Originally Posted by langleybaston
(Post 11306562)
yes, my dad 1939 to 45 always said leading aircraftsman ...... he was i/c a barrage baloon in that rank ...... how times change
Unit commanded by Flt Lt A Blimp, presumably?
langleybaston
2nd Oct 2022 11:30
Originally Posted by MPN11
(Post 11306636)
Unit commanded by Flt Lt A Blimp, presumably?
The Balloon organisation was, as far as I can gather, a little odd. First, it was part of Fighter Command [open to correction, as always]. Secondly they were deployed in small batches, such as Suez Canal mobile ship assets ....... dad would plonk his balloon on a ship at one end, have a cruise to the other, move the balloon to a returning ship and so on. And for outings like D Day, his balloon was lashed to a destroyer or whatever. The chain of command relied on a lot of decent blokes a long way from much brass, doing a boring but worthwhile task. [Coventry in the Blitz failed to bore him]. I think he only saw officers for Pay Parade or jankers. He wore a Good Conduct badge by the end of the war so not a lot of jankers.
MPN11
2nd Oct 2022 13:33
LB … many small parts make the whole thing work. Even those without Brevets/Badges were and are still essential!
