette - he should remember it if you ask him!

Walter
 

if you do out the maybe walt put it on the Walter Mitty hunters club on FB , name and shame

Keg
I've got a copy of the 95 RAF list, if he left in 2003 he should be in there.
If you PM me his name, initials and branch plus anything else you have, I'll have a look.
EA

Keg,

How long does your man claim to have been in the RAF? If he was on a regular commission, then his name would be in the Retired List.

Remember, an Air Force List for - say - 2003, might be closed for entries on 1 March of that year. You would do well to look at a list for a year on which he claims to have been present all year!

O-D

I've got fairly random collection of Air Force Lists in the office - so random I can't recall exactly which ones I've got!

I'll check in the morning and let you know. :ok:

Worked perfectly for various promotions but my initial commission (as a mighty Acting Pilot Officer) was listed with my full first and middle name and didn't seem to want to show up unless I searched for my service number.

Searching for my first and last names told me I died in 1956 :(

As Wensleydale said, service number is the answer to your question. It's unique and you don't ever forget it. I've heard tales of individuals with dementia who can't remember what they did yesterday but still remember their service number, so personal is it and so deeply engrained in their memory.

Ask the individual for their service number. If they can't remember it, I'd start to wonder. And when they give you the number Google it - you may need to try a couple of times depending whether google is case sensitive. Either way because it is so unique it will take you direct to their entry in the London Gazette (effectively the official Government newspaper / publication) where every commission and promotion in every branch is announced. I can track every one of my promotions just by doing that. So can they if they are genuine.

There is a catch. Modern Service numbers have a letter suffix or prefix, originally there was no check letter. My appointment in the reserves is shown but not my retirements.

There was a good explanation in pprune a few years back on how to calculate that letter.

Service numbers are also blocked so you can tell what type of engagement or commission the individual had.

Good point PN.

When I was on the UAS - effectively an Airman - the letter was a prefix. When I commissioned I kept the same number and the letter became a suffix.

I joined in the late 90s and as a former UAS student had a service number starting 2. I can't remember which way round it is, but graduate direct entrants and direct entrants straight from school at that time had numbers beginning with 8 or 5. FWIW, I think females' service numbers started with a 3.

So you should probably be looking for a service number starting 2, 5 or 8 and with a letter after the 7 numbers.

Since the start of JPA, letters, suffix or prefix have gone for new recruits. Don't forget how to spell Joint, A R M Y.

Ours started 608xxx, RAF Technical College was 609xxx. My check digit was "F"

Keg

as promised last night

The Air Force Lists I have are:

Autumn '72 (they used to publish 2 per year!)
Autumn '76
Autumn '78

of the one-per-years I have:

1984
1987
2003 (last one with dates of birth of Gp Capts and above!!)
2006
2007 (last one published I think)

And also Retired Lists for:

1974 and
2006 (last one)

It any of this looks like being helpful, feel free to PM me with more details.

Teeters

Retired List
 

There is a quirk, or inconsistency to my mind,certainly in my 1982 copy. Those of us who exercised our 8 or 12 year options to leave the service and transfer to the reserve, normally for a 4 year period I recall, are not included.

Yet, those officers who resigned their commission after the same 8 or 12 year period are included. In my copy I noticed 2 or 3 names I recognised who had left after presumably failing their OCU or first squadron check.

Salt n vinegar with those chips?

Army numbers changed with the advent of JPA too.

Roadsters, GG2 is merely reminding that Joint is GREEN.

Daughter, a sqn ldr, used to get snotty emails and phone calls from the Adjutant (captain) about attendance at Army functions when she was in a Joint unit and no acknowledgement of light blue commitments.

As PMC she got her own back when running a dining-in night with RAF protocols. Yup, the Army was no where as sophisticated with no idea of passing the port.

Thanks everyone for your assistance thus far. Some very good info here.

It appears my bloke actually IS on the list but not in the capacity I'd been lead to believe. Certainly his profile on linked in, and personal stories leads you down a different path to what his category on the RAF list would lead you to believe.

Some follow up questions if I may.

Was it possible to be an RAF airman whilst an RAF Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) officer? (I think some people can see where this is leading).
Would time as a RAF VR(T) role count towards a Long Service and Good Conduct medal?
Is it possible to have two different service numbers? IE If you were in for a bit, left for a few years and then came back? Or be given your RAF airman one initially?
Is there any way to check RAF airman records?
Is there any way to check eligibility of Gulf War I medals?
Were RAF VR(T) officers awarded the Diamond and Golden Jubilee coronation medals? Did you have to be a member at the date of attestation or could you still get it if you had done the five years but left a few years earlier?
How far through the 'emergency services' did the issue of the medals extend?

Thanks again everyone for your assistance.